Chapter 13
With a forceful kick, James sent Jonathan screaming and tumbling more than ten feet away.
Three of Jonathan's companions were knocked down with him, crashing into the dining tables and shattering a dozen plates.
The restaurant was in disarray.
The patrons were stunned, all eyes turning to James. Jonathan's attire told them he was worth several ten thousand dollars, not someone James was expected to confront.
James's sudden outburst also took Mary aback. A wave of concern rose within her while the disappointment she had felt vanished.
"You bastard, dare you to hit me?" Jonathan got up, holding his face and sneering. "You're finished."
His five or six companions looked on with disdain at James and Mary.
The beautiful waitress called over several burly security guards.
James didn't even glance at them, fixing his gaze on Jonathan and speaking coldly, "I'll give you one chance. Kneel and apologize to my wife, or else you'll leave here with a broken hand today."
The onlookers scoffed at James's words, not believing he had the guts to make such a threat.
"You bastard, who do you think you are?" The waitress couldn't contain her anger. "What right do you have to challenge Mr. Moore?"
"Do you know who Mr. Moore is?"
"He's the manager of WH Group's branch office and a relative of Ms. Lee. How dare a country bumpkin like you insult him?"
She was furious at James for attacking Jonathan, who was from high society. James's defiance was utterly outrageous to her.
Hearing that Jonathan was a relative of Olivia and a manager of WH Group's branch office, many in the crowd gasped.
They thought, 'James is done for, and Mary is going to be ruined.'
All of them believed this.
Many women looked down on James, thinking the troublemaker was posturing.
Jonathan basked in the fearful gaze of the crowd before approaching James with his face covered, saying, "You bastard, dare you to smash my head? You've got guts."
"In Rosewood City, no one has ever dared to do this to me."
"You're the first, and I must say, you've got balls."
"But let me tell you, you've made a big mistake."
"You'd better kneel, break the hand that hit me, and send your woman to my bed."
"Otherwise, you're in for it today. Even if I don't take your lives, I'll make sure you're skinned alive."
Jonathan's face twisted into a menacing sneer.
As he finished speaking, several of his cronies moved closer, each holding a wine bottle, ready to smash James's head.
Mary's face changed, saying, "What are you doing? If you dare to mess around, I'll call the police."
The waitress snorted, "Call the police? The police are all Mr. Moore's friends."
"Mary, it's okay, I'll handle this," James reassured Mary, then looked at Mr. Moore and said calmly, "It seems you've given up the chance to beg for mercy."
Jonathan spat and asked, "Do you think you're worthy of my begging?"
James pulled out a card from his pocket and tossed it to Jonathan, saying, "Worthy or not?"
"Playing tricks?" Jonathan snorted dismissively. "What is this?"
The waitress mocked, "Maybe it's a bank card to bribe Mr. Moore..."
" I don't need money What I want are your hand and the woman."
Mr. Moore glanced at the card with disdain.
But that one look sent a jolt through him as if he'd been stabbed with a hot poker.
The words'Vermilion Bird' pierced into Jonathan's eyes like needles...
A WH Group VIP card?
He couldn't believe it and scrutinized the card, looking for any sign of forgery, but found none. It was genuine.
Jonathan instantly broke out in a cold sweat, realizing he had stirred up serious trouble.
For the first time, he wanted to castrate himself.
James poured himself a glass of wine and said, "What, Mr. Moore doesn't recognize it?"
Jonathan fumbled with the card, passing it from one hand to the other, then hurriedly stuffed it back into James's hand.
The WH Group VIP card not only signified that the holder was an honored guest of WH Group but also represented Olivia's absolute will.
And who was Olivia? To outsiders, she was the chairman of WH Group and a successful businesswoman. But Jonathan knew more.
She had another nickname, 'the Black Widow'.
Knowing this, Jonathan didn't dare to act rashly.
His distant relation to Olivia was trivial compared to the VIP card.
But Jonathan couldn't understand how James, so young and seemingly unremarkable, had earned Olivia's absolute trust.
He called someone on the phone, only to have his back soaked in sweat soon after.
Olivia had only one thing to say that James was the WH Group's most honorable guest, so esteemed that he could order Jonathan's death.
Jonathan felt the world spinning, and all his hopes were extinguished with that call.
After hanging up, he knelt with a thud.
The entire place was shocked.
Jonathan said, "Mr. Williams, I'm sorry, I was blind to your greatness. Please be magnanimous and spare me a way out."
"Please, I beg you..."
"I was wrong, I was wrong..."
He slapped himself repeatedly, saying, "Mr. Williams, please give me a chance."
He knew if James weren't satisfied, even if James didn't act, Olivia would take his life.
The patrons felt their throats dry up, never expecting this outcome.
Mary was also surprised, not expecting that Jonathan would kneel just from something James casually threw.
The waitress was dumbfounded, pulling at Mr. Moore and shouting, "Mr. Moore, what's wrong? Why are you kneeling to such a loser?"
"Shut up, you fool!"
Jonathan slapped the waitress, kicking her twice, saying, "If you slander Mr. Williams again, I'll kill you."
He was so scared he was nearly in tears, knowing that offending James at this moment was a death wish.
The waitress quickly became bruised and swollen, lying on the ground in misery.
James smiled faintly and said, "Weren't you going to cripple my hand and have me send my woman over obediently?"
Jonathan said, "Mr. Williams, I was wrong."
He kept kowtowing and begging, "Please, give me a way to live."
"I'm sorry, I was wrong, I won't ever do it again," he apologized to Mary.
"I'm willing to work for you."
If he didn't satisfy James today, even if James didn't act, Olivia would have him killed.
Seeing Jonathan kneeling and kowtowing, everyone held their breath, feeling as if a mountain had suddenly pressed down on their shoulders, unbearably heavy.
All eyes were on James, filled with inquiry but mostly embarrassment.
They had just mocked James as a worthless man, yet now Jonathan was groveling like a dog.
How ridiculous did they now appear?
The waitress was too scared to breathe, unable to believe that Jonathan was so fearful of James, who seemed like nothing special.
What was going on?
What was the significance of that card?
And what was James's real identity?
Mary said softly after hearing Jonathan's apology, "James, he has apologized; maybe we should let it go..."
James picked up a dinner knife and plunged it into Jonathan's left palm.
Blood spurted out.
" An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." he said coldly.
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