Chapter 3

But he spat viciously.

"I think you're the one on drugs! I've worked for the Yates for nearly ten years. I only know Mr. Derek. Who the hell are you to impersonate him?"

Only then did Derek emerge from behind the bodyguard, staring at me coldly.

I felt like he was looking at me like meat on a chopping board.

He turned to Lucy and said, "Lucy, what do you think we should do about this? Tonight I just wanted to have a quiet drink with friends, but your boyfriend embarrassed me in front of everyone, saying I was impersonating the heir to the Yates family."

"Our family has always kept a low profile, so I held back again and again, even having someone politely escort him away in a luxury car."

"But he accused me of running him over with my car! Ruining my family's reputation-how should we settle this account?"

Everything he said twisted the facts, utterly absurd.

But Lucy's face went pale. She immediately grabbed my collar and yanked me off the wheelchair.

Then she kicked my knee, making me fall heavily to my knees.

She ordered people to press my head down and bang it against the floor. "Ethan, I never thought you were this kind of person. Apologize to Derek now! Keep kowtowing until he's willing to forgive you!"

I trembled with anger, struggling to get up.

Alex always told me that unless it was for the person I loved, I shouldn't kneel to anyone.

From birth until now, I'd only knelt to my parents. This was a complete humiliation of my dignity!

Seeing this, Lucy sneered and spoke arrogantly.

"You still refuse? Let me tell you some inside information-the Yates family is going to have an arranged marriage with the Anderson family, and the marriage partner is me."

"People of our class could never be with a poor boy like you. Give up any thoughts of social climbing. Apologize to Derek now, and maybe for old times' sake, I'll ask him to spare your life!"

My forehead veins bulged as I laughed mockingly. "Lucy, the Yates family won't marry you under any circumstances. You'd better prepare to be kicked out of the Anderson family!"

This seemed to ignite Lucy's fury. She casually smashed a nearby vase and raised a sharp shard, about to stab it into my thigh.

"Lowlife! How dare you talk to me like that?"

"If you insist on being stubborn, I don't mind completely crippling you. Let's see if you can still be so arrogant!"

I was held down, unable to move, and could only close my eyes in despair.

But the expected pain didn't come.

When I opened my eyes, I found that Grace, who had appeared at some point, was shielding me.

Her hospital gown was stained red with blood in large patches, but she still stood in front of me, opening her mouth weakly. "Don't believe Derek's words. He's just an immoral thug and scoundrel! He's not any heir to the Yates family at all."

"And if you want to hurt Ethan, you'll have to kill me first!"

Lucy looked in shock at the crisscrossing old and new wounds on Grace's body, about to ask.

But Derek reacted faster and spoke first. He hid the panic on his face, grabbed Grace, and slapped her, scolding her.

"Shameless bitch! Still here spreading your poisonous lies?"

"You think I don't know? You threw yourself at my brother, and when he rejected you, you got so humiliated you decided to destroy us! You and Lucy are sisters-why are you so jealous she's marrying into my family? Showing up here with Ethan, this pathetic nobody...Your game is too obvious!"

Grace was slapped so hard she fell to the ground, blood spraying from her mouth.

Her face went ghostly pale, and she could barely hold herself up.

The bodyguard smiled wickedly and directly dragged her to a room on the side.

My heart raced with anxiety as I tried to stop him, but Lucy suddenly raised the vase and smashed me to the ground.

She said furiously, "No wonder, in the past life too... you two are definitely conspiring to deceive me!"

I was shocked, suddenly realizing Lucy had also been reborn.

No wonder in this life, even though I clearly hadn't called her for help, she immediately insisted I was lying from the start on the phone!

But as large amounts of blood flowed from my body, my head became dizzy and I couldn't speak. I could only lie on the ground making weak struggling movements.

Lucy took a deep breath and firmly gripped my hand.

"Do you know the consequences of harming the heir to the Yates family?"

"When he was born, a kidnapper tried to take him. The Yates family didn't flinch. By that same afternoon, the thief's limbs were shattered, his body was carved into eight pieces, and he was left in the wilderness to rot."

"In school, a classmate planted tacks in his path. The next day, that student's legs were beaten into compound fractures."

"At university, a gold digger tried to play him but was caught cheating. She disappeared without a trace."

"So before you wish for the family's full attention, you should be thanking me for my mercy."

With that, she picked up a sharp scalpel and stabbed it directly into my wrist, twisting it.

I trembled with pain, gritting my teeth and saying with difficulty, "If my family finds out you're treating me like this, you'll be the first to die!"

Derek sneered and then raised his foot to kick me hard in the stomach.

"Ethan, you're about to die and still daydreaming. You'd better worry about leaving here alive first! Today I'll teach you the lesson your parents failed to teach you!"

They took turns. One slashed the tendons in my hands, while the other rained punches and kicks down on me.

Excruciating pain erupted from everywhere. I tried desperately to crawl back.

But the head bodyguard pinned me down, his face twisted with viciousness as he slapped me and spat.

"Still trying to run? For every hurt you caused Mr. Derek, I'll pay you back tenfold. Now lie there and take your beating!"

I was completely immobilized, unable to move an inch.

I could only shut my eyes in utter helplessness and endure, silently waiting for my life to fade.

Just as despair was about to swallow me whole, the hospital door crashed open. Alex burst in with a group of men.

"What is the meaning of this?" he roared

Then, his gaze landed on me.