+25 BONUS
Chapter 191
Viper’s ragged breath filled the silence. His eyes stayed locked on Alex, hate and grudging respect mingling in his
*stare.
“Fine, kid,” he muttered at last, swallowing his pride. “We’ll call it quits. You let me go, I let all of you walk out alive.”
The punk in white gaped at him. “B–but, Big Bro-”
Viper rounded on him, snapping, “Shut your mouth! I don’t need a backseat driver right now.”
Alex watched him a moment longer, then slowly loosened his grip.
The jagged glass came away from Viper’s throat, leaving a thin line of blood behind.
The whole bar practically exhaled in relief.
Even the punk in white flinched and pulled his knife away from Jack’s neck, shoving the idiot forward.
Jack went flying into Sophia, who just barely kept him from hitting the floor.
Florence rushed over, fussing like a mother hen that forgot she’d been insulting Alex five seconds ago.
Viper rolled his shoulders, rubbing at the red streak on his neck.
“You’ve got more nerve than most losers who show their faces around here,” he said, a glint of danger still in his
eyes.
“But don’t get cocky. If we cross paths again, it’ll be the last time you have both hands attached.”
Alex tilted his head in a careless shrug, flicking the broken shard onto the ground. “That’s funny. I was about to say the same thing.”
A hush clamped down on the bar, everyone’s brains short–circuiting at the fact that Alex had just held a bottle to Sir Viper’s neck… and walked away breathing.
Finally, one bold onlooker whispered, “I’ve seen some crazy shit, but this? Next–level.”
Sophia released a shaky breath, whirling on Alex. “Are you insane? You almost got all of us killed!”
Jack glowered, mouth twisted in a scared, angry snarl. “What’d you do that for, jerk? I nearly got my throat slit thanks to you! Stop acting like some goddamn superhero.”
Florence was right there with him. “If Viper changes his mind and comes after us, we’re screwed! You think we’re supposed to thank you for that?”
Her voice wobbled between fury and terror.
A soft, mirthless laugh spilled from Alex’s lips.
“Actually, yeah. All your limbs are still attached, and your heads are still on your shoulders, aren’t they? You’re welcome.”
That shut them up–but only for a heartbeat.
They didn’t like it, but they couldn’t deny that they owed him big time. Resentment simmered in every glare.
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Chapter 191
+25 BONUS
Suddenly, a commotion stirred near the entrance. A fit, middle–aged man in a tailored suit strode in, bodyguards
at his flanks.
“He had a natural swagger, that aura of someone used to dominating every room he walked into.
“Sir Raymond?!” someone gasped, and an electric shock seemed to pass through the bar. Whispers ignited:
“Aw shit, that’s the real boss. We’re talking the guy even Viper bows down to…”
“Just when we thought the drama was over.”
Sophia’s stomach twisted. Viper was terrifying enough–so how bad could the man who owned Viper be?
“This can’t be happening,” she muttered. We just got out of one nightmare–now we’re stuck in another.
Florence and Jack looked pale.
They’d been terrified of Viper, and this was the man at the top of his food chain. Their worst luck had just multiplied tenfold.
“Perfect timing, Sir Raymond!” Viper called, his voice jumping a full octave in relief.
He turned a predatory grin on Alex. “Boy, you’re finished now. You hear me? You should’ve run when you had the chance.”
The punk in white wasted no time, rushing to Raymond’s side. “Sir, you’ve gotta help us out. That bastard tried to kill Viper!”
Raymond raised a brow, scanning the battered crowd until his gaze landed on Alex.
Suddenly, his expression went blank, like a computer freezing mid–task. “Alex?”
Alex froze, too. Raymond Wellington. Of all people, it had to be him.
Viper, oblivious to the tension, jabbed a finger at Alex. “Sir Raymond, just give me the word, and I’ll hack this prick into pieces. I swear he-”
But Raymond stepped forward, ignoring Viper entirely. “Alex, what’s going on? Did my men… offend you somehow?”
Alex rubbed the back of his neck, lips curving into a wry smile. “Small world, huh? Didn’t realize Viper was one of yours. Little disagreement, that’s all.”
“Wait–you two… know each other?” Viper croaked, suddenly feeling like a big dumb guard dog whose owner just walked in to find it barking at the wrong target.
To everyone’s shock, Raymond’s expression grew colder by the second–but not at Alex.
“You morons messed with my friend?” His gaze raked over Viper and his men with open disapproval.
Viper’s jaw nearly unhinged. “Friend?”
“M–my apologies, Sir Raymond, we, uh…” the young man in white faltered, the color draining from his cheeks.
Raymond’s tone was frosty. “You owe Alex an apology. After that, we’re done here.”
He flicked a hand dismissively. Viper swallowed. So did his men.
Chapter 191
+25 BONUS
“Understood.” Viper forced a smile–an ugly, twitching thing and bowed to Alex. “Sir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you and Sir Raymond were… I mean, I would’ve never touched you if I’d known ”
“Alex shrugged. “Just don’t try to stab me next time we meet, and we’ll call it even.”
“Yes, of course!” Viper hurriedly wiped sweat off his brow
“You and your friends are VIPs here from now on. Drinks on the house, everything. Just… let’s forget about all this.”
The gangster’s sudden humility nearly gave the crowd whiplash.
All of which left the onlookers gaping.
Sophia, Jack, Florence–they looked like they’d collectively swallowed a box of thumbtacks.
A minute ago, Viper wanted Alex’s head on a spike; now he was practically offering to polish Alex’s shoes.
Raymond inclined his head to Alex. “Let’s talk somewhere private,” he said, ushering him toward the bar’s upscale VIP lounge upstairs.
They disappeared, leaving behind a barful of people bursting with questions.
“Was that really Sir Raymond acting all buddy–buddy with Alex?” Jack muttered, as if trying to convince himself it was a hallucination.
Florence’s face twisted sourly. “It must be Jasmine Kingston connection, right? She is the only powerful person that bastard knew. That’s gotta be it! No way a nobody like him actually has those kinds of ties on his own.”
Megan nodded, lips thinned. “Seems like he’s just riding someone else’s coattails for status. A woman for that. Can’t say it’s impressive; it’s just opportunistic.”
Jack joined the chorus. “Yeah, let him enjoy his high horse. It won’t last. Bet his alliances will crash and burn soon enough.”
‘No one remembers the bridge that saved them, only the river that tried to drown them.‘ 3
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