Chapter 32: Blood Debt
After a night of chaos, Ethan got home and quickly took a shower, washing away the faint smell of gunpowder on his body.
He walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, casually picked up his phone from the table, and called Clara to let her know he was safe.
The call was answered after just one ring.
"Ethan? Are you okay? Did that damn Tillman shoot at you? Did Victor give you a hard time?" On the other end, Clara's voice was filled with the anxiety and fear of a sleepless night.
"What could happen to me?" Ethan's lips curved into a relaxed smile. "I didn't even lose a single hair. Don't worry, everything's taken care of."
"Send me your location! I'm coming over right now!"
Less than half an hour later, the villa's doorbell rang.
As soon as Ethan opened the door, a rush of intoxicating fragrance hit him as someone threw themselves into his arms.
Clara was wearing a wine-red silk deep V-neck slip dress, without even bothering to put on a coat, and hugged Ethan tightly.
Her full breasts pressed firmly against Ethan's solid chest, creating an incredibly springy and tactile sensation.
"Do you know how worried I was last night!" Clara buried her face in Ethan's neck, her voice slightly choked up.
"I'm sorry for worrying you, but I need to go fill my stomach."
Ethan gently released Clara with a light laugh.
Clara straightened her somewhat disheveled dress, the deep cleavage below the neckline quite eye-catching. "Then let's go. I know a nice French restaurant nearby."
The two drove and soon arrived at an elegantly decorated French restaurant in the city center.
Shortly after sitting down by the window, the restaurant's originally elegant and quiet atmosphere was completely shattered by an extremely crude commotion.
The restaurant's glass door was roughly pushed open, and seven or eight men swaggered in.
They were all built like tanks, with visible tattoos on their necks and backs of their hands. They sat down at a large table not far from Ethan, brazenly scanning Clara's stunning curves up and down, making no effort to hide the lewdness in their eyes.
"This chick is really hot, that ass could definitely squeeze a man to death..." one of them said with a sleazy laugh in a lowered voice.
Ethan's knife paused slightly as he was cutting his steak, a flash of coldness in his eyes, but he didn't want to ruin Clara's mood over some trash at this moment, so he didn't lose his temper on the spot.
Just then, his phone on the table suddenly vibrated.
Mia?
"Ethan! Something's happened!" As soon as he answered, Mia's usually calm and playful voice now carried obvious panic.
"Don't panic, take it slow." Ethan's expression immediately became serious.
"It's Cole!" Mia said quickly. "He just suddenly sent me a text saying he's quitting immediately, and no matter how many times I call him, his phone is off. He's completely disappeared!"
"Cole?" Ethan's brow furrowed instantly.
He knew Cole's personality well - an extremely honest and dutiful person who had been diligent since joining Ethan's company, even treating the company like his own home.
This sudden resignation and disappearance was definitely not normal!
"Got it, I'll have someone look into it."
Ethan hung up, his sharp instincts telling him that something serious must have happened to Cole. He immediately pulled up Noah's number.
But before he could make the call, the restaurant's closed door was suddenly kicked open from outside!
The loud bang startled everyone in the restaurant, even the rowdy thugs froze.
Everyone looked toward the sound.
At the entrance stood a man covered in blood.
His hair was disheveled, his suit stained with large patches of glaring dark red blood. His eyes were bloodshot from extreme rage, and he was gripping a boning knife in his hand!
That face, which usually wore an honest smile, was now twisted with extreme anger and despair!
It was Cole!
"Animals... you animals!!!"
Cole let out a roar, his eyes locked on the direction of the thugs, charging at the bald man with the boning knife!
The thugs were stunned at first, then reacted, grabbing wine bottles from the table and smashing them on the edge. "This loser actually dares to come after us? Kill him!"
"Stop!"
Just as Cole was about to reach the thugs, a figure flashed in front of him.
Ethan grabbed Cole's violently trembling wrist with one hand.
"Let me go!! I'm going to kill them!! I'm going to kill them!!!" Cole had completely lost his mind, his face covered in tears and blood mixed together, struggling frantically.
"Cole! Look at me!"
Ethan let out a sharp command.
Cole's whole body shook violently, and a hint of clarity finally returned to his bloodshot eyes.
When he saw that the person blocking him was Ethan, Cole suddenly dropped to his knees heavily on the marble floor.
"Ethan... my parents... they almost beat my parents to death!"
Ethan's pupils contracted sharply, his expression instantly turning completely dark.
Through Cole's tearful account, Ethan finally understood what had happened.
Half an hour ago, these animals had gone to the hospital where Cole's mother was staying and caused trouble.
Cole's father had only said a few fair words and was pinned to the ground and beaten savagely by these people.
His mother, whose condition had just stabilized and was lying in bed, tried to get up to protect her husband, but was kicked hard by the bald man and sent flying, her head hitting the radiator heavily!
Even his elderly father had four ribs broken and both were rushed to the emergency room!
In utter despair, Cole didn't want to drag Ethan and the company into this, so he sent a resignation text and grabbed a knife, ready to fight these bastards to the death!
After hearing Cole's words, the air in the restaurant seemed to be completely sucked out in that instant.
A terrifying killing intent, almost solidified, swept through the entire restaurant with Ethan at its center, and even the surrounding temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.
"I was wondering why this loser dared to come here - turns out he brought backup."
The bald man played with the broken bottle in his hand, arrogantly sizing up Ethan and spitting contemptuously.
"Kid, want to stick your nose in? I'd advise you to get lost, or we'll take care of you and that woman in the red dress together..."
Before he could finish his sentence.
The floor tile under Ethan's feet instantly cracked like a spider web!
The next second, Ethan's figure appeared in front of the bald man as if teleporting, one large hand clamping around the bald man's neck and lifting this nearly 300-pound man straight into the air!
An intense feeling of suffocation instantly hit, the bald man's feet kicked wildly in the air, his originally arrogant face instantly turning purple-red, and the broken bottle in his hand fell powerlessly to the ground.
"Cole, this isn't for you to do."
Ethan, holding the still-struggling bald man with one hand, turned his head slightly to look at Cole kneeling on the ground in tears.
"These scum, I'll handle them."