Chapter 20 Two Marriages
The business party was already winding down, the music softer, the crowd thinning.
Sawyer swirled the last of his drink and glanced at Sebastian, a grin tugging at his lips. “I heard Alexander went to Gabriel’s house to deal with him.”
Sebastian snorted, amusement flashing in his eyes. “Deal with him?” He let out a short laugh. “He broke down the front door with ten men. The entire neighborhood must’ve heard it.”
Sawyer’s grin widened.
“Gabriel was stupid enough to anger Alexander,” Sebastian continued lazily. “And not just that—he hurt Mia. Alexander is already half-mad over her. And that moron dared to injure her?”
Sebastian smirked, cruel and satisfied. “That idiot didn’t just dig his own grave. He jumped straight into it.”
Sawyer chuckled. “Damn. That’s a show I don’t want to miss.”
Sebastian clinked his glass against Sawyer’s. “Me neither.”
A pause.
The two exchanged a knowing look.
The next moment, they slammed their glasses onto the table and strode out of the place together—leaving the party behind for something far more entertaining.
***
Sebastian’s car screeched to a stop outside Gabriel’s house.
Several black cars were already parked haphazardly along the street.
Sawyer whistled softly. “Holy shit… he’s furious.”
Sebastian glanced around, a slow smirk spreading across his face. “He’s really pissed.”
They stepped out and headed inside. The front door had been completely shattered—wood splintered, hinges torn clean off. The house echoed with loud crashes… and muffled screams.
The moment they entered the living room, they saw the source of the noises.
Gabriel was being dragged up the massive staircase by two men. His body was limp, his face swollen and bloodied, eyes barely able to open. Judging by the bruises and cuts covering him, this wasn’t the first time.
And then—
They pushed him.
Gabriel’s body tumbled down the stairs again, hitting each step with a sickening thud.
Across the stairs, Alexander sat calmly on a single couch.
A cigarette rested between his fingers as he leaned back, one leg crossed over the other—an embodiment of cold, merciless authority. His eyes never left the scene as he took a slow drag, smoke curling lazily around his face.
Without a word, he watched his men drag Gabriel up again.
And push.
Again.
The maids of Gabriel’s house were restrained by Alexander’s men, terror etched across their faces. The butler stood shaking, tears streaming as he dropped to his knees.
“Mr. Graves, please!” he begged, voice breaking. “Please forgive Mr. Kennedy. He made a mistake. He didn’t know better. He’s the only son of our family—please, they’ll be devastated if something happens to him!”
Alexander didn’t even look at him.
Another crash echoed as Gabriel’s body hit the stairs again.
Suddenly, loud heels thundered through the house. Sawyer and Sebastian turned just in time to see a woman storm inside, her heavy makeup unable to hide the fury twisting her face.
Sebastian leaned closer to Sawyer and murmured, “Looks like the bastard’s mother.”
Sawyer snickered. “Judging from that face shape? Definitely.”
The woman marched straight toward Alexander, pointing a trembling finger at him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Graves? You think just because your family is powerful you can hurt my son? I’ve already called the police. Just wait—let’s see what they’ll do to you!”
Alexander didn’t spare her a glance.
She froze when another sickening thud echoed from the stairs. Her head snapped around just in time to see Gabriel being shoved down again.
“No—oh my God!” she screamed, rushing toward the stairs.
Before she could reach him, one of Alexander’s men caught her instantly, dragging her back as she struggled helplessly.
“Gabriel!” she sobbed.
Alexander finally flicked the ash from his cigarette.
His voice was calm. Deadly.
“Keep going.”
She thrashed and sobbed as Gabriel was hauled up the stairs once more—only to be pushed down again.
At that moment, Sebastian stepped forward, his voice ringing loud and clear through the house.
“Mrs. Kennedy,” he said coldly, “your son shoved my brother’s wife down the stairs without a second thought for whether she would live or die. Do you truly believe our family is so weak that we would let that go?”
Mrs. Kennedy’s face drained of color.
Only now did she realize what kind of men stood before her.
These were men who didn’t fear the law. Men before whom even the police would hesitate.
And her foolish son had nearly killed someone who belonged to them.
Did he really think he would get away with it?
The answer came brutally.
Gabriel was thrown down the stairs again.
His scream tore through the house, echoing so loudly it felt as if the walls themselves were shaking.
Mrs. Kennedy staggered back, her legs giving way as she burst into tears.
“Please, Mr. Graves!” she cried. “I swear I won’t let Gabriel come anywhere near your wife again! He’s still young! He doesn’t understand. He’s foolish—”
“My wife is also very young,” Alexander’s voice cut through her words like ice, echoing through the house. “Yet she doesn’t go around trying to kill people.”
Alexander’s gaze turned murderous.
“You raised a rabid dog,” he continued. “And rabid dogs are put down before they bite again.”
Mrs. Kennedy let out a broken sob and tore herself free from the men holding her. She fell to her knees in front of Alexander, her forehead hitting the floor.
“I’m begging you!” she cried. “Please forgive my son! I’ll teach him a lesson—I swear! He will never appear before your wife again. He won’t even look in her direction! If he ever does, you can take everything—our property, our wealth—everything! Please, Mr. Graves… please let him live.”
Alexander looked down at her with chilling indifference.
Then, he lifted two fingers.
At the top of the stairs, the men holding Gabriel obeyed instantly.
They released him.
Gabriel tumbled down the stairs once more, his body crashing violently against the steps, the sound echoing through the house.
This time, no one dragged him back up.
Mrs. Kennedy screamed and crawled toward Gabriel, clutching him as she sobbed hysterically.
Alexander rose to his feet.
He turned away and strode out of the house without a backward glance, Sebastian and Sawyer following closely behind.
***
Alexander stepped out of the shower.
Even after washing, the red scratches on his hands were still visible—marks left from pounding Gabriel’s face without mercy.
Fresh from the shower, he slipped into bed behind Mia, his arm settling around her bare waist. She stirred in her sleep, turning instinctively toward him.
Her fingers brushed over his hand—and froze.
She frowned, eyes opening as she felt the roughness of his skin. She looked down immediately.
His knuckles were red. Bruised. Scratched.
Her breath hitched as she looked up at his face. “What happened to your hands?” she asked, worry flooding her eyes.
Alexander gently pulled his hand from her grasp. “It’s nothing,” he said casually.
But a moment later, he thought about it for a brief second, and then lifted his other hand too. “It really hurts.”
It was injured too.
Her concern instantly deepened. She tried to sit up. “I’ll get the emergency box. You need to clean this—”
Alexander caught her wrist and pulled her back beneath him in one smooth motion, pinning her gently against the bed.
“Just kiss me,” he murmured, his voice low. “I promise the pain will disappear.”
“Mr. Graves, stop it,” she protested softly, trying to push at his chest.
He didn’t let her go.
“How did you get hurt?” she insisted again.
Instead of answering, he buried his face into her neck, his lips moving slowly against her skin. His hands trapped hers above her head.
“Don’t bother me with questions,” he muttered.
Her breath faltered. She closed her eyes, her fingers curling weakly.
***
The bar was thick with tension. James hadn’t slept a wink in hours, and he hadn’t even left the bar since last night. His body was still trembling from the alcohol coursing through his veins.
Gabriel and Neil stumbled in, Gabriel leaning heavily on Neil’s shoulder, bruised and battered, black-and-blue marks crawling across his face and arms. Neil guided him to the couch, helping him slump down beside James, who barely spared him a glance.
Even seeing Gabriel in that state, James remained silent, his grey eyes distant, cold.
Across from them, Kylie lounged leisurely on a single-seater, swirling her glass of whiskey. Her gaze was sharp, predatory, fixed on James. She had hovered around him for months, searching for an opening to get close to him. But the man, even drunk to the edge of oblivion, wouldn’t allow her near.
She had even orchestrated attacks, and tried to kill Mia to get his attention back.
The police had been so close to noticing her involvement.
But without solid proof linking her to the accident, she was walking a very thin line.
She just needed to marry James anyhow. And then with James’s influence, dismissing any case against her would be a piece of cake.
But the damn man… even when drunk to the point of oblivion, wouldn’t let her near him. The thought of her touching him seemed to disgust him to his core.
Every day, it became harder for her to contain her anger. She had even tried to kill Mia for him, and yet… he didn’t even spare her a glance, a touch, or a single ounce of attention. The more he ignored her, the more impossible it became for her to hold back her fury.
Her frustration was evident. She leaned forward, poured whiskey generously into a glass in front of James, and smiled. “You’re enjoying this drink, aren’t you?” she taunted.
James didn’t even look at her. Silently, he lifted the glass and drank.
Gabriel watched the scene unfold and felt a surge of anger. James’s indifference to everything made his blood boil. He leaned forward suddenly and grabbed James by the collar, shaking him with raw fury.