Chapter 15

Lucas's overwhelming presence made it nearly impossible to breathe.

He seized Angela's slender wrist in a crushing grip, as if he wanted to shatter her bones.

Through clenched teeth, each word squeezed out like venom, "All you had to do was get on your knees and kowtow, and maybe I would've been merciful enough to let him go."

"But now? I'm going to make sure he rots in prison for the rest of his miserable life! I won't just sue him into oblivion—I'll make you watch as they destroy him piece by piece in there!"

"Hudson!" Lucas roared, his eyes blazing with vindictive fury. "Get me the complaint! File it now! I want him ruined for life!"

Hudson Carson trembled as he wiped cold sweat from his brow, stepping forward hesitantly. "Mr. Conway, this..."

Seeing Angela caught in Lucas's grip, Alan lunged forward like a man possessed. "Lucas, let Angela go! Come at me if you've got the guts!"

But handcuffed to the chair, he could only roar helplessly.

Angela closed her eyes in despair. Was there truly no way out? Could power really twist justice so completely, turning black into white?

Just as the situation reached its breaking point, the mediation room door swung open from the outside. A steady, authoritative voice cut through the tension.

"Excuse me, who is my client?"

Everyone froze mid-motion, turning toward the entrance. A man in a charcoal gray suit walked in.

Behind gold-rimmed glasses were eyes that radiated depth and intelligence.

Angela froze. Why was he here...

Before she could process it, Chrissy—who had been sobbing in the corner—suddenly rushed forward like she'd found her savior, throwing her arms around the man's arm and wailing, "Uncle Edward! What took you so long?!"

Uncle Edward? Everyone in the room exchanged confused glances.

Edward gently patted Chrissy's shoulder, his voice soft and reassuring. "Sorry, traffic held me up. I got here as fast as I could."

Then he raised his head. His gaze swept past everyone and landed precisely on Angela. His expression softened. "Junior, it's been a while."

'Junior?' Lucas's face darkened like a thundercloud.

Angela was pulled back to reality by that single word. Memories from deep in her mind gradually crystallized—the legendary senior from college who had always been refined and composed, dominating every mock trial competition.

"Mr. Williams?" Angela barely dared to believe it.

Edward nodded, giving her a reassuring look. "Don't be afraid. Leave this to me."

Edward smiled as well—for a fleeting moment, warmth flickered in his eyes.

Then he turned to Lucas, who was still gripping Angela's wrist. Behind his lenses, his gaze turned ice-cold.

"Mr. Conway, manhandling a woman in public—is this the kind of upbringing expected from The Conway Group's CEO?"

Edward's voice wasn't loud—calm and measured—but it carried an undeniable authority.

Lucas frowned, his grip loosening slightly without him realizing it.

He studied Edward instinctively, sensing a threat. As someone who moved in those circles, he was acutely attuned to presence and aura. This man was no pushover.

"So you two know each other?" Lucas's cold gaze flickered between Angela and Edward.

"I had no idea you knew so many men behind my back, Angela. A senior? Funny how you never mentioned him before." Jealousy tinged his tone.

Angela didn't bother responding—she felt that even one more word to him would be a waste of time.

Edward didn't rush to answer either.

He straightened his cuffs and walked calmly toward the table. After glancing at Alan's bloodied face with a slight frown, he turned back around and produced an embossed business card from his suit pocket. With slender fingers, he held it delicately and handed it to Hudson—Lucas's lawyer—who stood there stunned.

"I'm Chrissy's uncle and Alan Andrews' legal counsel for this case."

Edward smiled faintly as he introduced himself, "Maplewood Legal Services—Edward Williams."

At the sound of his name, Hudson's pupils contracted sharply! The file in his hand nearly slipped again!

Edward Williams!

The undefeated champion of the legal world—a legendary attorney who had never lost a case!

Every case he touched—even hopeless ones—turned around miraculously! In all of Lumaria's legal circles, this name struck fear into hearts!

"Mr. Williams?" Hudson's voice wavered as cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

He never imagined that an ordinary street brawl could summon this legal titan!

Though Lucas didn't work in law himself, he'd heard of Edward's reputation. He narrowed his eyes and sneered coldly, "So it's Mr. Williams after all? What brings you here? Shouldn't you be handling billion-dollar mergers instead of wasting time on petty street fights?"

"When someone entrusts me with their case, I honor that trust."

Facing Lucas and his legal team head-on, Edward's demeanor shifted abruptly—his presence sharpened like a blade unsheathed.

"Regarding my client Alan Andrews—accused of intentionally injuring Lucas Conway—I have several objections."

Edward's tone remained calm but precise, "First: According to the Public Security Administration Punishment Law and relevant criminal law interpretations—the incident began when Lucas Conway verbally insulted my client in public and maliciously degraded his character in front of his girlfriend, even bordering on defamation."

Edward adjusted his glasses; his gaze pierced through them like daggers, "This constitutes classic provocation under the law—Alan's actions were reactive under emotional duress—not premeditated assault."

"That's nonsense!" Lucas laughed bitterly in rage as he pointed at his own face, "He beat me like this! Are you saying it wasn't intentional assault? I've got medical reports right here!"

"Medical reports?"

Edward chuckled softly as he scanned Lucas's minor bruise at the corner of his mouth, "Soft tissue contusion—suspected concussion? Mr. Conway—this level of injury doesn't even qualify as minor injury grade two under judicial practice."

He then walked over to Alan's side and gestured toward the young man's swollen face and bleeding eye corner, "On the contrary—my client Alan sustained a three-centimeter tear at his eye corner—extensive facial soft tissue contusions—and possibly even a nasal fracture! If we're comparing injuries here, Mr. Conway hit him far harder than he did."

Edward turned around sharply to face Lucas directly; his voice turned cold as steel, "Mr. Conway—if this case goes to court—the judge won't see a victim—they'll see a billionaire CEO who beat up a twenty-year-old college student at a night market!"

He emphasized each word deliberately, "This is called mutual combat!"

The entire mediation room fell silent.

Hudson kept wiping sweat—not daring to interject—because every single word Edward spoke hit home!

Lucas's face turned ashen, "So what? I've got all the time in the world to drag this out with him!"