1 My daughter, Michelle, won first place at her school’s sports day. A moment later, she was pushed from the winner’s podium, and I heard the sickening crack of bone. Her leg was broken. I demanded an apology from the boy who did it. His father slapped me across the face. "What the hell? It’s an honor for your kid to be pushed by my Cody! Let me tell you something, my wife is the CEO of Valerius Corp. How about that? Scared now, huh?" When I didn't respond, he took my silence for fear. "Get your daughter on her knees to apologize to Cody right now, and maybe I’ll have my wife go easy on you." I almost laughed. Instead, I pulled out my phone and called my wife. "I've been away on business for a year," I said into the phone. "I hear you've started a new family?" … The man, Chad, saw me end the call without moving and started spewing venom. "Are you fucking deaf? Didn't you hear me?" he snarled. "In Newport City, nobody with a brain dares to disrespect the Valerius name. Even the mayor smiles and shakes my hand when he sees me. Who the hell do you think you are?" His son, Cody, sneered, his eyes glinting as he looked at the fresh cast on Michelle's leg. "So what if I pushed her? For her to be pushed by me? It’s the best thing that's ever happened to her family. One word from my mom, and your whole pathetic family will be thrown out of this city!" Thrown out of Newport City? A cold smirk touched my lips. Since the day I, Adrian Vance, was born, no one had ever dared to utter those words to me. I was about to speak when Cody lunged toward my daughter again, yelling, "I told you to kneel!" I moved in a flash, blocking his path. He stumbled, lost his balance, and fell flat on his backside, immediately erupting into theatrical, wailing sobs. "You dare touch my son?!" Chad’s face contorted with rage, his voice escalating into a torrent of abuse aimed at me and Michelle. "You worthless piece of trash, and the little bitch you spawned! Just wait. I’ll have my wife break both your legs, and we’ll see how tough you are then." I’d heard enough of his barking. I raised my hand and brought it down across his face. A sharp crack echoed across the field, silencing the area. Chad clutched his cheek, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You… you hit me?!" He whipped out his phone and barked, "Get over here, now!" Less than three minutes later, two men in black suits stormed onto the school grounds and slammed me to the pavement. A sharp pain shot through my knees as they hit the concrete, but looking at Chad’s triumphant, smug face, I could only find it pathetic. He stalked over, planting his foot on the back of my hand and grinding it into the ground with a vicious twist. "Trash will always be trash," he sneered. "I tried to be nice." He grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back to force my gaze to meet his. "Let me tell you something. In this city, if I want to make someone's life a living hell, they won't survive the night." He glanced at my daughter, who stood frozen with a pale, terrified face. "Your daughter thinks she belongs in the same school as my son? She wins one stupid race with a bit of luck and thinks she's hot shit. Just like her father. Rotten to the core." A searing pain shot up my arm from my crushed hand. In all my years in the business world, I, Adrian Vance, had seen it all. But never, not once in Newport City, had anyone dared to treat me this way. The man was practically begging for a death wish. "Who do you think you are?" My silence only fueled his arrogance. He kicked me hard in the ribs. "Wait and see. I'll get your daughter expelled, get you fired, and your whole family will be begging on the streets!" Seeing me being beaten, Michelle, her eyes red with tears, rushed forward. "Don't you hurt my daddy!" She dragged her casted leg, limping desperately toward me, only for Chad to swing a vicious backhand across her face. The sickening smack of the blow sent her small, fragile body stumbling backward. She fell heavily to the ground, and five crimson finger marks instantly bloomed on her cheek. "Michelle!" Rage exploded in my chest. I fought against the bodyguards' grip, but they held my wrists in a vice. Chad looked down at my daughter on the ground, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Little bitch. Just as clueless as her old man. Trying to protect him? You should have learned your place." At that, Cody rushed over and started kicking her, again and again. "That's for stealing first place from me! That trophy was mine! My mom said a gutter-trash kid like you doesn't deserve to even stand on the podium!" I watched my daughter curl into a ball on the ground, my voice raw as I roared, "Vivian Vance is my legally wedded wife! Didn’t she ever tell you? She’s my daughter's mother! Do you have any idea the consequences you'll face for touching us?" Chad froze for a second, then burst out laughing. "Vivian’s husband? Are you fucking kidding me? Did I knock you stupid? A lowlife like you isn't fit to shine her shoes!" He spat on the ground. "You must be dreaming if you think that pathetic lie is going to scare me. It's not working!" He took a step toward my daughter. "Today, I'm going to teach this little bitch a lesson she'll never forget…" 2 "You touch her again, and I'll kill you!" Adrenaline flooded my veins. With a savage roar, I broke free from the bodyguards, tackling Chad to the ground and landing a solid punch on his face. I raised my fist for a second blow. Just then, the sound of frantic footsteps approached, followed by a teacher's panicked voice: "Mr. Thompson, over here!" I turned to see the school principal, his face a mask of grim concern, hurrying over with several teachers in tow. When he saw the chaotic scene, his brow furrowed. "What is going on here? Someone separate them, now!" The principal’s eyes fell on Michelle, crumpled on the ground, then on Cody, who was still crying and kicking. His face hardened as he addressed Chad. "Mr. Miller, whatever the circumstances, Cody pushed Michelle off the podium, causing a fracture, and then assaulted her. This is entirely his fault." He stated firmly, "According to school policy, he must apologize to Michelle, and you, as his parent, are responsible for her medical expenses." Chad just scoffed. "Principal Thompson, have you forgotten who Cody's mother is? Do I need to remind you? Vivian Vance, CEO of Valerius Corp. I guess those two buildings she donated to this school were for nothing!" I frowned. Vivian had indeed donated the buildings, but she’d told me it was for Michelle’s benefit. Chad took a threatening step forward. "You're asking her son to apologize? Do you want Valerius Corp to pull all future funding? Or maybe you want us to tear those two buildings down? Think very carefully before you speak again." The principal’s face went white. He wrung his hands, forcing a placating smile. "Mr. Miller, please, let's not be hasty. I didn't mean it like that… Kids will be kids, they play rough. We can't take it all so seriously, can we?" He turned to me, his tone instantly becoming harsh. "And you, sir! This is a matter between children. There's no need to blow it out of proportion." Principal Thompson cleared his throat, his bias now painfully obvious. "Besides, for Michelle to win first place in this competition… are we sure there weren't some… underhanded means involved? After all, Cody trains so diligently. How could he suddenly lose to her?" He paused, his voice gaining a self-righteous conviction. "I believe it’s possible Michelle cheated to get her result, and Cody, unable to stand such injustice, acted out of a sense of righteousness. A strong sense of justice in a child is a good thing, you know." His words set my blood on fire. Before I could retort, the principal fixed me with a stern, lecturing gaze. "Sir, I think you need to focus on your own daughter. Good grades are important, but character is paramount! For a child so young to learn deceit and antagonism… it reflects very poorly on the school's reputation." I hugged Michelle tighter, a sense of absurdity washing over me as I stared at the principal’s two-faced-grin. When Vivian had donated those buildings, I had explicitly told her to ensure the school never gave Michelle special treatment. I never imagined it would lead to this. In my arms, my daughter trembled with rage, her voice choked with sobs. "I didn't cheat! I won the race myself!" The principal’s face darkened. "Still talking back?" he snapped at her. "So young and already so defiant. Have you no shame?" What a spineless, sycophantic worm. I was a fool to ever send Michelle to this school. My eyes darted to a security camera in the corner of the field. "There's a camera right there. Pull the footage, and let's see who's really lying." The principal's eyes flickered with panic before he bellowed for security. "Seize him! He’s causing a disturbance and slandering a student! This is outrageous!" Two security guards immediately grabbed my arms. The principal leaned in close, his voice a low, threatening hiss in my ear. "Do you have any idea who you've provoked? That is the son of the CEO of Valerius Corp! They're a titan of industry in this city! Do you really think a nobody like you can afford to fight them? Apologize to them right now, and don't drag our school down with you!" He pulled back and announced to the surrounding teachers and students, "Given Michelle's deplorable character and her parent's disruptive behavior, she is hereby expelled, effective immediately! We will not tolerate such conduct!" I struggled wildly, but the guards and Chad's bodyguards held me fast. Chad strutted over, his face a mask of triumph, and slapped me twice. The stinging pain was nothing compared to the humiliation. "Not so tough now, are you?" The principal actually nodded in approval. "He deserved that! Someone needs to teach people like him a lesson about their place in the world." He glared at me. "Are you going to kneel and apologize to Cody or not? Look how you’ve terrified the boy. If this affects his mental well-being, can you bear that responsibility?" I looked at the crowd of liars and cowards, then at my daughter's tear-filled eyes. Vivian, this bastard you've brought into our lives, this spineless principal you've bought with your donations… you've given me one hell of a surprise. "Kneel?" I let out a cold, humorless laugh. "You just wait. None of you are walking away from this today." My laugh enraged Chad. He kicked me squarely in the stomach. "Still talking tough? Kneel!" A grunt escaped my lips as the air was forced from my lungs. Seizing the moment of distraction, I threw my weight to the side, knocking the guards off balance. As Chad aimed another kick, I twisted and caught his ankle, sending him tumbling to the ground. "You're dead!" My vision tunneled red. I lunged forward to finish it, but the bodyguards and security tackled me again, pinning me to the concrete with brutal force. This time, they were merciless, a knee digging into my spine, my arms wrenched behind my back. "Make him kneel!" Chad screamed, his face twisted in pain and fury. One of the bodyguards understood. He released his grip on my head only to slam it down with all his might. My forehead hit the ground with a sickening thud. Darkness swarmed the edges of my vision. They didn't stop. Once, twice, a third time… Warm blood trickled down from my brow, blurring my sight. "Daddy!" Michelle cried, trying to scramble toward me, but Chad kicked her aside like she was a stray dog. I bit down on my lip, the metallic taste of my own blood filling my mouth. As my consciousness faded, a single, crystal-clear thought burned through the haze. These people… for what they owe me, for what they owe Michelle… they will repay it a hundred times over. 3 Just as the world was spinning into darkness, a sleek sports car screeched onto the field, pulling to a halt nearby. It was Vivian. I was about to call out her name when I realized she hadn't even glanced in my direction, or Michelle's. In that moment of distraction, I managed to pull out my phone and send a quick text to my father. She ran straight to Chad, kneeling beside him and taking his arm. "Chad, Cody, are you two alright?" Seeing her, Cody immediately threw himself into her arms, wailing dramatically. "Mommy, they were bullying me! I won first place, but that girl Michelle got mad and tried to push me! She fell down herself, and then her dad attacked us and hurt my daddy so bad!" Chad, clutching his ankle, sighed with practiced weariness. "Vivian, honey, I didn't want to bother you with this, but they were just… awful. It was an accident when Michelle fell, and we were willing to pay for her medical bills, but her father just came out of nowhere and started hitting me…" Vivian's expression grew darker with every word. She finally turned her head, her gaze landing on me and Michelle for the first time. A flicker of shock crossed her face when she saw the blood on my forehead, the red marks on Michelle’s cheek, and the cast on her leg. But it was instantly replaced by disgust.
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