Chapter 4 She Was Spared

"You bastard!" A curse burst from Clayton Jenkins, the bodyguard leader, as he stepped forward, his face twisted with fury while his shaking finger jabbed toward Avery.

To him, the attacker's attitude was beyond arrogant. He had never imagined anyone daring to provoke Kellan this openly, and in his mind, a quick death would be far too merciful for the attacker.

Irritation darkened Kellan's expression. This damn man had crossed him twice in one night, and he had no intention of letting that go unanswered.

Right as he was weighing his next move, his body jolted, and surprise flickered through his eyes when an icy sensation pressed against his waist.

Lowering his gaze, he spotted a short dagger, compact yet wickedly sharp, its tip resting precisely against where his spleen lay beneath.

Avery looked at him with careless calm, but the fury burning in her eyes was unmistakable as she exclaimed, "Get out!"

A faint crease formed between Kellan's brows before his hand snapped up. His grip closed around Avery's throat with frightening ease, and his fingers bit into her skin like steel clamps.

Pain felt in her head as if her neck were about to shatter, and blood seeped past his grasp, staining her white collar a deep red.

Shock replaced her earlier mockery, and her eyes widened as the weight of the situation sank in.

She had dominated the taekwondo world for five straight years without a single loss, yet the man in front of her was nothing like the opponents she had crushed before.

Locked in that suffocating moment, Avery's focus sharpened, and she shifted tactics again and again, searching desperately for an opening.

Every attempt failed. No matter how she moved, Kellan stayed ahead of her, dismantling each effort with effortless precision.

Panic crept in as Avery continued to struggle, and the truth became impossible to ignore. No matter how hard she pushed, Kellan did not move an inch.

Drawing in a sharp breath, she gathered what strength she had left and slashed at him with everything she had.

Her effort came to nothing. Kellan read the attack before it fully formed and slipped past it with ease. Retaliation followed immediately.

The world spun as a crushing force struck her, and her body was hurled across the room like a discarded object. She slammed into the floor with a heavy crash, pain exploding through her frame as though her bones were on the verge of breaking apart.

"Mr. Wright, this is on me. I failed to keep your rest from being disturbed." Clayton rushed forward once it was clear the fight was over, his voice shaking as he spoke. He extended a steaming towel with both hands.

"Take him!" Clayton yelled, motioning sharply for his men to move in on Avery.

Kellan accepted the towel, wiped his hands with slow precision, and spoke in a flat tone. "Just leave."

Without hesitation, the bodyguards filed out of the room. After finishing, Kellan cast a brief glance toward Avery sprawled on the floor, then turned away and walked off without sparing her another look.

Silence settled heavily once the door closed.

Gritting her teeth, Avery forced herself upright and stared toward the path he had taken. Her fingers brushed the cut at the corner of her mouth, and a cold, lethal spark flickered in her eyes.

Her attention shifted to the scar on her palm, and she clenched her hand, letting the pain sink in as a reminder she refused to forget.

For the first time in her life, she had tasted defeat. She swore that this humiliation would be repaid one day.

With that vow burning in her chest, she spun around and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

Steam filled the bathroom as Avery turned on the shower, and she drew in a slow breath when warm water spilled over her shoulders, the heat biting faintly at the wounds on her neck.

Her eyelids lowered while the spray traced her face and soaked through her clothes, droplets running down her cheeks and chest.

Fabric soon clung to her body, darkened by water and outlining her slender frame beneath it.

Remaining beneath the stream, she calmly shed her clothes one piece at a time, and her fingers finally found the concealed skin patch pressed against her chest.

Once it was removed, her true form was revealed.

After rinsing off quickly, she reached for a white bathrobe and wrapped it around herself.

In front of the mirror, Avery studied her reflection in silence. The wound along her neck had nearly sealed, yet a complicated mix of thoughts flickered in her eyes.

That man was Kellan Wright, the leader of Horizon Group, the largest and most enigmatic force in Wruosas's underworld.

Stories painted him as both feared and revered across every circle, and there were even whispers claiming he had no interest in women at all.

Three years ago, after returning to the country, he had driven Wright Pharma to the top of Wruosas's business world and into the position of the third largest pharmaceutical company globally. As its youngest CEO, he avoided every interview, and not a single clear photograph of him had ever surfaced.

Her fingers brushed the dried blood at her neck, and her understanding of him shifted. What happened tonight was only the opening move.

The sharp ring of her phone cut through her thoughts.

Bare feet touched the floor as she left the bathroom and crossed to the bed, picking up her phone and noticing a new message waiting.

With practiced ease, she unlocked it, and a short command flashed on the screen. "Get close to Kellan. ASAP!"

She erased the message the instant she finished reading it.

...

High above, on the ninth floor, soft lighting filled a lavish room where Kellan lounged against a white leather sofa in gray silk sleepwear, one leg resting over the other. His eyes were calm yet unfathomable as he asked, "Did you figure out who that person is?"

Clayton answered with a silent nod.

Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed as a subordinate rushed inside and passed a tablet to Clayton, who spoke without lifting his head.

"Mr. Wright, everything has been confirmed. Avery Brown, twenty five years old, a taekwondo world champion with the highest black belt certification. Six months ago, he entered Horizon Group through the security division. In just three months, he climbed from the lowest rank to captain of the third team. Tonight, he eliminated Conor alone."

Clayton swallowed before continuing, "Per your standing order, the one who took down Conor was supposed to receive a month in the Laurel Club luxury suite. However, someone mistakenly issued him the key to the room directly beneath yours. This mistake is mine. I accept whatever punishment you decide."

He lowered his head completely, not daring to meet Kellan's gaze.

No response came at once. Kellan slowly rolled the amber liquid in his glass, then took a measured sip of Islay whiskey. Through the crystal, his eyes looked deep and unreadable, like dark water hiding violent currents below the surface.

Sleep had always come lightly to him, and even the smallest disruption was enough to ruin it.

Tonight, someone had made the foolish decision to place Avery directly beneath his quarters, shattering what little rest he allowed himself.

Standing there, Clayton could not help but think the outcome was already decided. Avery was finished.