Chapter 4

"You're going to seek justice? What a joke!" Carlisle sneered. "I haven't even settled the score with you yet, you jinx. You've got some nerve declaring that you're going to seek justice without any remorse for what you've done!"

He spat out the cigarette butt that was hanging from the corner of his mouth. His smile didn't reach his eyes when he looked at me and said, "You're really something else, Ethan. How dare you cause trouble for me right after returning to the village?

"You probably already know that Universal Group has suspended the investment in the village. You must have offended the CEO after causing such a ruckus right in front of the village's entrance. You've completely ruined our plans!"

I felt nothing but disgust as I stared at Carlisle as he tried to shift the blame to me. "That's what you get for being an ungrateful bastard without a conscience! It's what you deserve! Do you still remember how Barry treated you? He led you into an era of prosperity, building homes and fixing the roads for you.

"And how did you repay him? Not only did you destroy his family and nearly ruin their lives, but you also slandered him. Did you feed your conscience to the dogs?"

My words were like sharp blades, shattering their hypocritical masks.

Carlisle's and the others' feelings of humiliation swiftly morphed into anger, and their faces turned a ruddy red.

Simon adjusted his sleeves as he stood to the side. His voice was icy when he said, "Don't bother wasting your breath on him, Dad. I just received news that the CEO of Universal Group and his assistant have arrived with the motorcade at the village entrance.

"This is a good opportunity for us to apprehend Ethan, the source of the commotion. Let's haul him back to the CEO and make him atone for his sins. Perhaps we can convince the CEO to change his mind about cutting the village's funding!"

There were glaciers in my eyes when I glared at them and hissed, "Keep dreaming. I'm the one who ordered the investment suspended. An ungrateful group of bastards like you don't deserve it!"

Franco reacted as if he had heard a hilarious joke and doubled over in laughter. "You're the one who gave the order?"

He burst into another round of raucous laughter.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're just an ex-convict. Do you really think that you're some sort of big shot?"

A dark look flickered in Simon's eyes before he snapped, "Stop wasting your breath on him! Tie him up and drag him back to the village so that he can face his punishment. We can deal with them properly once we secure the investment project."

Two burly men forcefully twisted my arms and pinned me to the floor the moment the words left Simon's lips.

Barry frantically threw himself at us. Tears streamed down his face as he sank to his knees and began groveling at Carlisle's feet.

"Let go of him! You can do anything you want to me instead! I'm begging you. Please set Ethan free. He has nothing to do with any of this!"

Carlisle aimed a powerful kick directly at Barry's chest. "Out of my way!"

Barry spat out a mouthful of blood, but he still refused to let go of Carlisle's leg. "I'm begging you… Please…"

My eyes burned with fury.

"Get up, Barry!" I roared. "Don't plead with these beasts. They won't have the guts to do anything to me!"

Simon burst into laughter. "We won't have the guts? Who the hell do you think you are, Ethan Snyder? I'll have you know that even God himself couldn't save you!"

The flesh on his face quivered as he waved his hand and exclaimed, "Beat him up! We'll beat him to a pulp before dragging him to the CEO to atone for his sins!"

The burly men's fists and kicks whizzed through the air. Their attacks were seconds away from making contact with me when a stern shout resounded from behind us.

"Stop!"

Everyone froze in place and turned to look in the direction of the shout.

Louis stood at the end of the hallway with a team of black-clad bodyguards standing behind him. They hurried toward me.