Ava's eyebrows shot up."Okay, now that's just bullshit," Ava cut in, hands on her hips
Matthew gave her a sideways look.
Ava immediately raised them again, then continued. "Why the fuck would I do that? Is he made of gold?
And why would I be jealous of you? He didn't even accept me, talk less of you. If he had, I would've respected that and moved on. But instead, you nearly killed me with your friends—throwing stuff from downstairs in school, trying to bully me."
She scoffed her expression hardened.
"Ava Nathan Quinn, you got expelled due to your stupidity, not me. Your family went bankrupt because Jake exposed all the crimes your family—and you—committed. Accept the fact with your screwed brain."
Ella's face twisted with fury.
" If you and your family were innocent, your family wouldn't be bankrupt. At most, I would've just beaten you up and broken your leg."
Ava put her hands on her waist.
You getting married? Go ask your father. Accept that you're a bitch and don't blame me for it. "
She tilted her head.
"Were you the only one punished? Your friends who followed you to do those things faced the same punishment. I didn't see them trying to kill me."
"You fucking bitch! I can kill you and you still dare to run your mouth!" Ella screamed.
"Then do it, bitch," Ava fired back.
Just then, the sound of helicopter rotors thudded in the distance, growing louder.
Ella flinched, distracted.
In that split second, Ava used her right foot to slide off her left high heel, then flicked it like a projectile. The heel struck Ella's hand, knocking the gun down.
Before Ella could react, Matthew kicked her in the face. She fell, clutching her bleeding nose.
Matthew picked up the gun and He walked over and planted one shoe against Ella's chest
"How can you hit a woman? I'm a woman!" Ella yelled through the blood.
"A mad woman," Matthew said coolly. "Instead of helping and fixing yourself, you blame others for your downfall. If you had used any of your schemes to fix your life, you wouldn't be in this position. Really, you're pathetic."
Matthew crouched slightly, voice still relaxed, as if asking about the price of ice cream."But you're nineteen. What do you know? Still, for you to attend Crownside, your family wasn't lacking.
He tapped her face with the gun"You should've known right from wrong, how to act like an heiress or whatever all that shit they taught you. You went to a doghole due to jealousy for a guy that doesn't even know your name."
He raised the gun.
The muzzle pressed against Ella's thigh.
She didn't even have time to flinch.
Bang.
The sound cracked through the warehouse like a whip.
Ella's leg jerked. A dark stain bloomed across her dress, spreading fast, soaking into the fabric.
She screamed—a raw, ugly sound that bounced off the metal walls.
Matthew didn't blink.
"Answer me, or I will keep shooting. Who sent you? I'm pretty sure you know," he said, expression unchanged.
Blood pooled beneath her, warm and sticky against the concrete. Her hands shook as she pressed them to the wound, trying to stop the flow, but it slipped through her fingers, red and slick.
"I won't fucking tell you! Just kill me!" Ella screamed, tears and snot mixing with the blood on her face.
Two more gunshots rang out.
Bang. Bang.
Her left knee buckled. She collapsed sideways, leg bent at an angle that would make any normal person stomach twist.
The blood spread wider now, a dark puddle creeping across the floor.
Ava, meanwhile, had already slipped her heel back on, watching with mild curiosity.
"Come on, I've missed my beauty sleep. I get cranky when I'm not in bed around this time," Matthew said, as if they were running late for a reservation.
"Come on, just tell him. You'd die anyway, so suffer less. The truth would come out dead or alive. Look at you, suffering, while the person who used you and gave you the advice is probably sipping wine and enjoying his or her life. You're being difficult," Ava said sweetly.
Outside, four helicopters hovered. One had already landed at the warehouse.
"I would tell you! I would tell you! Virtue! Virtue did it! Please, please spare me!" Ella sobbed, voice breaking, blood bubbling at the corner of her mouth.
She opened her mouth again trying to hold Matthew hand to beg the pain was so much she peed herself but all she was thinking was to escape this two pycopat.
She didn't get to finish.
Matthew raised the gun.
Bang.
The shot was clean. Quick. Ella's head snapped back. Her body went still, eyes open, staring at nothing.
The silence that followed was heavier than the gunfire.
Matthew threw the gun away.
His bodyguards ran down from upstairs, bowing as they reached him one handed him a handkerchief to clean his fingers.
"Wow," Ava said, stunned—then giggled.
She ran to grab Matthew's hand, voice suddenly shaking, tears gathering in her eyes.
"I'm so scared, baby. No, sugar daddy, I need hugs," she said, performance perfect.
Matthew poked her nose.
"You should really become an actress. It would suit you."
Ava pouted.
Matthew turned to his men.
"Clean the mess," he said, and walked upstairs, Ava following close behind.
As they climbed into the helicopter, Ava settled into the seat beside Matthew and immediately started staring at him.
Matthew had his eyes closed, his head resting against the back of the seat.
He looked completely relaxed, as if they hadn't just fought their way out of a warehouse.
"So, what are you going to do to Virtue?" Ava asked. "Or should I handle it for you?"
"No need." Matthew didn't open his eyes. "I'll handle it myself."
Ava's lips curled into a grin.
"Aww. You care about me."
She leaned closer, lowering her voice dramatically.
"You're acting like one of those mafia bosses in those cheap movies."
Then she deepened her voice and started imitating some ridiculously possessive male lead.
"Baby, only I can hurt you. You belong to me. You are mine."
She burst into laughter.
Matthew slowly opened one eye and looked at her.
"Don't flatter yourself."
His eye closed again.
"The only reason I said I'll handle it is because that Virtue—or whoever sent that psycho—almost got you killed and nearly got me killed in the process."
His voice remained lazy and calm.
"It's revenge, baby girl."
Ava pouted.
"I'm not a psychopath that just goes around killing, killing, killing."
She hummed thoughtfully.
"Though that Virtue girl… I'm sure she did all this because of…"
She stopped herself and shrugged.
"Family matters. Family rules."
She leaned back, humming again.
"But since you're taking revenge, I don't have to bother myself."
Matthew opened his eyes slightly.
"Since when do you follow rules?"
"Since now."
Ava smiled innocently.
"Anyway, handsome, you look tired. Let me massage you and free those muscles."
Before Matthew could answer, Ava moved closer and placed both hands on his shoulders.
Her fingers pressed into the muscles beneath his shirt, kneading slowly along the tops of his shoulders before moving toward the base of his neck.
Matthew's shoulders loosened slightly under the pressure.
Ava grinned.
"See? You're already enjoying it."
"I didn't say anything."
"You didn't have to."
She continued massaging him, occasionally pressing her thumbs into the tense spots around his shoulders.
Matthew sighed quietly, eyes closing again.
"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course."
Ava's hands moved down his shoulders again."I'm providing an excellent service for free. You should appreciate me."
"Free?"
Matthew opened one eye.
"Temporarily."
Ava smiled.
The helicopter continued through the night, city lights stretching beneath them until the aircraft finally approached the rooftop helipad of the luxury condo building they stayed in.
The helicopter descended smoothly onto the illuminated pad.
The rotors slowed as the landing crew approached.
Ava waited until the door opened before stepping out.
Matthew followed behind her.
As they walked toward the rooftop entrance, Ava suddenly leaned closer.
"Why don't I stay in your apartment with you?"
Matthew glanced down at her.
"I can help massage you."
She whispered it like she was offering him the greatest deal of his life.
Matthew's lips curved.
"Sure. Why not?"
Ava's eyes lit up.
"And I can start teaching you as well."
He looked up at her, a small smile playing across his face.
Ava froze.
Her eyes widened.
"Nope."
She immediately jumped down the last step, turned around, and ran toward the elevator.
Matthew stared after her for a second.
Then he laughed.
A genuine, quiet laugh escaped him as he followed after her.
The following morning, Matthew was already seated in the dining room of his apartment, dressed in his Crownside High School uniform.
His customized white, short-sleeved button-up shirt was neatly fitted, with the first two buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of his collarbones.
A black tie hung loosely around his neck, and his dark, almost black-blue trousers were tailored to perfection.
The school's white-and-black crest was embroidered neatly on his shirt pocket.
He sat with one leg crossed over the other, looking entirely at ease.
The dining table was filled with an assortment of foreign fruits, delicate desserts prepared by master chefs, and a freshly made steak served alongside pasta coated in a rich mushroom sauce.
Everything had been arranged with meticulous care.
The only sound was the quiet shink of Matthew's fork and knife slicing through the steak.
A man stood several feet away from the table.
He was the head bodyguard who had arrived on Thursday thaneo.
He had been standing there for several minutes without saying a word, waiting for Matthew to acknowledge his presence.
Matthew showed no sign of noticing his impatience.
He continued eating, cutting his steak into smaller pieces before bringing them to his mouth.
When he finished, he set down his utensils and picked up a cup of fruit juice.
He took a slow slip and tapped the table twice with his left index finger.
Permission to speak.
The head bodyguard thaneo straightened.
"Sir," Thaneo began, voice measured, "the dead men at the shop and those on the island warehouse have been dealt with. All information on them has been wiped from the database."
Matthew took a slow sip of juice.
"But this has drawn attention from the clan," Thaneo continued. "A few clan members know you're here. Since you used the clan elite guard, it has alerted the elders. It would have been advisable if you had used your family branch guard instead."
The thaneo paused before continuing.
"It would have been advisable to use the guards assigned to your family's branch instead."
"Oh."
Matthew's response was so indifferent that it was almost insulting.
He reached for a dessert.
The head bodyguard took a deep breath.
"Sir, everyone's attention is already on her. They know you're looking for her, and the clan's enemies suspect she has no protection. Your presence here, without any direct orders from the clan, might confirm their suspicions."
He hesitated.
"And regarding the clan—"
Matthew's hand stilled.
His fingers curled slowly around the stem of his glass.
"Noise."
The word slipped out—low, flat, almost bored.
Thaneo froze.
"Noise. Noise. Noise."
Each repetition was quieter than the last, but sharper. Like a blade being drawn slowly.
His fingers tightened around the knife.
With one swift movement, he drove it into the dessert.
The blade passed through the soft dessert, shattered the plate beneath it, and lodged firmly in the dining table.
The sound was sharp enough to make the bodyguard step back immediately.
The broken plate remained hidden beneath the dessert, its condition not immediately obvious from where he stood.
Matthew withdrew his hand and calmly picked up a tissue to wipe his fingers.
"Are you teaching me the rules of the clan?"
His voice was low and soft.
That made it worse.
"The clan's security forces. The Shadow Guards. The Death Squad. The Elite Guards. The family spies. And, finally, the clan guards."
He folded the tissue between his fingers.
"Every member has their own clan guards. I know all of that. Do you think I was born yesterday?"
"No, sir."Thaneo said head lowered.
Matthew continued as though the interruption hadn't happened.
"The elders, the clan leader, my grandparents, and those selected to compete in the heir selection are among the few who know about the Elite Guards, Shadow Guards, clan spies, and Death Squad."
Thaneo swallowed.
He lifted his gaze.
"Only legitimate heirs from the different clans who are selected can command the Elite Guards. And only the true descendants of the first line can command the Elite Guards across the different nations."
His expression remained relaxed.
"Fortunately for me, my father is a direct descendant and one of the clan guardians. I have the right to use the forces granted to me."
He placed the tissue on the table.
"So why should I worry about what other people have to say?"
Thaneo head bodyguard remained silent for a moment before answering.
"I understand, sir. I overstepped my position. However, I'm worried about you, young master."
He lowered his head further.
"You are indeed entitled to deploy the Elite Guards. But using them against those men—people who were practically lowlifes and required little effort to deal with—could give your opponents something to use against you."
Matthew tilted his head.
"Use it against me?"
He sounded genuinely curious.
"Even though I saved the granddaughter of the Quinn family? The only daughter of Nathan Quinn and Emily Hayes?"
The bodyguard's expression tightened.
Matthew pushed his chair back and stood, smoothing his shirt before dusting off his trousers.
"Tell me, what kind of mockery would it be if people claimed Ava was unworthy of my protection simply because I got involved with her?"
He adjusted his tie.
"She may be crazy, unreasonable, and completely incapable of behaving like a proper socialite. That doesn't change her family's standing."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Especially after what she did to the capital country in Averis."
He picked up his schoolbag from beside the chair.
The head bodyguard bowed deeply.
"Please forgive my lack of insight, young master."
Matthew barely glanced at him.
"And one more thing."
The bodyguard straightened immediately.
"You aren't a member of the clan."
Matthew's tone remained casual, but there was no mistaking the finality in his words.
"You work for my father and mother. You're part of our family's personal protection force, which serves my siblings, my parents, and me."
He slipped the strap of his bag over his shoulder.
"You listen to us, not the clan. The clan has no business interfering with the affairs of the Shaw family's guards. Understand?"
"Yes, young master."
"Good."
Matthew turned toward the door.
"If you can't manage that distinction, you can leave."
He walked out without waiting for a response.
The head bodyguard remained where he was, his head bowed.
Only after Matthew had left did he approach the dining table to clear the dishes.
As he reached for the dessert plate, he discovered what had happened beneath it.
The plate had been shattered, and Matthew's knife was buried deep in the tabletop.
The man's hand paused over the mess.
He stared at it for a moment before quietly getting to work.
Matthew had made his position clear.
He was allowed to use the clan's forces, and he would decide when to use them.
More importantly, the bodyguard had just been reminded of whom he actually served.
You guys won't believe me when I say I was meant to post but the moment I dropped that chapter yesterday my school group chat said I have test a surprise test before the main one so obviously I forgot you guys my bad so I would make it up to you guys,this is on Friday chapter, I would drop Saturday and Sunday right now as for Monday and the rest of this day I might post late I might post another day but I would make sure this week completely cause for three weeks I would ghost you guys that extra two weeks to study the third week my test day so bye