Chapter 224

Everyone in the ballroom knew one unspoken rule:

Never cross the Kanes.

So when this random nobody smacked Bella Kane across the face, felt like time itself froze.

Every head turned, jaws hanging open. The gasp was almost a collective choke.

"Is he out of his damn mind?" someone muttered.

"He actually hit Bella Kane... He must have a death wish."

A hush fell, thick with fear and disbelief. For as long as anyone remembered, Bella was the one who dished out the torment-

never the other way around.

In that moment, the unthinkable had happened.

Bella swayed on her heels, hand pressed to her flaming cheek.

Her eyes were wide with equal parts shock and wrath.

No one, no one, had ever dared lay a finger on her.

"You-" she spat, voice cracking, "you dare... you dare hit me?"

Alex felt adrenaline rattle his veins. He'd lashed out before thinking; a part of him hated that he'd struck a woman.

He flexed his hand, trying to ignore the sick churn in his gut.

"Kill him!" Bella shrieked, voice echoing off the marble walls. "Now!"

Her security detail snapped to attention, batons raised like they were itching to break bones-some even pointing their guns.

The onlookers scattered, some scrambling behind tables, others pressing themselves flat against the wall.

Everyone watched, hearts pounding, expecting Alex to be torn to pieces.

But he stood there, posture calm, expression unreadable.

In an instant-thud, thud, thud-the guards crashed down as though their legs had been yanked out from under them.

A few face-planted; others buckled at the knees.

Their eyes were wide with terror, as if caught under the gaze of some demon cloaked in human skin.

"Hey! I need more backup out here-now!" one of Bella's bodyguards growled into his earpiece, voice cracking with an edge of

fear.

Alex kept advancing, calm and unhurried.

Step. By. Step.

Each footfall resonated against the polished marble, a steady metronome of menace.

backward as if her

fear. "Stop

among the guests sprang forward, spurred by self- righteous

"I'll kill you for laying a finger on Bella,

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Chapter 224

slid aside in a smooth, practiced motien, effortlessly avoiding

scooped up à fallen guard's

breathe, a deafening crack tore

Bang!

single shot fired

chandelier above rattled ominously as the eclip

heads. Screams tore through the crowd,

voice as cold as the steel

decide to be stupid. My problem

spotlight, and her face blanched whiter

at

exhaled, a bitter

not a single one of you lifted a finger. Yet the minute Bella's in danger, you all leap to

man glared up at

a flash, Alex was on him-pressing the warm barrel of the

want to be a

a soul. Slap Bella across the face, right now. Or I'll paint these floors with

to pinpoints. "You... you're out of your

Bang!

the side of the

howled, folding into himself as agony wracked his

his voice low. "The next bullet rips straight through

curled. "Everyone in this room-listen up. You all turned a blind eye to Sophia's suffering. Now you'll make it right. Each and every one of you will

and gestured impatiently. "Anyone who

of the crowd. In answer,

speaker's thigh. He collapsed, wailing, grabbing

am,”

a few guests tried inching toward freedom. But they froze when they spotted four masked men

one of the masked men growled, the barrel of his weapon tracing a lazy path across the escaping

or I'll turn you all into

young, arrogant socialite stepped forward, lips curled in outrage. "You have

you're messing with! My father

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Chapter 224

Bang!

didn't hesitate. The

dropping him instantly.

never even finished

through the

few people fainted outright, while others

contempt. "See? When you allow evil to flourish-when you stand by and do nothing-you are just

back to the big man he'd already wounded. You. Get up.” Blood

to three," Alex said. "And if your

"One."

word hit harder than

man cast a desperate

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