The music in the ACE club was blasting at full volume, but the luxurious private room was so quiet that
everyone could hear their own heartbeat.
Ryan was wearing a black suit and a dark-patterned silk shirt with a wide collar. A silver necklace
dipped between his solid chest muscles. He held a glass of red wine, sipping on it leisurely with his
long legs crossed.
A drop of bright red blood oozed from the corner of his lips, which he had wiped away with his thumb.
His expression was languid and frivolous, but his charming eyes held a hint of coldness that deterred
people from approaching him.â
His gaze was so icy, like a cold abyss.
Ryanâs bodyguards stood in a row in the private room.
Ryan raised his head and drank the red wine in his glass before snapping his fingers.
Then his bodyguards dispersed. A tied-up man kneeled on the ground in front of Ryan. His face was
bruised and swollen, and his facial features were distorted.
âMr. Hoffman⦠I was wrong⦠Please have mercyâ¦â Some of the manâs teeth were broken. He leaked
saliva and blood when he spoke.
âTsk, your blood is flowing to the floor.â
Ryan glanced at him with disgust and raised an eyebrow nonchalantly. âDo you know how expensive
the carpet in my private room is? You wonât be able to afford it even if I sell your organs on the black
market.â
âMr. Hoffmanâ¦â
The man rolled onto his stomach in front of Ryan, but Ryan raised his long legs and kicked him away.
âMr. Hoffman⦠I have been with you for many years and have always been loyal to you. This time, I
was coerced by Mr. Liam Hoffman! He threatened to kill me. He didnât ask me to do much, only to
report your whereaboutsâ¦â
Liam Hoffman was Ryanâs second uncle and his fatherâs only younger brother.
When Ryan was seven years old, his father died in a plane accident, leaving Ryan and his sister
orphaned and his mother widowed. Fortunately, Ryanâs father had transferred all his shares and assets
to
Ryanâs mother and Ryan early on. Thus, their family fortune was not left at the mercy of others.
Logan Hoffman, Ryanâs grandfather, was in charge of the Hoffman family. Although Ryan was Loganâs
eldest grandson, the position of CEO that originally belonged to Ryanâs father fell into the hands of his
second uncle.
Ryan had seen through Liamâs intentions. His second uncle, who cried the most at Ryanâs fatherâs
grave, was, in fact, sinister and cunning. On the surface, Liam took care of Ryanâs family, but he was
secretly plotting and guarding against Ryan.
All this was something that the weak Mrs. Hoffman and the inexperienced Zoe had no idea about.
As the backbone of the family, Ryan shouldered all the responsibility and pressure. Even his best
friend, Justin, was unaware of the hardships Ryan went through.
âYouâre quite good at pleading for yourself. You know that youâve been working for me for the longest
time, so you want to please both sides and save more money for yourself, right? Hah! You ought to
know that you might be able to earn more, but you might not have the life to enjoy all that money.â
Ryan let go of his hand. The wine glass he was holding shattered. The cold light in his charming eyes
was terrifying.
The man kept kowtowing to Ryan, so much so that the floor covered with luxurious velvet rugs made a
clunking sound.
âI donât care that you lied to me. Itâs expected for the boss of a big conglomerate to have one or two
traitors around them. Thatâs a show of success, isnât it?â
Ryan leaned forward slightly. His broad shoulders cast a beautiful shadow on the floor.
The moment Ryan lowered his long eyelashes and smirked slowly, the miserable man in front of him
looked so afraid, as if Ryan were the grim reaper.
âWhat you did wrong was to expose yourself. Since youâve deceived me, you shouldâve continued lying
to me. This way, you wonât ruin my mood, and you can even live longer.â
âMr. Hoffman⦠Pleaseâ¦â The manâs body was shaking, and he almost peed his pants.
Ryan narrowed his eyes and drawled, âItâs been a long time since I visited my second uncle. I shouldâve
been more courteous. Yasmin.â
A charming woman wearing a deep V backless slit dress came out of a dark corner. She was Ryanâs
secretary.
âMr. Hoffman,â Yasmin said respectfully.
Ryanâs smile suddenly disappeared. âCut off his treacherous tongue!â
âYes, sir.â
âNo, no, no! No⦠Ah! Mm!â
Yasminâs face was expressionless as she raised a knife and cut out the manâs tongue with more skill
than a butcher.
Ryan stood up slowly, put his left hand in his pants pocket, and smoothed back his hair.
âWrap it up and send it to my second uncle. He can eat it as an appetizer for his next meal.â
â¦.
In the private room on the other side of the club, Zoe ordered the staff to broadcast the hundreds of
surveillance cameras in the entire club on the large screen. That way, they could watch Carrie from
various angles.
Carrie was like a deer lost in the forest-flustered, frightened, and helpless.
Zoe and her friends watched it with interest.