HBWnovel Chapter 165
Chapter 165
Old master Silver dismissed Noah to his room .
He stalked through the mansion's dark corridors, his footsteps echoing with violent purpose. His fingers kept tracing the rope burns on his wrists, each touch feeding his rage.
" I will allow the assassin weaken him"
he thought, his reflection in passing mirrors showing a twisted version of his once-handsome face.
"But I'll deliver the final blow myself."
In his room, he pulled out his phone, staring at old photos from school - him at the center of every group, the unquestioned king of campus. His fingers clenched around the device until the screen almost cracked.
"I'll take it all back,"
he whispered to the darkness. A cruel smile spread across his face as he found a photo of Serenity.
"And you..."
He traced her image with a trembling finger.
"You'll learn what happens when you choose the wrong side."
His laughter echoed through the room, carrying notes of madness born from humiliation and revenge. "First Ethan falls, then everyone who supported him pays the price." His eyes gleamed with dark anticipation.
"Starting with precious Serenity."
*
It was the next day whispers followed Ethan through the campus corridors. Students huddled in groups, voices dropping as he passed, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe.
"He got them into the Grand King mansion..."
"Did you hear what happened after?"
"They had to crawl out on their knees..."
"The video's been circulating..."
His enhanced hearing caught every murmur, every gasp. The story had spread like wildfire, transforming overnight into campus legend.
As he approached his department building, he sensed the ambush before he saw it. Marcus stood there, his usual designer clothes replaced by something darker, more militant. Around him clustered his inner circle, their faces bearing makeup-covered bruises from their crawling ordeal.
Behind them loomed a wall of muscle - local thugs in leather jackets, brass knuckles glinting in the morning sun. Twenty pairs of eyes locked onto Ethan, their intentions clear in their aggressive stances.
"Trying to reclaim lost dignity with borrowed muscle"
Ethan said to herself, noting how Marcus's hands trembled despite his attempt at intimidation.
"Well, well,"
he asked softly, deliberately steering away from the morning's violence.
"She's... better,"
Serenity whispered, relief flickering across her face at the normal question.
Then her expression clouded.
"Ethan, about Noah... I was wrong. He's not what I thought. He's..."
Her voice caught, fear evident in her eyes.
"I'm sorry for defending him,"
she continued, her fingers nervously twisting a ring - an engagement ring, Ethan noticed. His enhanced vision caught the slight bruising around her wrist, carefully concealed by her sleeve.
"So that's the hold he has over her" Ethan thought, pieces clicking into place. He already knew about the arranged engagement, but seeing the physical evidence of Noah's true nature made his power stir beneath his skin.
"You can tell me,"
he said quietly, watching her internal struggle.
"Whatever mess he's created, whatever he's threatening... I can help."
The classroom's ambient noise faded away as she wrestled with the decision to trust him with her secret.
The teacher finished her lecture, bringing out a large glass jug filled with folded papers.
"Partner up and choose your company assignment,"
she announced.
Before anyone else could move, Serenity turned to Ethan. "Partners?"
she asked softly, still clearly wanting to continue their earlier conversation.
The class watched with intense interest as she approached the jug, her hand disappearing among the white slips.
The paper she drew trembled slightly in her fingers as she unfolded it.
"Carson Automotive Industries,and Ethan is my partner"
she read aloud, not noticing how Ethan's lips curved slightly.
"We're supposed to interview management about their success strategies and—"
She paused, seeing the knowing look in Ethan's eyes. The company name stirred something in her memory - hadn't there been news about the Godly Investor acquiring it recently?
"That's one of his companies, isn't it?"