Chapter 8 Smoothcorp CEO

"If you want to get yourself killed, I'd be more than happy to oblige," hissed Ronald, his voice dripping with cold fury, his eyes filled with bloodlust. A string of crimson appeared on Alicia's neck.

The cold of the steel and the sting of the pain drained the color from her face. She lowered her voice without thinking, "I'm the Summers' youngest daughter and Team Luna's leader. How dare you threaten me!"

"You flatter yourself, you bigheaded bimbo." Ronald chuckled, a hint of mockery lining his face. "You think the underworld keeps letting you do whatever you want because you're actually a bigshot?"

He looked at Elijah sycophantically. "If it weren't for someone helping from the shadows, you'd be long dead. They're big, you know."

Alicia was stunned. "Someone helped? And what do you mean they're big? What kind of nonsense are you spouting?" All these years, the bigshots and factions who crossed her would be destroyed not too long after their confrontation. Either that, or they would submit to her.

She took it for granted because she was the youngest daughter of the Summers. She thought she managed her team well and grew strong enough to intimidate everyone. Like her sister, she thought she was the main character and that everything must revolve around her.

She didn't believe Ronald at all. Then, loud footsteps stampeded outside, and the courtyard was soon filled with people.

"Get in here. I've got all my men here. Time to die, Ronald!" Alicia shouted, and Team Luna's men came rushing in.

The burly deputy grabbed Ronald's wrist and saved his leader. "No one touches our leader. You're dead!"

Alicia was finally confident, and she looked at Ronald coldly. Growling, she ordered, "On your knees! You're just a second-rate gang's leader. How dare you attack me! How dare you! Bow to me a hundred times and I will spare you!"

She wasn't scared of Ronald anymore, and with an icy look, she turned to Elijah, her finger pointing at him. "Go," she said darkly. "Cut his hands off."

Without thinking, Ronald stood before Elijah and put on a brave look like a knight protecting his master. "Nobody move! Touch Mr. Elijah, and we're going to take you down like the mangy dogs you are!"

He looked at Alicia with a bizarre gaze of gratitude. 'Thanks. I don't get a lot of chances to prove my loyalty to a guy like him. If he can make a dumb piece of shit like you quasi-queen of the underworld, imagine how far my gang could go if we got his support?'

"You're mad, Ronald. Instead of apologizing to me, you're standing up for that piece of trash? Does death mean nothing to you?" Alicia clenched her fists. Her eyes were blazing with fury.

Ronald was going to keep up the act for a while longer, but his men were right outside, and they came barging in like stampeding soldiers the moment they heard the commotion, and they were all armed.

He heaved a silent sigh and snickered at Alicia. "You thought I was scared of your family? Of your stupid little gang? Why don't you try us, then? I'd love to see if Team Luna's actually as tough as they say."

Bloodstride Gang's members growled like lions. Their machetes glinted with cold cruelty, and their lust for murder was weighing heavily on the air around them. It was almost viscous, like blood itself.

Alicia's aura weakened. She was hesitating, and there was confusion in her eyes. Everything felt so different all of a sudden. 'This man used to kneel right outside my house for three whole days. Why isn't he scared of me all of a sudden? And why is he standing up for Mitchell?'

She wondered, 'And I have someone backing me up? I never knew that.'

The deputy leader was about to shake with fear. He quickly whispered to Alicia, "We tried to get as many men as we could, Ms. Alicia, but it was too short a notice, and we're outnumbered. If we get into a fight here, we might lose."

Alicia did not look happy at all. "This doesn't end here, Ronald. I won't forget this." She swooped away like an angry bird who let her prey get away.

Liam was in the corner, scared but still protecting his family. He quickly went and nervously gave Ronald back his card. "Mr. Hangleton, please take this back. It's great enough that you waived my debt."

This man was the leader of Bloodstride. If Liam took his money, he might not live to see the next sunrise.

"No, you have to take this. My men broke a lot of rules. If you refuse this card, my gang's reputation is going to be in shambles. No one's going to take any loans from us." Ronald stole a glance at Elijah. He was on the couch. No one knew it, but Ronald was more nervous than Liam.

He tossed the card onto the coffee table and ran off quickly. Everyone couldn't believe this. 'Really? I don't remember us being this civilized. Reputation? More like infamy.'

Elijah mulled things over and said calmly, "Mind giving me your number, Mr. Hangleton?" Ronald was no saint, but he was a shrewd man. Elijah might need his services for the more unsavory parts of his job.

Ronald paused in his footsteps and came running back like he'd hit the jackpot. He whipped out his business card and presented it with both hands. "Please, call me Ron. Here's my card. Please, take it."

After giving the card away, Ronald left the house once more. Liam and his family looked at Elijah like they didn't know him. "Did he really do all that just to keep his gang's reputation up, Mr. Elijah?"

Elijah smiled. "All's well that ends well. The reason doesn't matter." He didn't want to reveal himself as the Divine Eminence just yet, since he had something important to do.

Liam and his family knew the story must be more complicated, but if Elijah wasn't talking about it, they didn't press him for answers. Soon enough, they cleaned the house and went back to the kitchen.

At the same time, Alicia drove off in her red Ferrari, though the cars in front of the villa were making it hard to navigate the streets. Her face was contorted with rage. If she had her way, she'd have her men charge through the blockade and smash all the Bloodstride Gang's cars flat.

The Bloodstrides were murderous back there, and Alicia could do nothing but cower in their presence. She growled at her steering wheel, "This isn't over yet. I'm getting my revenge, or my name is not Alicia Summer!"

The streets only got easier to navigate after Team Luna's cars were gone. While Alicia was about to step on the gas and leave this place, an expensive Rolls-Royce Cullinan flew by her car and headed toward the Hudsons'.

The car came to a skidding halt and was still shaking, but a middle-aged man, suited and stern, hopped out of the car and ran up to the villa. He rang the doorbell.

Surprised, Alicia muttered, "That looks like the CEO of Smoothcorp. Someone like him shouldn't be here at this hour."