6.

The men exchanged uneasy glances, and a tense silence settled over them as they hesitated to reveal the culprit who had dared to lay hands on Karalana. I could sense their fear and reluctance to speak up.

“I said, who dared lay their hands on Karalana? It’s either one of you admit to it, or the lot of you face the consequences,” I growled.

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, one of them, the one who had shoved Karalana aside, finally stepped forward.

He looked nervously at me, his voice shaky as he admitted his mistake.

"It was me, boss," he confessed, his gaze fixed on the ground. "She stepped in front of me when I tried to scare her father, and I warned her, but she refused to stand aside.”

“And then you shoved her out of the way? You fvcking put your hands on her?”

He shook his head quickly and swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry, boss, I messed up big time.”

I took a step closer to him, my expression stern. "You endangered her and her family. You’ll need to make amends for crossing me and going against my instructions. Do you understand?”

He nodded vigorously. "Yes, boss. I'll do whatever it takes to make things right."

I gave him a curt nod. "Of course you will," I had a small smirk on my lips. "You have no choice. I have to remind you and make sure I teach the rest of you to never go against my command.”

I rolled my sleeves all the way and snapped a finger at one of the men. “Get me a hammer.”

One of my men hurriedly retrieved a hammer from the trunk of their car and handed it to me, his hands trembling. I took the tool, feeling the weight of it in my grip, and nodded.

I turned my attention back to the one who had pushed Karalana, his eyes wide with apprehension. Without a word, I stepped closer to him, my intent clear. The other men watched in uneasy silence, knowing that this was a lesson they wouldn't soon forget.

“Get down on your knees and place your palm on the floor,” I instructed.

“Boss, please. I will learn from my mistakes, please,” he begged.

“You don’t want to disobey my instructions twice, do you? And a few weeks of tending to a broken hand would certainly teach you a lesson.”

He hesitated for a moment, visibly torn as he gave into the inevitable, his shoulders slumping in resolution. He sank to his knees, his trembling hand touching the cold floor.

I towered about him, the hammer still gripped firmly in my hand.

“Please, Boss,” he begged again.

I looked down at him, unyielding. He knew he had pushed the boundaries, and they all knew what Kara meant to me. The consequences were clear, and if I was lenient about this matter without teaching him a lesson, I was sure it would certainly happen again.

With careful and calculated precision, I raised the hammer high in the air and above my head and brought it down forcefully, striking the man’s hand. The crunching sound of bone meeting heavy metal reverberated in the still night air, and a guttural cry of pain escaped the man’s lips.

I raised the hammer and struck the man’s hand again and again, each blow serving as a reminder that this was the price for disobeying me. And at the same time, I felt a satisfaction at doing this.

The other men watched in stunned silence, their faces pale with shock. The only thing that filled the silence was the sound of the man’s cries as each blow landed down on his fingers.

I didn’t know how long I kept hitting; the only thing I remembered was Llanzo pushing me away, trying to curb my anger like he always did.

“It’s enough, Omario. You’re going to completely destroy his fingers,” Llanzo said low enough for only me to hear.

I finally allowed Llanzo's words to penetrate my rage-filled mind, and I reluctantly lowered the hammer. The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the man's labored breathing and whimpering. His hand was mangled, a painful testament to the severity of the lesson.

I took a step back, my chest heaving with anger and frustration.

“You’ll remember this,” I said in a low voice. “And ensure now that the others remember that as well. Karalana is off-limits and my orders are to be followed without questions. This is your last and final warning.”

The man nodded vigorously, his body trembling with pain and fear. The message had been delivered, and I had no doubt that it would resonate with all of them for a long time to come.

With that, I dropped the hammer and marched into my mansion, brewing with anger, with Llanzo close behind. I crossed the huge room and headed to the bar. I reached for a crystal decanter of whiskey and poured myself a generous glass.

Llanzo sighed as he approached me, clearly exasperated by the situation. “Omario, you can’t keep taking your anger out on people anytime something doesn’t doesn’t go your way.”

I downed the liquor in one sip, the amber liquid burning the base of my throat and momentarily distracting me from my anger.

“I’m angry at him, so I think I can.”

Llanzo sighed. “I don’t think you need to, though.”

“And what do you suggest I do? Let them defy me without any consequences?”

“Obviously not,” Llanzo replied. “But there’s a difference between asserting your authority and losing control. You nearly crushed his hand.”

I slammed the glass onto the mahogany desk, the whiskey within it sloshing dangerously. "He needed to learn a lesson, Llanzo. They all did. No one defies me, especially not when it involves her. And I would've felt more satisfied had I broken that goddamn hand."

“What really is the matter?” Llanzo asked, and I knew I had to tell him.

“Did you see the way she looked at me? Did you see the hatred in her eyes? It’s as if all these things, everything I’ve done so far, has been for nothing.” With a heavy sigh, I sank into the plush leather chair behind the desk and ran a hand through my hair. "What do I do now, Llanzo?"

“There’s nothing you can do, but we need to make sure we see the plan through.”

I nodded slowly, knowing I couldn’t tell him how much my heart was aching just from the look Karalana had given me.