Chapter 557 Enemies Met
The brawl in the ring kept going, but the fighters were just your run-of-the-mill brawlers. This kind of action was a snooze fest, not just for Ethan but even for Angela.
"Ain't this place supposed to be where those rich kids settle their beef? Why do they all look so rough and tough now?" Ethan shot a questioning look at Leo.
"Yeah, this ring's for settling scores, but there's no rule saying they gotta fight themselves. Sometimes, you get a few military types or some real pros stepping in," Leo explained, trying to sound all serious.
"Like who?" Ethan asked, grinning.
Leo hesitated, then clenched his teeth and said, "Like one of the club's big bosses, Giuseppe Green."
Leo probably didn't notice, but when he mentioned Giuseppe, there was a flicker of something dark in his eyes.
Ethan caught it but didn't say anything. Instead, he asked, "What's Giuseppe's deal?"
"He's the eldest son of the Green family. Word is, his dad, Andrea Green, is a top contender for the next election. Lots of folks are trying to get on his good side," Leo said with a hint of sarcasm.
"That doesn't include you, right?" Ethan didn't care much about Giuseppe's status but was curious about Leo's attitude. Seemed like there was some bad blood there.
"Me?" Leo was caught off guard, then gave a bitter smile. Ethan, surprised by Leo's reaction, took a closer look at him.
"Don't sell yourself short. I just met Norman today. Even though he's retired, he's still got pull. Andrea might still need your grandpa's nod to get to the top," Ethan said, trying to cheer him up.
"In the Martinez family, I'm a nobody. Why would Norman remember me? I never planned on using him to show off," Leo sighed, sounding defeated.
There was something he didn't mention: he wasn't Norman's real grandson, so even if he wanted to flaunt it, it wouldn't feel right.
"Don't be so down. Before I leave Everglow, I'll visit Norman again. You can tag along," Ethan said, giving Leo a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Leo was even more shocked and stared at Ethan, speechless. Ethan's words had thrown him for a loop. He couldn't even remember the last time he saw Norman. Even as a kid, he only saw him from afar once or twice. And now Ethan was offering to take him to see Norman.
"You really don't know who I am? Why'd you go through all this trouble to bring me here?" Ethan asked, seeing Leo's stunned face.
"You figured it out already?" Leo shook his head, smiling bitterly.
"Of course. Looks like Giuseppe's on his way," Ethan said, glancing towards the elevator.
Leo was startled and followed Ethan's gaze.
"Ethan, you better chill and not do anything rash," Marco warned, giving Angela a meaningful look.
"Did Giuseppe try to hit on you?" Ethan asked Angela quietly, already picking up on her vibe.
"If you can call his sleazy moves 'hitting on'..." Angela smirked, but there was a flicker of anger in her eyes. Clearly, she wasn't a fan of Giuseppe. It seemed like Giuseppe had managed to tick off both Leo and Angela. Ethan wondered just how much of a jerk this guy could be.
Right then, the elevator doors slid open again, and a group of people strutted out.
"It's Giuseppe." Leo's fists clenched as soon as he saw Giuseppe leading the pack.
Ethan sized up Giuseppe and could sense the Half-Step Grandmaster level of strength in him. No surprise there, coming from the Green family. They must've poured a ton of resources into making him this strong.
But Ethan could tell right away that Giuseppe's power was artificially boosted. Even as a Half-Step Grandmaster, he was still shaky and hadn't fully settled into his strength. He looked around thirty-five and was still single.
"Angela, why didn't you tell me you were coming to RD Club? I could've rolled out the red carpet for you," Giuseppe said, ignoring Ethan and the others as he walked up to Angela with a grin.
"Are we that close?" Angela shot back, her face twisted in disgust.
Giuseppe's smile faltered as he noticed Angela's hand still resting on Ethan's arm.
"Giuseppe, back off. Angela's my guest and has nothing to do with you," Leo snapped, glaring at Giuseppe.
This immediately drew everyone's attention. Seeing Giuseppe, the crowd lost interest in the fight and zeroed in on Ethan's group.
"Isn't that Mr. Green? Who's got the guts to talk to him like that?"
"Leo and Giuseppe have been at each other's throats for ages. Didn't think they'd go at it again today!"
"That woman looks familiar."
"That's Angela! What's she doing here today?"
"She never shows up at these things. Who's the guy with her?"
"Who cares? That dude's toast. Remember the guy who tried to date Angela two years ago?"
The crowd buzzed with gossip about Ethan and his crew.
Ethan heard it all and started piecing things together. It seemed Giuseppe had used some pretty shady tactics to go after Angela, but all it did was make her despise him even more.
"Leo, I was ignoring you out of respect, but you just don't get it, do you?" Giuseppe sneered, not taking Leo seriously at all.
"I almost forgot, you're just a loser who can't even protect your own girlfriend. You've got no respect left, so why should I show you any?" Giuseppe laughed, clearly trying to rile Leo up.
"Giuseppe, you're asking for it," Leo roared, swinging a fist at Giuseppe's head. But before he could land the punch, Giuseppe's goons jumped in and pinned him to the ground.
"You think you can take me on? You might have the Martinez name, but you're not even in my league. Maybe if Francesco were here, I'd show some respect," Giuseppe mocked, looking down at Leo.