Chapter 4

Kyle grabbed Matthew by the collar and slapped him again. "This slap is to teach you what gratitude means!" In the past, whenever Matthew got himself into trouble and was too scared to tell Belle or Margaret, he would always beg Kyle to clean up his mess. Before Matthew could recover, Kyle slapped him again. "This slap is to teach you not to be so arrogant. In front of others, you're still just a kid." After three consecutive slaps, Matthew was dazed. His face was swollen like a balloon, with patches of redness and bruising making him look even worse. A few broken teeth fell out of his mouth, leaving him in an utterly miserable state. Just then, hurried footsteps approached. "Stop! Kyle Archer, do you know what you're doing?" The voice belonged to Chloe, Belle's closest friend and assistant. Kyle tilted his head slightly, glancing at her with cold amusement. "You're a bit late; you missed the good part." "Good part? Do you have any idea who you just hit? Matthew is Ms. Cotton's most beloved brother! You heartless, ungrateful man! How dare you betray Ms. Cotton's kindness?" The words "heartless" and "ungrateful" instantly turned Kyle's gaze icy. "Heartless? Ungrateful? Coming from you now—now that's ironic." "Ms. Cotton was worried about you earlier. She was afraid Matthew might act recklessly, so she sent me here to intervene. And this is how you repay her kindness?" In truth, Chloe had arrived earlier but stayed hidden, hoping Matthew would teach Kyle a lesson. She thought it might help Kyle realize the gap between himself and the Cotton family. But she hadn't expected things to escalate like this. "Oh? So, you're all just overflowing with good intentions, huh?" Kyle released Matthew, who collapsed to the floor like a heap of trash. Chloe rushed over, cradling Matthew in her arms. "Matthew! Are you okay? Say something! Don't scare me!" Seeing that Matthew couldn't even speak, Chloe shouted at the yellow-haired boy nearby, "Call an ambulance! Now!" The boy, shaken to his core, fumbled for his phone and nervously dialed. "Kyle Archer, you've gone mad! Do you realize what you've done? You've beaten Matthew like this—Ms. Cotton will never show you an ounce of sympathy again. Think about how you're going to explain this to her! "Ms. Cotton gave you compensation out of respect for your past relationship. You pretended to be magnanimous by refusing it, and now you turn around and do this to her brother?" Kyle chuckled at her words, tilting his head as if mocking her. "Do I look like an idiot to you? Your whole purpose for being here was to watch me embarrass myself and then go back to tell Belle how I've realized the so-called 'gap' between us, wasn't it?" Kyle was well aware of these tactics. Kyle's voice grew colder. "I just got out of prison, and you people couldn't wait to threaten me into a divorce. I said I didn't want anything—just what's mine. That's it. And you still had to intervene?" Chloe felt a shiver run down her spine as she looked into Kyle's eyes. Was this the same Kyle Archer she once knew? Kyle walked over, grabbed Matthew by the hair, and spoke in a chilling tone. "Today, it's not about you refusing to let me go—it's about me refusing to let you go." Chloe was stunned. In her memory, Kyle had always been mild-mannered, a man who avoided conflict. But now, after six years in prison, he had become ruthless and domineering. It wasn't enough for him to beat someone—he had to humiliate Matthew further. "Kyle Archer, you're insane! You've completely lost it!" Chloe shouted in desperation, her anger flaring as she saw the severity of Matthew's injuries. Kyle remained indifferent. "I divorced Belle, but I'm not naive enough to believe you had no part in it. Don't even try to convince me otherwise. "I don't hit women, but that doesn't mean I won't if I have to. If you don't want to test me, stay out of my way. Don't push me." Hearing this, Chloe's face darkened with visible anger. Not only had Kyle beaten Matthew to a pulp, but now he was threatening her. "Fine, Kyle. You want to hit me? Go ahead! Do it! Let's see if you even qualify as a man!" Chloe spat through gritted teeth. "You divorced Belle. Now, you take all your anger out on her brother. Does that make you feel good? Have you thought about the consequences? The Cotton family can end you whenever they want!" "Oh? The mighty Cotton family, huh? Do they rely on Belle's wealth and power, or her cold-heartedness and lack of loyalty?" Kyle sighed mockingly. "This ungrateful, self-serving family wants to challenge me? Fine. But if you insist on provoking me, be ready to face the consequences. "Matthew can leave now. But Belle must come here and apologize to me in person. If she doesn't, he won't be leaving this place—not even for his funeral." In Kerdonia, the name of the Cotton family was enough to intimidate most ordinary people. But thinking they could scare Kyle just by throwing around the Cotton name? What a joke. Even if Kyle were an ordinary person, did that mean he deserved to be bullied by the Cotton family? In Chloe's eyes, however, Kyle was the one doing the bullying now. To her, Kyle should have simply accepted everything arranged for him—it was his fate. Even if he was humiliated, he should have borne it quietly. But Kyle was fighting back. And not just fighting back—he was doing so with shocking ruthlessness. To Chloe, it was nothing short of rebellion. Chloe sneered. "Finally showing your true colors, huh, Kyle? You've lost everything, so now you're resorting to this just to get Belle's attention, aren't you? "You want to prove you're not a pushover, that you can fight and act all tough? Pathetic. You're just a clown. As a man, you're utterly shameless. "Let me tell you this—when Belle arrives and sees all this, she'll only be more disgusted with you. Her attitude toward you won't improve in the slightest. You weren't good enough for Belle before, and now you're even less worthy!" Clearly, they were the ungrateful ones, yet they spoke as if they held the moral high ground. Chloe called Kyle shameless, but who were the truly shameless ones here? Kyle shook his head bitterly. "You talk too much. It's pointless. Fine, if you all think I'm not worthy, then I'm not worthy. Let's just say I did all of this on purpose. Go ahead and call Belle. "If she wants to save Matthew, tell her to come here herself." Kyle's tone was resolute, leaving Chloe visibly furious. "Kyle, you're utterly ungrateful! My words may be harsh, but I'm trying to save you! Do you even know who you've just humiliated? He's not just Belle's brother—Matthew Cotton is a major figure in Kerdonia's underworld. The people backing him can control the entire underground scene here. "Mr. Clements, with just a wave of his hand, can summon hundreds of men willing to die for him. Killing you and tossing your body into the river wouldn't even cause a ripple. If you still don't believe me, let me tell you this—Mr. Clements answers directly to the most powerful figure in Kerdonia's underground world—Elisa Rivas, the Empress herself!" There was no need to even mention the Empress Elisa Rivas's name. In Kerdonia, simply bringing up Mike was enough to act with impunity. But Chloe wanted Kyle to understand that Matthew was no longer the person he used to be. She also wanted to make it clear that crossing Matthew meant Kyle would have no place in Kerdonia. However, in her eagerness to elevate Matthew, Chloe failed to notice Kyle's subtle reaction—a slight raise of his brow when she mentioned Elisa Rivas, as if he found it surprising. If Chloe knew that before they had arrived, the so-called "unreachable" Empress Elisa Rivas had personally called Kyle, humbly begging for his help, how shocked would she be? And if she realized that even Rupert Marshall, someone Elisa dared not offend, owed Kyle a massive debt—one involving a life—how would she react? "After all that, do I look scared to you? Call Belle Cotton now. If she comes, Matthew can leave." Kyle shook his head, lit a cigarette, and pointed at Chloe. "Other than making the call, if you keep running your mouth, I'll slap you twice. Don't believe me? Try me." Chloe had been talking for a while, but seeing that her words hadn't moved Kyle in the slightest, she grew visibly frustrated. She didn't want to make the call—not because of Kyle's threats, but because she felt partially responsible for Matthew's current state. "Kyle Archer, you're so ungrateful!" Chloe snapped, her voice tinged with anger and exasperation.