The atmosphere in the mall had completely changed.
Word of the luxury store incident had spread like wildfire. Every store owner, manager, and even the cleaning staff now treated Kyle and Sophia like royalty. Wherever they went, doors were held open, red carpets were metaphorically—sometimes even literally—rolled out, and complimentary gifts began appearing in gift bags that neither Kyle nor Sophia asked for.
Even the store that initially looked down on them had its manager nervously running behind them, trying to apologise for the earlier humiliation. Kyle, of course, ignored him completely, while Sophia offered a polite but distant nod.
Melanie trailed slightly behind Sophia, her steps slower, her thoughts running a thousand miles an hour.
She, however, looked like she was about to have a nervous breakdown. Just this morning, she was a regular sales assistant, worried about meeting her sales quota. Now? She was shopping with a woman who just bought out an entire luxury boutique… with a World Bank card. What even was that?
And then there was Kyle.
Not only was he ridiculously handsome and rich beyond reason, but the way everyone deferred to him, the respect, the fear… Melanie had a gut feeling that Kyle was more than just rich. There was something else about him..
She kept glancing around, fidgeting with her hands, and muttering to herself under her breath. Her eyes were wide and overwhelmed, as if she were still trying to wake up from a very strange dream.
Sophia noticed.
She leaned closer and asked gently, "Is there something wrong, Melanie?"
Melanie jolted out of her daze as if she'd been electrocuted.
"Y-Y-Yes, Ma'am! I'm totally fine, nothing to worry about!" she stammered, waving her hands slightly.
Sophia gave her a knowing look. "Are you nervous about what's happening?" she asked warmly. "If you're not comfortable, you can leave. I won't mind."
She turned back and looked at Kyle, adding with a sly grin, "And he definitely won't."
Kyle scratched his cheek awkwardly, forcing a smile. "H-Hey, I am trying to help…"
Melanie panicked, shaking her head and raising her hands. "No! No, Ma'am, that's not what I meant! I'm just… I'm just a little overwhelmed…"
Sophia softened and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I stand by what I said," she said calmly. "If you do not like this, I won't mind."
Melanie shook her head so fast it was a miracle it didn't fly off. "No—no, Ma'am! It's an honour to work with you!"
Sophia chuckled, clearly amused. "Alright then," she said. "Let's continue."
For the next hour, they moved from store to store, assistants piling up bags like offerings to royalty. Sophia tried to hold back, still a little shaken from earlier, but Kyle insisted.
"Come on, Mom. We're already here, might as well enjoy ourselves."
Eventually, with hands full and wallets lighter (except Kyle's, of course—it didn't even make a dent), Sophia raised her hands and said, "Alright, that's enough. I think we've bought the mall already."
Kyle looked around at the bags being carried by a few trembling store assistants and even mall staff who had volunteered to "help," and finally nodded. "Fair. Let's head out."
The sun had just begun to dip beyond the skyline when Kyle, Sophia, Melanie, and Darius stepped out of the grand shopping mall. Bags in hand, laughter still, echoing from their earlier banter. But that light mood didn't last long.
Suddenly—
SCREECH!
Tires screamed against the asphalt. Multiple black SUVs and modified luxury sedans came to a skidding halt, forming a blockade across the street.
The crowd nearby gasped and stepped back as more than a dozen burly men in dark outfits stepped out in sync, their faces cold and full of aggression.
Sophia's hand tightened instinctively around Kyle's arm.
And then… like a scene from a gangster movie… a custom Rolls-Royce Phantom appeared, gliding to a smooth halt behind the fleet. Its deep black body shimmered with golden accents along the edges, catching every ray of light and turning it into a show of obscene wealth and arrogance.
One of the lackeys rushed forward and opened the door with reverence.
A heavy puff of smoke rose first, then a polished boot stepped out.
The man who emerged wore a deep red velvet suit, tailored to perfection. Around his wrist sat a gold Rolex limited edition, probably worth more than a penthouse in the Capital. His fingers were adorned with chunky rings, and a lit cigar sat between his lips. His beard was trimmed sharp and thick, with streaks of grey at the edges that somehow made him look more dangerous, not older.
He took one long puff of the cigar, eyes hidden behind gold-rimmed sunglasses. Every step he took oozed menace and money.
Darius narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. "Who are you?"
Before the man could answer, a lackey beside him bellowed, "Shut the fuck up! How dare you raise your voice in front of Master Hardy!"
Darius blinked, stunned by the outburst. "Master... who?"
The same lackey looked like he was going to explode, but Hardy raised a hand to stop him, clearly amused. He took a slow drag from his cigar before speaking.
"Interesting. You don't even know who I am... and yet you dared to beat one of my men to a pulp. Bold."
Darius looked confused—until a familiar figure slithered out from behind the Rolls-Royce.
It was Hanks, still wearing that crooked smile, except now it was laced with venom.
Kyle raised an eyebrow and said, "So you're the reason for all this."
He tapped his chin in mock thought. "I was wondering where you ran off to... like a little chicken. Looks like you went and brought your rooster."
Hanks's face twisted in rage.
Hardy chuckled. "I like your courage, boy. It's been a while since anyone had the gall to speak to me like that."
He slowly removed his sunglasses and fixed his cold, dark eyes on Kyle. "But you're going to pay for your actions."
With a simple wave of his hand, his men moved forward, encircling Kyle and his group like a pack of wolves.
Sophia and Melanie both instinctively stepped back, eyes wide. Their hearts pounded.
Sophia leaned in and whispered to Kyle, "Kyle, I… I'm scared."
Kyle gave her a calm, warm smile. "I'm here. You don't need to be."
Then he looked straight at Hardy.
"Is that all you've got? More people?"
Hardy's smile faltered for just a moment. "You think this is easy? One of these guys can break you in half. I brought a hundred. What the hell do you think you're going to do?"
Kyle chuckled as he slowly rolled up his sleeves.
"Let me show you what the military really teaches us."
Darius blinked, startled. "Master is taking action himself… this guy's fucked."
Darius pulled Sophia and Melanie gently behind him. "Stay behind me."
Kyle stepped forward casually.
Then he spoke again.
"Let's make a bet."
Tom Hardy raised an eyebrow, then burst into laughter. His lackeys joined him in a mocking chorus.
"A bet? With me?" Hardy wheezed. "That's the funniest thing I've heard all week."
But Kyle didn't even flinch. "If I beat everyone here, you'll kneel… and apologise to my mother."
Hardy wiped a tear from his eye. "And if you lose? Then I will bury you, alongside your family."
Kyle's expression suddenly became cold, and he whispered, "You should not have said that."
WHOOSH!
One of the giant lackeys lost patience and charged forward with a crowbar, roaring like a beast. He swung it down hard toward Kyle's head—
CRACK!!
In a blur, the man flew backwards like a ragdoll, smashing into one of the black sedans with a heavy thud. He slumped, unconscious, the crowbar clattering beside him.
Everyone froze.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"Did he just fly on his own!?"
"No... No! He hit him! But… I didn't even see anything!"
Tom's expression changed for the first time.
He did not see a thing, Kyle did not move a single muscle.
Tom's face darkened. "What are you all waiting for?! Get him! Kill that bastard!"
The wave of thugs charged forward like animals.
But Kyle didn't back down.
He stepped forward into them with a snort—like a wolf entering a den of sheep.
Then—
WHAM!
A kick sent one thug flying into the air.
CRACK!
An elbow shattered another's jaw.
THUD! SMACK! SNAP!
He moved like a phantom—vanishing and reappearing with every motion, his fists faster than lightning, each move precise, brutal, and clean.
A punch to the gut folded one man in half.
A knee to the temple knocked another out cold.
One tried to swing a chain, but Kyle caught it mid-air, yanked him forward, and slammed his head into the pavement.
The fight looked less like a brawl and more like a massacre.
Darius has an indifferent face. "He is going easy on them."
Sophia and Melanie turned their head and said in shock,"That's easy?"
Hardy was losing his cool now. His once-arrogant face turned pale.
"How... How powerful is this guy?"
Thugs flew like bowling pins. Bones cracked. Screams echoed through the street.
Ten... twenty... thirty… fifty…
They all fell like dominoes.
And Kyle?
He didn't have a scratch.
Kyle had an indifferent face all the time, as if he were going on a walk.
Hardy staggered back. "Stop him! All of you! Now!!"
Kyle's gaze locked on him.
Step by step, he began walking toward Hardy…