Chapter 8

Everyone there thought Leon was gonna get his ass handed to him by those two bodyguards.

Caitlin couldn't help but jump in, "Stop, Steve. Leon, just apologize, and Steve will let it go."

But Leon just stared at the two bodyguards with their smug grins and didn't flinch. He said coldly, "These two clowns wanna teach me a lesson? Steve, you really think I'm that weak?"

Back in the day, as the heir to the Corleone family, Leon had gone through some hardcore combat training, making him way tougher than your average guy.

But ever since he joined the Herman family, he kept that under wraps, so no one had a clue.

"Move aside!" Leon barked, clenching his right fist and slamming it into the stomach of the bodyguard on the right. The guy doubled over and hit the ground, out for the count.

Then Leon swung his left leg, nailing the other bodyguard in the leg. That guy went down too, screaming in pain.

Before Steve could even process what was happening, Leon was already in his face, shoving him to the ground.

Steve hit the dirt, totally caught off guard, his clothes now a mess.

Patrick and the others just stood there, eyes wide, totally floored.

How the hell did Leon just take down Steve and his bodyguards like that?

It was unreal.

Steve scrambled to his feet, glaring daggers at Leon. "Leon, how dare you push me down? You're gonna pay for this!"

Leon just gave him a dismissive look and pulled out his phone to call Brandon.

"Leon, it's Brandon. Didn't expect to hear from you. What's up?" Brandon's cheerful voice came through.

Leon, cool as a cucumber, said, "Brandon, I can't stand the current company president, Steve Hamilton. Can you take care of him for me? Any issues with that?"

"Take care of him? Leon, Steve's a big shot at the company. What exactly do you mean by 'take care of him'?" Brandon asked, confused.

Leon replied coldly, "Simple. I want him broke and ruined."

And with that, he hung up.

Steve thought Leon was bluffing. He glared at Leon and spat out, "You bastard, you can't scare me like this. You're done for. I'm the president of Corleone Investment Bank, and the Corleone family won't let you off."

With Samara, Caitlin, and the others watching, Steve felt humiliated and furious. He quickly dialed a number on his phone.

A voice answered, "Steve, what's up?"

"Sergey, where are you? I'm in trouble at Riverside Park. Get your guys over here now. I want this guy crippled," Steve said urgently.

"Riverside Park? Got it, I'll be there soon," Sergey replied.

After hanging up, Steve shot Leon a smug look and said, "You're toast. My buddy's bringing his crew over. He's in a gang. When he gets here, you're gonna be crippled!"

Everyone around was stunned, their faces going pale.

They all knew Sergey Evans, a notorious thug known for his brutality. No wonder Steve was so cocky—Sergey was his friend.

But Leon didn't even flinch. He calmly replied, "Really? Steve, you think I'm scared?"

Steve sneered, looking at Leon like he was already a dead man.

Samara and Lucy started mocking from the sidelines.

"Oh my god, he's not even running. He must have a death wish."

"Good. Let him suffer so he'll divorce Caitlin."

Steve was about to say something when his phone rang.

Seeing the caller ID, he realized it was a board member.

"This is Steve. Why are you calling me now?" Steve asked.

"Steve, someone has reported you for embezzlement, misappropriation of company funds, and sexually harassing employees during your tenure as president of Corleone Investment Bank. Your actions have severely damaged the company's reputation. After discussion, the board has decided to fire you and demand compensation for all losses. If you disagree, we'll see you in court."

"What? No, how can you do this..." Steve was shocked and wanted to say more, but the other party hung up directly.

The news hit him like a ton of bricks, leaving his mind blank.

Why would the company suddenly fire him without any warning?

Damn Leon, could he really know something?

Without his position as president of Corleone Investment Bank, the Herman family would no longer respect Steve, and his marriage to Caitlin would likely fall apart.

Thinking of this, Steve felt a surge of anger and frustration.

But as the former president, he was smart enough to realize that only he and the board of Corleone Investment Bank knew about this. The Herman family didn't know yet.

This meant that in front of the Herman family, he was still the president of Corleone Investment Bank, and he could temporarily use some connections.

But after tonight, the news would definitely spread, and he would be completely rejected by the Herman family.

So tonight was his only chance.

After he made up his mind, an evil thought popped into Steve's head. He had to force Leon and Caitlin apart tonight and make Caitlin agree to his proposal.

It would be best to kill Leon directly. That way, even if the Herman family regretted it, it would be too late.

Seeing Steve's unpleasant expression, Patrick asked out of concern, "What's wrong, Steve? Are you in trouble? Do you need my help?"

Steve immediately shook his head, very calmly saying, "It's nothing. A board member invited me to a banquet, but it was too sudden, and I wasn't prepared, so I declined."

Patrick nodded, buying Steve's explanation.

At that moment, two Range Rovers rolled up, and a bunch of tall dudes in leather jackets piled out.

Leading the pack was Sergey, the guy Steve had called earlier. He had tattoos all over and a fierce look in his eyes.

"Sergey, over here!" Steve called out, looking pleased as punch.

Sergey strolled over with his crew, lit a cigarette, and asked, "Steve, who had the balls to mess with you?"

Steve pointed at Leon and said, "It's him, Sergey. Go ahead and cripple him or kill him. If you kill him, I'll make sure you're well rewarded."

Patrick and the others quickly backed off, looking a bit freaked out.

Sergey was notorious around here, and people were scared of him because he was so ruthless. Even folks from the Herman family didn't want to cross him.

So everyone thought Leon was done for. Sure, Leon could fight, but these gang members had guns.

Caitlin hurriedly said, "Leon, run!"

Leon was a bit taken aback; he didn't expect Caitlin to say that. It showed she had some feelings for him, which touched him deeply.

Caitlin bit her lip, clutching her clothes with both hands, looking extremely nervous.

Sergey was not someone to mess with. If he pulled out a gun, Leon would be in serious trouble.

"Leon, why are you still standing there? Run!" Caitlin urged him anxiously.

But Lucy grabbed Caitlin's hand and said, "Caitlin, stop it. What are you doing?"

Lucy couldn't understand why Caitlin was worried about Leon. Caitlin had always looked down on him, so why the sudden concern?

Patrick and Samara stayed quiet; they were on Steve's side. Leon had embarrassed Steve today, making him furious. Anyone who spoke up for Leon would be Steve's enemy, and Patrick didn't want to piss off Steve.

Samara said discontentedly, "Caitlin, what are you thinking? Why are you worried about this loser? Wouldn't it be better if Sergey killed him? That way, he won't cause us any more trouble."

Sergey patted Steve on the shoulder and said with a grin, "Alright, Steve, we're friends. Thanks to you, I've made a lot of money from my investments. I'm someone who knows how to repay favors. I'll kill him for you!"

Steve smiled happily. He had spent a lot of money to become friends with Sergey, and it was finally paying off.

At least Sergey was willing to stand up for him.

As long as Leon was dealt with, Patrick would surely agree to his marriage with Caitlin.

"Thank you, Sergey," Steve said.

Sergey loomed toward Leon.

Caitlin, almost twisting off a piece of her dress in anxiety, blurted out, "Leon, why are you still standing there? Run! Do you really want to get shot?"

Before Sergey arrived, Caitlin thought she would be very calm.

But when Sergey actually showed up, Caitlin realized she couldn't just stand by and watch Leon get killed.

In the four years of marriage with Leon, even though they hadn't been intimate, they saw each other every day. And Leon was always so attentive, always looking out for Caitlin.

So over time, Caitlin had developed a bit of a dependence on Leon.

But now, even if Caitlin wanted to stop it, it was too late.

Sergey was already in front of Leon, staring him down coldly.

"I don't know you, but Steve is my friend. If you mess with my friend, you deserve to die," Sergey said.

Leon frowned and said, "Steve, do you know what you're doing? This is murder. Aren't you afraid of the police?"

Steve laughed arrogantly and said, "The police? Leon, do you know who Sergey works for? Do you really think the police can scare him? You're ridiculous. Let me tell you, Sergey works for Bradley. Do you think the police can do anything to him?"

Bradley?

Hearing this name, Leon raised an eyebrow and smirked.

He immediately raised his hand and said, "Wait, I have something to say."

Sergey didn't rush to act and said, "I'll give you a chance to say your last words. Go ahead."

Leon calmly said, "Steve, don't think you're the only one who knows gang members. I have friends too. Aren't you afraid that after you kill me, my friends will come after you?"

"Your friends?" Steve was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing, "Don't be ridiculous, Leon. You're just a parasite living off the Herman family. What powerful friends could you have? Do you want to call your friends for help? Go ahead, I allow it. I'm very curious to see who would be brave enough to be friends with a loser like you."

"Don't regret it after I make the call." Leon looked at Sergey, who didn't stop him. Sergey was very confident and didn't think anyone would dare to offend him.

Then, in front of Sergey, Leon dialed Bradley's number.

"Leon? Calling me so late, are you in trouble?" Bradley was a smart man and immediately guessed that Leon must have a problem.

Leon smiled and said, "You're right. I do need your help. Can you come over now? I'm in a bit of trouble here at Riverside Park."

"Alright, Leon, I'll be right there. Just wait a moment." Bradley agreed immediately and hung up.

Steve sneered and said, "Leon, your friend is coming, seriously? Then we'll wait. I want to see who has the guts to come here to confront Sergey."

Sergey didn't say anything because he was also curious about who Leon would call for help.

So everyone waited patiently. Bradley was very quick. In about twenty minutes, three black cars arrived at Riverside Park.

Then a group of men got out of the cars, with Bradley leading them.

Leon saw him immediately and shouted, "Hey, Bradley, I'm over here."

"What? Bradley?" Hearing this name, Steve and Sergey were surprised, and so were the others.