Chapter 45

Uglyduck turned his head, and when his eyes landed on Andrew, his expression twisted in confusion. His brows furrowed as if his brain was struggling to process what he was seeing. For a brief moment, he looked as though he was trying to place a familiar face, but then—

Suddenly, his entire demeanor changed.

His eyes widened in pure shock, his face drained of color, and without a single moment of hesitation, he dropped to his knees!

The room, already tense, froze entirely.

Before anyone could react, Uglyduck did something even more unbelievable.

He tossed his knife to the ground with a loud clatter, then raised his hands and started slapping his face—hard. The slaps echoed in the restaurant, each one sharper than the last, leaving red marks on his cheeks.

"Mr. Blackwood!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fear. "I had no idea you were here! Please forgive me! I’m really, really sorry!"

Everyone was stunned.

The same man who had been nothing short of a ruthless thug just moments ago, the man who had mercilessly beaten John without a second thought, was now on his knees, begging for forgiveness like a terrified child.

Andrew blinked, his brows drawing together. His confusion mirrored that of the crowd.

"Do I know you?" he asked, his voice even.

Uglyduck nodded so frantically it seemed like his head might detach from his neck. "Yes, Mr. Blackwood! My boss, Victor, works for Nicolas Smith! I—I saw you at the Grand Pavilion the other day!"

Realization dawned on Andrew.

Ah. That explained it.

Victor, who worked for Nicolas Smith, had been the one handling Aden and Daniel at the Grand Pavilion. And now, Uglyduck—who answered to Victor—was standing here, trembling like a leaf in a storm.

It was no surprise he was petrified. If Nicolas Smith himself feared Andrew, then someone like Uglyduck, who was several ranks below him, would naturally be even more terrified.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

No one could process what they were witnessing.

Even Selena, who had been watching everything unfold, had her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

How? How was this happening?

The same thug who had shown no hesitation in attacking John was now kneeling before Andrew like a servant before a king.

Clara, equally dumbfounded, tugged at Andrew’s sleeve and whispered, "What’s going on? Do you… know him?"

Andrew, wary of any misunderstandings, quickly shook his head. "No! I don’t know him at all!"

Uglyduck immediately seized the opportunity to support that claim. "Yes! Exactly! He doesn’t know me! I don’t know him! But Mr. Blackwood’s reputation is legendary, and I’m just honored to be in his presence!"

His voice was filled with so much flattery it was almost ridiculous.

Honored?

To meet Andrew?

It was like stepping into an alternate reality.

Even Colby, who had known Andrew for a long time, was at a loss. He had always seen Andrew as a friend, an ordinary guy, a decent man—but never someone who could command such fear and respect from dangerous people.

Uglyduck, still on his knees, turned to Colby with newfound reverence. "Since you’re Mr. Blackwood’s friend, I’ll personally make sure nothing happens to you or your business! No protection fees—nothing! If anyone dares to mess with you, they’ll have to answer to me!"

Gasps erupted across the room.

Selena, overwhelmed, nearly burst into tears—not from sadness, but from sheer joy.

Just moments ago, John had tried to ruin everything for them.

Now, because of Andrew, not only was the restaurant safe, but they had secured powerful protection—completely free!

It was an unbelievable turn of events.

Andrew had single-handedly turned their nightmare into a dream come true.

Colby, still in shock, grabbed Andrew’s hands and squeezed them. His voice shook as he said, "Andrew, I don’t even know how to thank you!"

Andrew simply smiled. "Don’t mention it. Just helping a friend."

His response was casual, effortless—like this was nothing significant.

But to everyone else, it was nothing short of a miracle.

Uglyduck, still kneeling, glanced at John, who was unconscious on the floor. Swallowing nervously, he said, "Mr. Blackwood, I apologize for hurting your… friend."

Andrew barely looked at John before replying, "He’s not my friend. Just someone I know."

Then, after a brief pause, he added, "Take him to the hospital. And don’t let this mess ruin the restaurant’s opening celebration."

Uglyduck nodded so vigorously it was a wonder his head didn’t fall off. "Understood! We’ll get him to the hospital right away! Please, Mr. Blackwood, enjoy your evening!"

Without wasting another second, he barked orders at his men.

They scrambled to carry John out, moving as if their lives depended on it.

As soon as they were gone, everyone turned to stare at Andrew.

The way they looked at him had completely changed.

The disrespect they had once shown him? Gone.

The judgment? Vanished.

All that remained was awe, admiration, and curiosity.

Who was Andrew Blackwood?

How had the man they once dismissed as a nobody suddenly become someone powerful?

As the evening continued, more and more guests flocked to Andrew, trying to get on his good side.

Even Selena, who had spent years treating him like he was worthless, was now looking at him as if he were a king.

She thanked him repeatedly, going as far as to declare, "You can eat here for free for the rest of your life!"

Andrew took it all in stride.

He hadn’t done any of this for attention.

He had simply wanted to help a friend.

But to everyone else, it was as if he had worked some kind of magic.

Clara, however, wasn’t fooled.

Her mind raced.

First, there had been the car race—how had Andrew’s BMW been twice as fast as John’s?

Then, there was the ancient painting, which turned out to be worth a fortune.

And now, this.

What was happening?

She was about to ask when Andrew started explaining.

He told her that the BMW had been a test model modified by the dealership, which was why it seemed unusually fast.

Since Clara didn’t know much about cars, she accepted the explanation.

Next, he said he had bought the painting at a low price from an acquaintance and gifted it to Colby as a symbol of their friendship.

That explanation also seemed reasonable.

But the situation with Uglyduck was harder to believe.

Andrew ended up telling Clara that Uglyduck’s brother was a relative of a mutual friend, which was why he had shown him such respect.

Clara still felt like something was off, but Andrew sounded so sincere that she decided to let it go—for now.

Meanwhile, Loretta had been watching Andrew closely.

She wasn’t convinced.

The more she observed him, the more she felt like there was something he wasn’t telling them.

And she was determined to find out what it was.

A Special Night finally Approaches, the day of Andrew and Clara’s wedding anniversary arrives.

Andrew had planned a surprise.

He handed Clara a white evening dress.

Clara sighed. "We’re just going out for dinner. Do I really have to dress up this much?"

Andrew smiled. "It’s our third anniversary. I want to make it special."

As they arrived at the Grand Pavilion, Andrew turned to Clara, his gaze warm and deep.

"Clara," he said, voice steady. "Tonight, we celebrate three years together. What do you think?"

Little did she know, this was just the beginning of a night she would never forget…