On the third day after the incident outside Sunflower Hotel, Darnell arrived at a breakfast stall across from the Vertex, slumping into his seat with a weary air.
He no longer dared to eat breakfast in Woodsea. The vendors there knew he was a favorite of the village committee and went out of their way to curry favor with him. Darnell went out for some pasta, casually mentioned that it was delicious, and within half an hour, the entire office of Darnell’s Elite Force was filled with plates of pasta. If he mentioned how comfortable the air conditioning was at a repair shop, an hour later, all eighteen AC units in his office building would be topped up with refrigerant-free of charge. Even a lingering glance at the crabs in a supermarket would result in a cooler filled with twelve live crabs delivered to his office.
The pressure was overwhelming. Darnell had to be cautious even about glancing at women, lest he find an unexpected guest in his room at night. So, this morning, he decided to skip his usual breakfast spot in Woodsea and settled for a quick meal at a stall near his office.
After apprehending members of Seven Wolves and nearly a hundred Axe gang members two nights ago, Judith had been too busy with the case to bother Darnell. With the Axe gang members now behind bars, the police had launched another round of raids on their establishments. Kimberly had been added to the wanted list, with a bounty of $500, 000 for her capture as a murder suspect. The police had also summoned Rex for questioning. Though they lacked sufficient evidence to arrest the gang leader, they managed to squeeze a hefty sum out of him for his subordinates’ food and medical expenses. Rex was further restricted from leaving Whiteville and required to report to the police daily.
Despite the police crackdown, Rex had issued a declaration of all-out war, and tensions between the Axe and the Apex were reaching a boiling point. Luca and Callum knew the Axe was using the situation to their advantage, but there was little they could do except grit their teeth and bear it. Peter and his men hadn’t been crippled by the Apex, Samuel’s death wasn’t their doing, and the Sunflower Hotel incident had nothing to do with them. But explaining this would only make them look weak and irresponsible, fueling the fire. Rex wasn’t interested in the truth-they just wanted an excuse to fight.
As a result, Whiteville was simmering with tension. Street violence had spiked, and brawls were becoming a common sight. While the Apex and the Axe clashed, Darnell, the man who had inadvertently sparked the conflict, sat leisurely eating his breakfast, though he couldn’t help worrying about Kimberly. He hadn’t managed to kill her that night, and her potential retaliation was a lingering concern.
“Boss, give me a pack of sugar,” Darnell called out, finding his soy milk too bland. Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the stall.
“Boss, one soy milk, please,” she ordered.
It was Areli.
She wore a light black suit, her hair elegantly tied up, and her delicate face adorned with subtle makeup. Her slender legs peeked out from beneath her skirt, revealing dainty feet that exuded the aura of a high-powered executive. Yet, her eyes were cold and emotionless, as if Darnell, sitting just two meters away, was invisible.
“Sure thing,” the chubby stall owner replied briskly, then apologized, “Sorry, miss, we’re out of soy milk. How about some milk instead?”
Darnell waved at her. “Miss Fanshaw, I’ve got soy milk here. You can have a cup.”
Areli responded curtly, “No, thanks.”
Darnell was taken aback. After all they’d been through-working closely together, even sharing intimate moments-he hadn’t expected such coldness from her. He tried to lighten the mood, holding out the soy milk. “It’s fine. I bought two cups. You can have one, on me.”
Areli ignored him, picking up a cup of milk instead. “I’ll have this.”
Darnell scratched his head. “Well, how about we sit down and have breakfast together? There are some things I’d like to discuss.”
“I’m busy,” Areli replied flatly, pulling out a dollar bill to pay.
Darnell quickly offered his change. “Miss Fanshaw, let me get this. Consider it a chance for me to impress you.”
Areli didn’t respond, her icy demeanor unwavering. The stall owner, caught between them, awkwardly accepted her money instead.
Darnell’s heart sank. It wasn’t just her rejection that bothered him-it was the look in her eyes, as if she had already given up on him. He wondered if his abrupt departure during their last meeting had truly hurt her.
Before he could dwell on it further, the stall owner suddenly cursed under his breath. Darnell followed his gaze and saw two groups of thugs approaching from opposite directions-one dressed in white, the other in black. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were from the Axe and the Apex. Both groups were rolling up their sleeves and pulling out weapons wrapped in newspaper.
Darnell recognized Desmond leading the Apex group and muttered, “Damn, are they really going to start a fight this early in the morning?”
He called out to Areli, who was already walking away, “Miss Fanshaw, come back!”
Areli hesitated but kept walking, seemingly unfazed by the impending violence. Darnell rushed over and grabbed her arm. “Are you crazy?”
She struggled, but Darnell held firm, pulling her into the breakfast stall. He then turned to gather his food.
The leaders of the two groups roared each other’s names, then raised their arms and shouted, “Kill!”
Without another word, the sixty-odd men charged at each other. The clashing of weapons, the shouts of combat, and the cries of pain quickly filled the air outside the stall. Patrons scrambled inside, fear etched on their faces, while the owner hurriedly shut the door.
Darnell found himself locked out. “Boss, let me in! I’m not ready to die yet!”
The owner, too scared to open the door with the fight raging just meters away, pleaded, “I can’t, brother. It’s too dangerous. Find somewhere else to hide!”
Darnell looked around-all the nearby shops had closed. “Boss, have a heart! Let me in! Don’t you feel bad if someone as handsome as me gets hurt?”
The owner wavered but ultimately shook his head. “I can’t.”
Darnell tried another tactic. “I haven’t paid for my breakfast yet!”
The owner waved him off. “Forget it, just go!”
Inside, Areli’s eyes flickered with worry. She shouted at the owner, “Let him in!”
The other patrons immediately protested, “No! It’s too dangerous!”
“If you open that door, we’re all dead!”
The owner shook his head firmly. “I can’t.”
Areli tried to force her way to the door, but the other customers held her back. One burly man even raised his hand threateningly. “If you open that door, I’ll slap you!”
Areli struggled futilely, a look of despair crossing her face. She called out, “Darnell!”
But there was nothing she could do. She regretted not having her bodyguards from the parking lot accompany her.
Darnell, seeing her distress, called out reassuringly, “Miss Fanshaw, stay inside. I’ll be fine. They won’t hurt me.”
Areli bit her lip, her heart screaming, “No!”
Before she could say more, the owner pulled down the metal shutters, sealing everyone inside. Darnell and Areli were now separated, with only a small window offering a glimpse of the chaos outside. Areli kicked at the shutters, but it was no use.
Darnell, muttering to himself, tried to stay out of sight. “They can’t see me, can’t see me…”
Areli watched him, torn between anger and fear.
Suddenly, a loud crash interrupted Darnell’s prayers. Desmond, bloodied and battered, collapsed onto his table, nearly spilling the soy milk.
Darnell stared at him. “Desmond? What are you doing here?”
Desmond struggled to his feet, recognizing Darnell. “I got lost, Mr. Halford. My apologies.”
“Well, get lost again and go back!” Darnell pushed him away. “Don’t bring this mess here!”
Desmond wiped the blood from his mouth. “Right, I’ll go back.”
With a roar, he charged back into the fray.
But it wasn’t long before Desmond stumbled back to Darnell’s table. Darnell groaned, “Why are you back again?”
Desmond grinned weakly. “Just checking if you’re okay, Mr. Halford.”
“I’m fine as long as you stay away!” Darnell shoved him. “Now go!”
Desmond nodded, then charged back into the fight. “Kill!”
Two minutes later, he was back again, this time more seriously injured. Darnell sighed, “What now?”
Desmond chuckled, licking the blood from his lips. “Just taking a break.”
Darnell handed him his untouched soy milk. “Here, drink this, and then get out of here.”
Desmond gulped it down, then charged back into the chaos. “Kill!”
Before Darnell could finish his breakfast, Desmond collapsed onto the table again, this time unconscious.
Darnell shook him desperately. “Hey, wake up! You can’t pass out now!”
Just then, three members from the Axe spotted Desmond and charged toward him with axes raised.
Darnell’s heart sank.