Chapter 22

Megan ducked under the bald man's swinging arm and with lightning speed, slipped behind him. Grabbing his shoulders, she kicked his lower back right at the spine.

In her past life, she ditched yoga for full-on Taekwondo and street fighting. Now a black belt, she knew exactly where to strike. The guy stumbled, smashed into the wall, and fell to his knees with blood spilling from his nose. "Damn it, I think my back's broken!" he howled.

Megan didn't pause. She darted forward and landed a solid left hook to his jaw. His body folded, head tilted,coughing out blood mixed with a couple of teeth.

Still defiant, the bald man slurred, "Get her! Finish her!"

Her stiletto heel pinned down on his neck. Face cold as ice, Megan stared down at him like a demon from hell. "Let the girl go, or l'll snap his neck right now."

The four other creeps shot up from the couch, charging straight at her.

Without blinking, Megan slammed her heel into the bald man's mouth-heel deep.

Someone threw a straight punch her way; she tilted her head slightly and yanked the guy's arm, flipping him over her back in a perfect shoulder throw. When another tried to grab her, she didn't hesitate-kicked him straight between the legs.

He dropped to the floor with a twisted, pained exporession that practically screamed regret.

Megan flashed a grin, "I call that move 'Instant Egg Explosion'"

The last two tried a pincer move. She snatched one by the hair, ran up the wall, and chopped his neck with pinpointprecision. Bam-down he went, limp.

Facing the final guy, she smirked, an eerie twinkle in her eye.

"C'mon, you scared or just lazy?" she taunted.He growled and lunged with a fist, only to freeze with it halted an inch from her porcelain face.

Just like that, knees buckled inward, and he collapsed weirdly.

Megan scoffed,"That one's called 'Sad Songs for the Eggs'."

Peeling off the wraps from her hands, she strolled toward the couch, where Chloe lay unconscious.

Right then, the door burst open.

Megan turned to see Tristan storm in with Kevin and Kai close behind.

Tristan's sharp eyes scanned her torn dress, exposing those insanely long, perfect legs. Then he glanced at the guys groaning or knocked out cold across the room. His gaze darkened-calm surface, but fullof bloodlust.

Kevin's mouth twitched. "Uh... who did all this?"

Kai and Rachel were too stunned to even speak.

There was only one untouched soul in the room-who else could it be?

The very next second, Megan ran into Tristan's arms with watery eyes and a trembling voice.

"Babe, I was scared." she whispered against his chest.

The conscious men on the floor: [You beat the crap out of us and you're the one scared?]

Tristan gently patted her back, his voice soft like coaxing a kid. "It's okay. Tell me what happened."

Megan blinked innocently. "I saw that bald guy dragging Chloe in here-she looked totally out of it.I panicked and followed. Then they all tried to... you know.I was scared."

Without a word, Tristan slipped off his blazer and wrapped it around her to cover her exposed legs.

"Don't worry. I've got this," he said gently, eyes still glinting with menace.

Then he turned to Kevin, voice low and commanding. "Take them to the basement." The Prestige Club had been Tristan, Kevin, and Kai's joint project five years ago.

And the place? Absolutely zero tolerance for gambling, prostitution, or drugs.

Break the rules, and you paid the price-painfully.Tonight, these five really hit a wall.

Barely thirty seconds after Kevin made a call, ten security guards in black suits stormed in.

With a turn of a hidden knob behind the couch, Kevin opened a concealed floor hatch-automatic sliding panels revealed a staircase leading underground.

The guards dragged the five men down without a word.

Tristan reached over and gently ruffled Megan's hair. "Kai will take you all to the guest suite on the seventh floor. I'll join you soon."

He glanced at Kai. "Take them to the private room. Ask Max Adams to come check Chloe's condition."

Kai gave a small nod. "Got it. Don't worry."

With that, Tristan turned and descended into the underground passage, Kevin following right behind.

The hidden floor panels slid shut again.

Kai strode over to the couch and carefully lifted the petite Chloe into his arms.

Megan and Rachel followed Kai out,heading to the seventh-floor suite.

Kai laid Chloe gently on the bed, then turned to Megan. "Her breathing's steady. Looks like she was just drugged. I'll get Max to double-check."

He then stepped out.

Rachel plopped down on the edge of the bed. "Megan, who's this girl you risked everything for?"

"She's my little sister, Chloe."

While replying, Megan opened a nearby backpack and pulled out a phone. Over a dozen missed calls-all from Diane Hartwell. Megan figured her mom must be panicking. She quickly tapped call back.

"Chloe! Where have you been? I've called like a million times and no answer!"

"Mom, it's Megan. Chloe's with me. We were dancing just now, didn't hear the phone. She will come back to Dreamscape with me tonight, so don't worry."

Diane let out a breath. "Next time, let Mom know first. You scared me half to death."

Megan gave a small chuckle. "My bad, Mom. I'Il make sure it doesn't happen again."

"Well, I know you just got your marriage registered today, but don't stay out too late, okay? It's your wedding night,after all."

Megan coughed lightly. "Uh-Mom, gotta go, talk later!"

She hung up in a flash, terrified her mom would say something even crazier.

"Megan, are you blushing?" Rachel stared at her with sparkling eyes. "Butto be fair, what Auntie said checks out. Even without a ceremony, technically... tonight's your wedding night."

She leaned in, oozing curiosity. "Come on, be honest-is it already happening between you and Tristan?"

Megan raised her brows and gave Rachel a gentle flick on the forehead. "Rachel, what sort of nonsense is filling that head of yours?"

Ignoring her, Megan started checking Chloe's recent contacts.

One unfamiliar number caught her eye.

She called it, only to hear: disconnected number.

Well, looks like the real answer would have to wait until Chloe regained consciousness-or maybe that bald guy in the basement would cough up something useful.

Meanwhile,in the basement.

Five men dropped to their knees in a row-two of them slouching strangely.

They were clearly in pain, but none dared make a sound.

They kept sneaking glances toward the leather sofa, where two men sat.

One of them? The legendary Tristan, known widely across the country. Ruthless in the boardroom-deadier outside of it.

The other? Kevin, Capitol's infamous wild card. Looks goofy but is anything but soft.

Tristan sat silently, his long, clean fingers tapping rhythmically on the armrest.

The soft "tap-tap-tap" sliced through the heavy air like a blade, each note a hammer to the kneeling men's nerves.

Then,the finger stopped. He slowly lifted his eyes.

A cold voice cut through the silence.

"So, how do you want to die?"