Chapter 44

John Curtis was still fuming. His blood boiled as he thought about how Andrew had embarrassed him—twice. Twice! That was something he just couldn’t let go of. His entire reputation was on the line. Back in the day, he was the one everyone respected, the one people looked up to. And now? He had been publicly humiliated, right in front of old classmates and important people.

He needed to do something. Fast.

As John sat there, grinding his teeth, the atmosphere in the restaurant suddenly changed.

A loud commotion erupted near the entrance.

The cheerful chatter in the room died down almost instantly. People turned their heads, eyes darting toward the doorway to see what was happening. Some of the guests—especially those who were familiar with the city’s underworld—felt their stomachs tighten the moment they saw who had walked in.

A group of rough-looking men pushed their way inside. Their arms were covered in tattoos, and their expressions were anything but friendly. The leader, a man with a long scar running down his cheek, walked in like he owned the place. He took his time scanning the restaurant, his eyes cold and calculating.

These men weren’t customers.

They weren’t here for food.

They were here for trouble.

Colby and Selena instantly felt their hearts race. They had heard rumors about certain “businessmen” controlling parts of the city, but they had hoped their restaurant would go unnoticed. After all, they were just starting out.

Selena’s face turned pale. Her grip tightened on the cloth she had been holding, and she forced a nervous smile as she tried to steady her voice.

“What… what do you want from us?” she asked cautiously.

The scar-faced man smirked, his lips twisting into something that sent chills down the spine of anyone watching.

“You own this restaurant, right?” he asked, though it wasn’t really a question.

Selena nodded hesitantly.

Uglyduck took another slow step forward, then casually ran his fingers across one of the tables as if inspecting the quality of the furniture.

“This is a nice place,” he mused. “Clean. Fancy. Looks like business is going well.”

Selena swallowed hard.

Uglyduck turned back to her and smiled. It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was the kind of smile a predator gives its prey.

“You see,” he continued, “running a business in this part of town comes with… certain responsibilities. If you want to keep this place safe, you’ll need to show a little appreciation.”

His smile widened. “And by appreciation, I mean money.”

Selena’s breath hitched.

Protection money.

She had heard stories. Other business owners had warned her, but she had brushed off their concerns, thinking, They wouldn’t dare do something like that in broad daylight, right?

She had been wrong.

“How much are we talking about?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Uglyduck held up two fingers.

“Twenty percent,” he said. “A small price to pay for peace of mind.”

Colby’s hands clenched into fists. Twenty percent? That was a robbery!

John, still desperate to win back his lost dignity, saw an opportunity. He shot to his feet, ignoring the uneasy looks from the people around him.

“Who’s your boss?” John demanded, trying to sound as confident as possible.

Uglyduck raised an eyebrow. “And who the hell are you?”

John smirked. “I’ll have you know, my dad has connections in both the police and the business world. I’ll call the top guy in charge of this redevelopment zone right now.”

Selena’s eyes lit up with hope.

“Please, John, make the call!” she urged.

John gave her a reassuring nod.

He pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a number.

The room fell silent as everyone waited to see what would happen.

When the call connected, John spoke confidently.

“Mr. Leo, I need your help. There are thugs in my friend’s restaurant, demanding money. They just walked in like they own the place!”

There was a pause. Then, Mr. Leo sighed.

“John… what’s going on?”

John quickly explained the situation.

But instead of the support he expected, all he got was another sigh.

“Sorry, John,” Mr. Leo said. “This is out of my hands. I’m in a meeting. Gotta go.”

Then the call cut off.

John stood frozen.

What just happened?

Why did Mr. Leo act like he didn’t know him?

John gritted his teeth and quickly dialed another number—this time, the head of the local police station, someone his father had always been close with.

When the call connected, he wasted no time.

“Mr. Tillman, it’s me, John Curtis. I need your help.”

He explained everything, hoping this time he would get the response he was looking for.

But once again, all he got was disappointment.

Tillman sighed. “John… those guys work for Don the Hunter. And Don the Hunter works for Nicolas Smith. I wouldn’t get involved if I were you.”

John blinked.

“Wait, so you’re not gonna do anything?” he asked, his voice rising in frustration.

Tillman cleared his throat. “John, Nicolas Smith is not someone you want to mess with. This is way above my pay grade.”

John’s stomach dropped.

“But can’t you at least try to talk to him?” he pleaded.

The officer chuckled. “Sorry, kid. Not my problem.”

John’s panic grew. He gritted his teeth.

“Mr. Tillman, don’t forget—my dad was planning to donate new police cars to your department! You still want those, right?”

Tillman’s tone turned cold.

“John Curtis, don’t you know your father was fired from Blackwood Group?”

John felt the blood drain from his face.

“What? When?!”

“Half an hour ago.”

Before John could say another word, Tillman hung up.

Uglyduck watched him with amusement.

“Well?” he asked, smirking. “Can’t find anyone to save you?”

John opened his mouth, trying to come up with something—anything—but before he could speak—

SMACK!

Uglyduck’s hand shot out, slapping John across the face so hard that he stumbled backward.

Gasps filled the room.

John clutched his cheek, his eyes burning with rage.

“How dare you hit me?!” he shouted.

Uglyduck sneered. “And what are you gonna do about it?”

Before John could react, Uglyduck kicked him in the stomach.

John collapsed to the floor, groaning in pain.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Uglyduck pounced on him, fists flying.

John screamed, but no one moved to help him.

Within minutes, his face was swollen beyond recognition.

“Boss, please! I’m sorry! Please stop!” he wailed.

Uglyduck snorted. “Sorry? That’s not enough.”

He turned to his men. “Alright, boys. Teach him a lesson.”

The thugs surrounded John, raining down kicks and punches.

The restaurant was filled with horrified gasps.

Colby and Selena could only watch in shock.

After what felt like an eternity, Uglyduck stepped back.

He turned to Colby.

“Since your friend here had the nerve to mouth off, the deal is no longer 20%. It’s 40% now. You either pay up, or you’ll end up just like him.”

Colby’s hands trembled.

If he agreed, he might as well be working for them.

Summoning all his courage, he gritted his teeth.

“If you want 40%, you’ll have to kill me first.”

Uglyduck raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? That’s how you wanna play it?”

He pulled out a knife, the blade glinting under the lights.

The crowd tensed.

Then—

“Drop the knife.”

A calm but firm voice rang out.

Uglyduck turned.

His eyes landed on Andrew.

His expression darkened.

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

The tension in the room reached its breaking point.

Everyone stared at Andrew, their hearts pounding.

What was he going to do?