Chapter 32 Walker Estate
Larry quickly stepped in, patting Christian’s shoulder and pulling him away from Ryan before things escalated further. Ryan lay on the ground, bloodied and gasping.
Ryan lay on the floor, bloodied and gasping. As the crowd murmured in shock, a figure emerged from the crowd. Handsome with dark eyes and a rugged stubble, the man had a commanding presence. His hair was thick and messy, falling over his forehead in a way that made him look effortlessly captivating.
"Mr. Vaughn?" someone murmured as the crowd took notice.
Adrian ignored the moaning Ryan and walked over to Christian, frowning. "What’s going on?" he asked, glancing at Christian’s dark face.
Christian’s jaw clenched, and Larry spoke up first, "Nothing, man. Just a dog barking."
Adrian and Christian were familiar with each other, having shared a similar background for years. Adrian knew that Christian, though rough around the edges, wasn’t one to start chaos without a reason.
Adrian glanced briefly at Ryan, his gaze cold. "Get out of here. You’re not welcome at my party."
Ryan, wiping blood from his mouth, looking startled and frustrated. "Mr. Vaughn, I was invited by your company to—"
"Get. The. Fuck. Out." Adrian’s cold command sent a chill through the room, and Ryan froze, his bravado crumbling. He quickly turned and stormed out of the venue, humiliated.
Larry let out a relieved breath. By the look on Christian’s face, it was clear—if Ryan had stayed, he wouldn’t have walked out on his own legs, or maybe ever again.
"Moron," Larry muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "Insulting Christian’s wife. Did he think he’d get away with a slap in the face?"
Adrian raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Wife?”
Larry glanced at Adrian, finally returning his attention to him, and nodded. "He got married recently. The party will be later."
Adrian smiled, though it was more of a confused glance. "Just for a woman, this much anger?"
Larry almost spat out the drink in his mouth, and Christian shoved Adrian—not aggressively, but lightheartedly. "Stop talking."
“Don’t say that unless you want to end up like Ryan,” Larry warned, shooting Adrian a knowing look. “If his wife is involved, you’re done for.”
Adrian let out a laugh, baffled by the intensity of it all. He couldn’t grasp what was so special about a woman as a wife.
Meanwhile, Ryan limped out of the party, his face bruised and swollen. Guests glanced his way, murmuring as they took in his beaten-up appearance. But instead of leaving the venue, his sharp gaze scanned the crowd, searching. Then, he found her—the woman in the green dress.
With determined steps, anger coursing through his veins, he marched toward her. The moment he reached her, he shoved her hard without a word.
Ivy stumbled forward, her balance slipping, and in the next second, she plunged into the large swimming pool.
A loud splash echoed through the night.
Guests gasped, some letting out startled cries as Ivy plunged into the large swimming pool.
Ryan smirked, watching her struggle to stay afloat, then turned and strode out of the party.
Christian, hearing the commotion, glanced toward the source of the noise. His gaze landed on the water, catching a glimpse of green fabric floating. Then, he saw Ryan walking away.
The glass in Christian's hand slipped, crashing onto the floor and shattering. Without wasting a second, he bolted.
Christian didn't waste a second, diving in immediately. He swam toward her, his arms breaking through the water as he reached her flailing figure. She gasped against his chest, coughing as she clung to him.
The moment they reached the edge, he lifted her out of the water. Ivy coughed violently, struggling to catch her breath. She couldn't swim—she would have drowned if Christian hadn't come in time.
Christian cupped her face, his thumb brushing away droplets of water clinging to her skin. “Are you hurt? Can you breathe properly?” His voice was tight with worry.
Ivy nodded weakly, coughing up more water. "Better," she whispered.
Without another word, Christian stood up and swept her into his arms, striding out of the party. He got into the car and instructed the driver, “Take us home.”
Inside the car, he pulled her onto his lap, holding her close against his warmth. The trembling in her body slowly subsided. He didn't speak a single word throughout the ride, his arms securely wrapped around her.
When they reached home, he carried her inside, setting her on the bed before heading to the closet to get her dry clothes.
As Ivy fumbled to remove her wet dress, Christian helped her, his fingers quickly unzipping the fabric and loosening her damp hair. Once she changed into her nightgown, he gently cupped her face, standing between her legs as she sat on the bed. Tilting her chin up, he met her eyes.
His eyes roamed over her features, searching. “Are you alright now?”
"I'm fine, Christian." Ivy gripped his hand on her face, nuzzling into his palm with a reassuring nod.
Christian exhaled, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. "Get in bed. I'll have someone send warm food for you. Get some sleep. I'll be back in a bit, alright?"
Ivy nodded. “Aren’t you going to change? You’ll catch a cold.”
“It’s alright. I’ll be back soon, don’t worry.”
Christian leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips before turning to leave the room, and then the house.
***
"This party was even grander than I expected. Adrian is swimming in billions tonight from all the deals coming his way," Larry muttered, sitting across from Sawyer at his house, beer in hand.
Sawyer smirked. "This is supposed to be the biggest deal in his company’s history. He invited some of his biggest clients. If that incident hadn’t happened, the night would’ve been perfect.”
Larry set his beer down with a shake of his head. “Fucking Ryan. He was brainless in school, and he still continues his legacy.”
Sawyer took another sip of his beer, chuckling. "Christian went to deal with him already?"
Larry leaned back with a smirk. “With twenty men. Stormed the Walker estate just a while ago. Ryan was stupid enough to piss off Christian already. Christian never responded to that idiot because he found it bothersome. But that dumbass mistook it for weakness and had the audacity to harm Ivy?" Larry snorted. "He's fucking destroyed now. Before, he had a chance to live off his family’s wealth since the moron has no skills, but now? He’s doomed.”
“I saw Christian gave Ivy his family heirloom,” Sawyer muttered, leaning forward. “Ivy was wearing that bracelet today. That made it clear to everyone at the party already that she is part of his family. He must have made her wear it tonight for that exact reason—to stop people from messing with her."
“But Ryan is blind and dumb,” Larry scoffed, gulping the rest of his beer. “And now he’s about to learn what happens when Christian Evans gets angry.”
"It won’t be pretty." Sawyer chuckled, then his gaze sharpened. “Let’s go. Watch the show?”
Larry’s eyes lit up. He slammed the bottle on the table and shot out of his seat. "Why the hell didn’t I think of that? Let’s go, man. Get up!"
Excited, the two men rushed out of the house and headed to Ryan’s estate.
Half an hour later, they strode into the Walker estate. Silence loomed over the entire manor.
The only sound that filled the air was the panicked shouts of the servants.
Following the noise, Sawyer and Larry made their way through the house, toward the back, near the swimming pool.
And there, the reason for the commotion was clear.
More than twenty men, all dressed in black, Christian’s men, were restraining everyone in the Walker household. Ryan’s parents, the servants—every single person in the estate was held back, forced to watch from a distance.
At the edge of the pool, Christian kneeled on one knee. His hand was wrapped around Ryan’s head—holding him underwater.
Ryan’s arms flailed wildly, splashing frantically, his muffled screams lost in the water.
“Let go of him! Are you trying to kill my son?!” Ryan’s mother shrieked, tears streaming down her face. “He just pushed a woman into the pool! She’s not even dead! What’s so wrong with that? We’ll pay you money in exchange! Just let go of him!”
Larry scoffed, whispering to Sawyer, "She spoiled him with her blind love and money. Both of them never raised him to be anything more than an arrogant rich brat. And now? She’s just making things worse by running her mouth in front of Christian." Larry shook his head, amused. "She’s gonna get her son killed tonight."
Christian didn’t react. His dark gaze remained locked on Ryan.
As Ryan’s struggling weakened, Christian gripped his hair in a tight fist and yanked his head out of the water.
Ryan gasped, sucking in a sharp breath, coughing violently. His face was red, his eyes bloodshot. "Sor—I'm—" he sputtered.
Christian shoved his head back under.
Ryan’s father roared, “Let go of him! If anything happens to my son, we’ll make you pay!”
Christian’s lips twisted in fury, his eyes dark and merciless. His grip tightened, keeping Ryan’s head submerged as his frantic splashes slowed. Ryan’s arms flapped desperately, but soon, they began to slow... then stop.
Ryan’s mother shrieked in terror, her sobs piercing through the night.
At that moment, an old man burst into the backyard, panting heavily, a walking stick in his grip. His eyes widened in horror. “Evans! Let go of him! What the hell do you think you’re doing, barging into the Walker estate?!”
Christian didn’t even flinch. His gaze remained cold, unbothered by Marty Walker, Ryan’s grandfather’s furious rant.
Marty grew more agitated, his face twisting with panic as he rushed toward Christian. But before he could reach him, Christian’s men grabbed hold of him, restraining him.
"Christian, our families have worked together in this industry for generations! Do you really want to ruin this relationship by killing one of our own?!" Marty shouted, struggling against the grip of Christian’s men. "Let go of Ryan! How can you even think of killing him? Has your father not taught you what our relationship means? If anything happens to Ryan tonight, I swear I’ll ruin your family!"
"Mr. Walker." Before Christian could respond, Larry spoke up, his tone firm yet cautious, knowing that Marty’s words were only fueling Christian’s anger. "It was Ryan who pushed Christian’s wife into the pool tonight. She can’t swim. She almost lost her life because of him. How do you plan on explaining this to Christian’s father when he finds out that your grandson nearly murdered his daughter-in-law?"
Marty visibly shuddered. Christian’s wrath was terrifying—but his father’s? That was on another level. If he found out that Ryan had tried to kill his son’s wife, he wouldn’t care about any ties or relationships. The Evans family had never put business above blood. Their loyalty ran deep, but so did their fury. If someone hurt their own, there would be no mercy. And it wouldn’t just be Ryan who paid the price—the entire Walker family would be wiped out.
If Ryan had succeeded in killing Christian’s wife tonight, the Walker’s wouldn’t have seen the sun rise the next morning. Their name would have been wiped from existence without a trace.
Christian yanked Ryan’s head out of the water. He was now unconscious. Christian delivered a harsh slap across his face. Ryan coughed loudly, gasping as he regained consciousness. But just as Ryan gasped for air, Christian smirked and shoved his head back into the water.
"No! Wait!" Marty panicked, stepping forward immediately. He raised his hands in surrender, his previous arrogance completely gone. "Let him go!" His tone softened, pleading now. "I’ll send him out of the country tonight. He’ll never step foot in Manhattan again, I swear. I promise. Just let him live."
Christian’s gaze remained cold and blank.
Marty hesitated, then hurriedly held up the cane in his hand, offering it to Christian. "Here. Punish him with this. Beat him until your anger disappears. Just let him live, Christian—for the sake of our families. I’ll owe you a favor, and I’ll repay it.”
Christian’s eyes flickered to the thick cane. Then, he finally released Ryan, shoving his head back with force. Ryan collapsed into the water, gasping for air, his body trembling violently. A servant immediately rushed over, dragging Ryan out of the pool and laying him on the ground. He heaved, coughing uncontrollably, his eyes red and swollen from lack of oxygen.
Christian rose to his feet, his expression void of emotion, and marched over to Marty. He snatched the cane from the old man’s hands. Then, without hesitation, he turned back and he swung it, striking Ryan’s chest.
Ryan cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground. But Christian didn’t stop. The next strike came just as fast, landing on his side. Then another. And another. Each hit was brutal, sending waves of pain through Ryan’s already weakened body. His screams of agony echoed in the night as the cane landed over and over again.
Only after twenty blows did Christian finally toss the cane onto the ground, turning to Marty with an icy stare.
Ryan’s mother stood frozen, horror plastered across her face as she stared at her son in panic. Marty was equally ashen, his worry evident.
Christian didn’t spare them a glance. He stormed past Marty, his voice eerily calm as he declared, "Get him out of here by tomorrow if you want to keep him alive. If not, I’ll take care of him myself."
Then, he walked out, his men releasing their captives before leaving the Walker estate in eerie silence.