Chapter 71 Tensed Confrontation 2

Chapter 71 Tensed Confrontation 2
Marcus Pov

The room fell into complete silence. Guns were raised, and every pair of eyes glowed with warning as fingers rested on the triggers. Behind me, Nexus and my other guard stood ready, and across from us, Henry’s men watched without blinking.

Just one order. One single one—that was all it would take for blood to spill.

Henry and I looked at each other across the table. The temperature around us dropped, but my body became even more relaxed. The more tense the room became, the calmer my breathing grew.

Neither of us moved.

I leaned back in my chair and raised one leg to cross over the other. Then the corner of my lips lifted.

“So,” I said calmly, “he really is with you.”

This wasn’t a question. Instead, it was a matter of fact, and there was no doubt.

Henry’s eyes narrowed, the smile on his face faded a little, and his shoulders grew stiff.

My fingers crossed, then I continued before he could speak. “So, you won’t release him no matter what.”

For a brief moment, Henry said nothing.

A second passed… another second. Then—

He chuckled.

He looked at me, then glanced behind me as if measuring the people I had brought, and when he looked back at me, excitement flashed in his eyes.

Slowly, he leaned against his chair, looking relaxed, but I noticed the slight tension in his jaw.

“Actually,” he said with a grin, “there is a way for you to take Dr. Reese.”

I raised an eyebrow, my lips still curled. “Speak.”

Henry smiled even wider. “It seems you and Dr. Reese share a deep friendship. I truly admire such loyalty.”

I frowned. Impatience could be seen on my face. “So much nonsense.” My voice cut through the room. “Speak.”

My face grew colder as he grinned more brightly.

Then he suddenly leaned forward, resting both his hands on the desk.

“I want the whole Hart Clan.”

Several guards looked at each other before quickly lowering their eyes again.

Silence swept across the room. No one breathed, and even the guards seemed frozen.

I looked at Henry without speaking, just listening.

Seconds passed, and only the faint ticking of the clock echoed through the room.

Just then, Henry continued. “As long as Master Stone helps me place the whole Hart Clan under my control, I’ll have no more use for Dr. Reese.”

After he finished, I still said nothing. Instead, my finger began tapping lightly against the arm of the chair.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

The slow rhythm echoed through the silent room until it almost sounded like a countdown.

Each sound that rang seemed louder than the last. No one interrupted. Or… no one dared to.

Henry watched me closely, but I could see the greed burning beneath his calm face. His eyes never left me, as though he was already imagining victory.

Just then, my tapping stopped.

The room grew colder instantly. A thin stream of silver-blue energy slowly rose around my body like mist. The nearest guards unconsciously took half a step back before forcing themselves to stay still.

The energy circled my chair, then flowed across the room, making the people in the room hold their breath.

The smile on Henry’s face slowly faded as he watched me. Confusion flickered in his eyes.

I let out a quiet snort, then my cold voice rang out. “It seems Major Henry didn’t do his homework.”

Henry frowned. This time, the confusion on his face became clear.

Amusement flashed in my eyes as I spoke again. “If your father warned you properly, you wouldn’t be trying to bargain with me.”

His smile disappeared completely. His jaw tightened, and one of his hands slowly curled into a fist.

I didn’t bother about that. Instead, I looked straight into his eyes, the amusement in mine long gone.

“What I hate the most…” I paused. “…is people trying to play smart with me.”

Henry’s face trembled. I could see the silent anger in his eyes. His fingers clenched harder, and the wood beneath them creaked.

My eyes turned cold too. The silver-blue energy around me thickened until it was like smoke. It spread across the room, leaving its trail behind.

The papers on the desk lifted into the air. A nearby teacup cracked with a sharp sound, and the breathing in the room became heavy.

I smirked, then looked at Henry with disdain. I held his gaze for another second before finally speaking.

“Who gave you the right to negotiate with me?”

Bang!

Henry slammed both hands onto the table. The wood shook so hard that one of the pens rolled onto the floor. He trembled, then shot to his feet. His movements were so large that the table shook.

“Are you looking down on me, Master Stone?” he gritted.

I didn’t answer him. I remained seated with my legs crossed as I looked at him calmly, but it seemed to anger him even more.

Suddenly, a wave of crimson energy burst from his body. It rolled aggressively through the room like fire. The walls trembled, the chandelier above us swayed, and whenever his crimson energy met mine, the air twisted and rippled, making the air go stiff.

“Marcus Stone!”

His voice echoed through the hall.

“Don’t think I’ll fear you because of your reputation. Remember, you’re standing in my territory!”

The moment he finished speaking, every gun in the room was aimed at me. At the same time, hidden doors opened, and heavy footsteps filled the hall.

One military guard after another rushed in until the meeting room was surrounded. Some released the power of S+ Alphas, while the majority of them unleashed the pressure of SS+ Alphas.

At the same time, different visible energies rose around them, filling every corner of the room. The pressure alone would have crushed an ordinary person.

Beside me, Nexus released his own aura without hesitation. Then the guard behind him didn’t fall behind and instantly did the same. They never once looked at the number of enemies around us.

Though they were only two, neither took a step back. Instead, their auras became even more aggressive.

I slowly swept my eyes across the room. So many trained guards. So many guns.

It seemed Major Henry was truly prepared.

Suddenly, I chuckled. The sound was soft, yet every guard immediately stiffened, and several of them tightened their grip on their weapons.

Even Henry’s eyes sharpened with caution. My eyes remained calm. I remained seated. I didn’t move, I didn’t say a word, or even bring out any weapon. I simply waited.

A few more seconds passed, and no one took their eyes off me.

Just then, I turned my head toward the closed door of the main entrance.

My eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint smile touched my lips. It was the same look I wore whenever everything was going according to plan.

“Time’s up.”

The words had barely left my lips when—

Bang!

The meeting room door burst open, and a guard rushed inside, breathing hard. He nearly stumbled before catching himself, his face drained of color. Sweat ran down his face. 

Henry looked at me, then turned to glare at the guard, and frowned with annoyance.

“What’s wrong with you!”

The guard breathed heavily but still managed to salute quickly.

For a moment, I felt his eyes flicker toward me before returning to Henry. His face turned pale.

“Major…”

He swallowed. “There is… there is a situation.”

Henry’s expression instantly changed. His eyes darkened.

“Speak.”

The guard took one last shaky breath. He hesitated for a second, then…

“…Dr. Reese is missing.”

The room froze.

Henry’s eyes widened, but instantly, he looked at me, and I watched as the confidence on his face shattered in an instant.

For the first time since I arrived, the man before me truly looked afraid.

(Goodness! I felt tensed while writing this 😅 it was as if I was in the room. How is my writing, guys?! )