Celia was yanked backward. As she turned around, she saw Li Chong's twisted, beastly face lunging toward her.
But she missed that fleeting chance to escape.
She ran with everything she had, yet she still couldn't reach that glimmer of light.
In the end, there was no difference.
"You little brat, where do you think you're going? I heard you've been cozying up to some rich guy in the city. Do you look down on your old man now? I'm stronger than any of those city men, ha!" Li Chong sneered, throwing himself at her again.
The very next second—Bang!
The door of the dilapidated house was kicked wide open.
Celia looked up. A shaft of daylight cut through the gloom, flooding the darkness inside.
Against the light stood a tall, commanding figure.
As he stepped closer, the familiar, strikingly handsome face came into focus. It was Nathaniel Fu.
Nathaniel Fu was here!
"You—who are you? How dare you ruin my plans!" Li Chong roared. He pulled out a knife and lunged at Nathaniel.
The blade gleamed coldly. Celia's heart clenched tight, and she cried out, "Nathaniel, watch out!"
But Nathaniel didn't move. As the knife came down, he lifted his slender hand and caught the blade with his bare palm.
Celia's pupils contracted in horror. He caught the knife with his hand—was he insane?
Li Chong froze, clearly not expecting such madness.
In the next instant, Nathaniel wrenched the blade free. His long leg swung up in a sharp kick that landed squarely in Li Chong's chest.
Li Chong flew back, slammed into the wall with a heavy thud, and crumpled to the ground.
He felt as if his internal organs had been shattered. Blood gushed from his mouth.
A pair of polished black leather shoes stopped in front of him—custom-made, expensive. Even in this shabby hovel, they radiated superiority.
A man like Li Chong had never been so close to such luxury.
He slowly looked up from the shoes. The man had just stepped off a flight, dressed in a black wool coat and a tailored silver vest. His features were refined and aristocratic, his presence exuding the icy dominance of someone from another world. His eyes were dark and stormy, carrying a chilling weight of power.
The knife had torn open his palm, leaving a deep, bloody gash. Crimson dripped steadily, but his face remained unreadable, as if the wound were nothing. He looked down at Li Chong with detached disdain, as though gazing at something already dead.
Li Chong's scalp went numb, terror crawling into his bones. He stammered, "Wh-who are you?"
Nathaniel's voice was low and cutting. "I'm your reckoning."
"Sir, don't let her innocent act fool you," Li Chong said desperately. "I've already had this girl. She's a filthy little thing! She came after me—I'm the victim here!"
Celia's body trembled. Disgust washed through her at his vile words.
Nathaniel's lips curved into a cold, mocking smile. "You must think very highly of yourself. Why would she seduce you—after seducing me? Does that even make sense?"
Shock flickered in Li Chong's eyes. So this was the wealthy man Celia had found in the city. Never in his life did he imagine she could capture the attention of someone this powerful and impossibly handsome.
Nathaniel's gaze dropped toward him with disdain. His voice sharpened to a blade. "I've never laid a hand on a woman like you. And yet you dared? Better that I wipe out the source of this filth."
With that, Nathaniel raised his foot and stomped down viciously.
The sound was sickening. He pressed down slowly, grinding as blood seeped through Li Chong's pants.
"Ahhh!"
Li Chong howled in agony before his body finally gave out, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.