Chapter 8

Hearing this, Aiden shot to his feet.

The sudden movement sent his chair crashing to the floor behind him.

"Victor, this engagement was arranged personally between your grandfather and me. You can't just cancel it like that."

Amelia's eyes widened, her face full of shock.

Aiden, who had always taken such pride in the Martinez family, was actually using such a humble tone to plead with a nobody like him?

"Grandfather, what are you saying?" Amelia frowned, her eyes full of resentment.

"Someone like him, fresh out of prison, how could he possibly deserve..."

A loud slap echoed through the hall.

Aiden had put all his strength into that slap, snapping Amelia's head to the side.

She clutched her swollen cheek, looking at Aiden in disbelief, biting her lip and not daring to speak again.

Aiden took a deep breath and forced out a somewhat ingratiating smile.

"Victor, Amelia's been spoiled. Don't hold it against her. We can talk about the engagement slowly, no rush. Let's not hurt our relationship over this."

Victor looked down at Aiden from his superior position, a hint of amusement curling at the corner of his mouth.

Aiden's attitude—arrogant before, servile now—was boring.

As the standoff continued, steady footsteps came from outside the door.

A middle-aged man in a suit strode into the main hall, followed closely by two assistants carrying briefcases.

The man had a stern face—it was Aiden's eldest son, Hayes Martinez.

His eyes swept over Victor with contempt, looking him up and down dismissively.

"Dad, I just got off the plane and heard we had an unwelcome guest at home? Some ex-con fresh out of prison dares to throw his weight around in the Martinez family?"

Aiden's expression changed drastically, about to speak up and stop him.

But Hazel stepped forward first, grabbing Hayes's sleeve and desperately giving him a meaningful look.

Hayes frowned slightly, suddenly suspicious.

He knew Hazel had always been arrogant and proud. For her to show such wariness, this Victor must be no simple matter.

Hayes forcibly swallowed the rest of his mockery.

Victor took in everyone's expressions and let out a dismissive snort.

"Mr. Martinez, I'll be direct. I don't care about this engagement at all. I already have someone I care about. Compared to her, Ms. Martinez is like a firefly trying to compete with the bright moon."

"But since my grandfather once valued old ties, I'll stay one more day. Once you work things out with my grandfather, I'll leave on my own."

Aiden felt like he'd been granted a reprieve, repeatedly wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Yes, yes, of course. Go rest in the guest room. If you need anything at all, just say the word!"

Victor couldn't be bothered with more talk. Hands in his pockets, he turned and walked straight out of the main hall.

Leaving them one day was already the last bit of tolerance he was showing the Martinez family, out of respect for Max.

As Victor left the hall, his gaze gradually turned cold.

Six years ago, the main sewage pipeline in Georgia had suffered a serious rupture.

Tens of thousands of tons of industrial wastewater poured continuously into the Savannah River.

The river that was vital to the drinking water of the entire state's population had turned overnight into a stinking toxic ditch.

To cover up corruption, local politicians had dragged out the repair project for a full three years.

Three years ago, a young and hot-headed Victor had used his family's influence to launch protests, forcing officials to address the problem.

Who could have known that this would touch the core interests of powerful groups.

That very night, a heavily armed special forces unit raided Victor's residence.

If Max hadn't still had some influence in the military and fought desperately to save Victor, Victor would have been a corpse long ago.

To avoid disaster, he was secretly sent to Emerald Island prison.

Three years of hellish combat and training had completely transformed him.

Now, with his abilities fully developed, he had returned to the world under the name Shura.

Those politicians who had treated human lives as worthless for profit back then—it was time for them to pay the price.

Back in the Martinez family's main hall.

Hayes finally couldn't help but ask, "Dad, Max retired long ago. That Victor is just an ex-con who served his time. Why do you need to humble yourself like this?"

Aiden let out a heavy sigh, "Foolish! You've spent all these years in the business world and learned nothing?"

With that, Aiden reached into his jacket with trembling hands, pulled out a gold coin, and held it in front of Hayes.

"Look carefully. What is this?"

Seeing the pattern on the coin, Hayes's pupils contracted sharply, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

"A Shura coin? How does he have something like this?"

Hazel, her face pale, spoke up from the side, "That day I secretly sent top bodyguards to test him. They were all taken down. Later, Dash from the Carter family brought over thirty thugs to cause trouble. Within minutes, not one person who went in could stand."

Hazel's voice trembled.

Hayes felt a chill run down his spine, cold sweat instantly soaking through his expensive shirt.

With that kind of terrifying skill, they absolutely couldn't provoke him!

Whether the engagement was canceled or not, they absolutely couldn't let the Martinez family become a thorn in his side!

Seeing that Hayes had finally grasped reality, Aiden issued a stern order.

"Everyone listen up. From now on, treat Victor with the utmost respect! If anyone makes him the slightest bit unhappy, I'll personally throw them into the Hudson River!"

"Yes, Father!"

The next morning.

The Martinez family's attitude toward Victor had undergone a complete transformation.

The servants who had dared to roll their eyes behind his back yesterday were now bowing ninety degrees from far away, treating him like an honored guest.

The long dining table was laden with delicacies.

But Victor only gave it a cold glance.

"Clear it away. I've lost my appetite looking at it."

He had no interest in this kind of deliberate flattery. Casually saying he'd eat out, he walked out of the villa alone.

The Martinez Villa was located in New York's wealthy district, quiet and secluded, but far from daily amenities.

The nearest large shopping center was several miles away.

The butler had wanted to arrange a Rolls-Royce, but Victor waved him off.

Three years of harsh training on Emerald Island had long accustomed him to maintaining constant awareness of his surroundings.

After walking along the tree-lined avenue for over twenty minutes, Victor's steps paused slightly.

In the wind, there was a faint sound of friction.

He sensed that he was being targeted by someone with professional concealment training.

In an instant, an extremely dangerous presence came from behind and to the side.

Without a moment's hesitation, Victor's body suddenly flipped forward through the air.

A deafening gunshot shattered the quiet. A thick oak tree next to where he'd been standing was immediately blown open with a large hole.

"Large-caliber armor-piercing rounds?"

After landing, Victor quickly sought cover, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes.

The Martinez family had been scared yesterday—they wouldn't dare make any move.

It seemed that Dash, whose men had been taken down yesterday, couldn't swallow his pride and had called in for an outside help.