Chapter 9

Edward had just finished packing up and was heading out the door when he spotted two people sneaking around his yellow Maybach.

Who the hell stole cars in broad daylight?

He couldn't believe his eyes. His car was worth over a hundred million meldos, so it was hard to imagine anyone not coveting it.

"What the hell are you doing?" he shouted.

One of the men, with his face pressed against the window, didn't notice him approach. Edward stormed over and kicked him square in the backside.

"Ow!" The guy yelped, jumping up like a startled cat, hands clutching his rear in pain.

"Edward, are you out of your mind?" the man growled, turning around, eyes burning with anger and his face contorted in pain.

It took a moment for Edward to recognize him—William.

"William? What the hell are you doing here?"

From the other side of the car, a woman's voice called out, and Edward turned to see Hailey.

He couldn't believe it. Of all the places to run into these two. His patience was wearing thin, and his annoyance was evident.

"You two need to get the hell out of here. What are you doing around my car? Planning to steal it in broad daylight?"

He was in no mood for their antics. His tone was sharp as he waved them away like they were pests.

Hailey crossed her arms, her voice rising. "Edward, what's that supposed to mean? Steal? Tell me, isn't this car one that Winona bought for you? You're giving it back today."

Standing tall with a smug look, William added, "That's right. You're just a country bumpkin. What right do you have to drive such a car?"

When Edward heard Hailey and William were here because of the car, and then heard them say it was a gift from Winona, a sharp, mocking gleam grew in his eyes. A slow, amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"So, you two are telling me this car was a gift from Winona?" he asked.

William puffed up with pride. "Isn't it obvious? This car is worth over a hundred million meldos. Who else can afford it, if not my sister?"

William's eyes were full of disdain and disgust as he looked Edward over. "Edward, no offense, but with your attitude, you'd probably work your whole life and still never afford a car like this."

Hailey jumped in, equally smug. "Yeah, exactly. You're just a country bumpkin who could never buy something like this, no matter how hard you worked."

Then, she turned to William. "Forget talking to him, William. Let's just take the keys. Why waste time?"

William nodded in agreement, then moved to snatch the keys from Edward's hand.

Edward snorted, then raised his hand and slapped William hard across the face.

Smack!

The sound of the slap echoed through the air.

Hailey froze in shock.

William was also stunned. He pressed his hand to his burning cheek, eyes wide in disbelief.

"You—" William gasped, unable to comprehend what had just happened. "You actually hit me?"

He couldn't believe it. In all his years, he had never seen Edward act this way. As far as he could remember, Edward had always been the quiet, submissive type since he married Winona. Edward had always spoken softly to him, never raising his voice.

But now... Edward had slapped him.

Was this really happening?

Edward's voice was ice-cold. "What are you going to do about it? I hit you, so what? With what you just did, I could call the cops and have you locked up."

William's eyes were wide with shock as he stared at Edward.

He suddenly realized that the man before him was nothing like the one he remembered.

Hailey, livid that Edward dared to hit her son, raised her small handbag and swung it at him.

"Stop! Keep this up, and I'll hit you too!"

Edward caught the bag mid-swing, his eyes sharp and fierce as he shot a deadly glare at Hailey.

The look in his eyes made her step back in surprise, her legs shaking as she nearly lost her balance. She stumbled but caught herself just in time, fear flashing across her face.

"Edward, you piece of trash! How dare you touch my mom! I'll kill you!" William yelled when he saw Hailey stumble. His anger boiled over, and he grabbed a brick from the ground, prepared to hurl it at Edward's head.

Edward narrowed his eyes, and a chilling light flashed in them. Then, he swiftly raised his hand and broke the brick in half.

William's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the broken brick in his hand.

When did Edward become so strong? When did he become able to break bricks with one hand?!

Smack!

Before William could process, Edward swung his hand again, and with a loud smack, delivered another brutal slap across his face.

William flew backward, his body twisting mid-air before crashing to the ground. He rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.

When William finally managed to crawl to his feet, blood was already dripping from the corner of his mouth, and his arms were scratched and bleeding.

Hailey rushed to her son, her eyes filled with worry and pain. She gently helped William to his feet.

"William, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom," William said, waving her off with a weak gesture. But when his eyes turned back to Edward, the fear in them was unmistakable.

This time, he was genuinely scared.

Edward was no longer the soft, meek man he once was. Back in the day, no matter how much William humiliated or bullied him, Edward would always just smile and take it. He wouldn't fight back—hell, he wouldn't even make a sound.

But now that Edward had just divorced Winona, he wasn't just standing up to William—he actually dared to hit him!

William gingerly touched his bruised face, wincing as the pain shot through him. Half of his face was swollen and red, looking like a punchline to a joke. The slightest touch sent a jolt of pain straight through him.

Edward coldly said, "This is the last warning I'm giving you. If you try provoking me again, I won't be so nice next time."

In Edward's mind, he was being more than generous. A slap was nothing compared to what he would do to anyone else who dared challenge him like that. If it were anyone else, he would ensure they wouldn't get out of bed for two weeks!

Bang!

With that, Edward climbed into the driver's seat, the roar of the engine loud in the air. The yellow sports car sped off, leaving William and Hailey standing in the dust, the sound of the engine fading into the distance.

"Ugh... ahh!"

As soon as Edward left, William started wailing with a pained expression. He had been holding it in while Edward was there, but now that he was gone, the agony was impossible to ignore.

"William, are you alright? I'll take you to the hospital," Hailey said.

"Mom, call Winona. She's the only one who can handle Edward," William groaned.

As soon as Winona got the call from Hailey and heard that William had been beaten up, she rushed to the hospital.

-

In the hospital room, Winona walked in with Stephanie. William's head was wrapped in bandages, looking like a bundle of gauze.

"William, what happened? Who did this to you?" Winona asked. There was a hint of distress in her eyes as she took in William's miserable state.

William replied, "Winona, you have to help me. Look at what Edward did to me! You can't let him get away with this!"

When Winona heard that it was Edward who had done this to William, a look of disbelief crossed her face.

"Are you sure? Edward was the one who did this?" she asked.

It was clear that Winona found it hard to believe.

In her memory, Edward had always been a gentle and refined man. Even if someone insulted him, Edward wouldn't get angry, let alone resort to violence.

How could he possibly beat someone up?

Naturally, Winona couldn't make sense of it. In the past, no matter how much Winona's family humiliated Edward, he never lost his temper—simply because they were Winona's family. Edward had tolerated their insults because he cared deeply for Winona.

But now, Edward and Winona were divorced. If William still thought he could walk all over Edward, he was in for a rude awakening.

Hailey, her face flushed with anger, spoke up. "Sweetheart, why don't you believe your brother? Just look at what that jerk Edward did to him! He's the one who put your brother in this condition. It breaks my heart to see him like this."

Winona shot her mother a disapproving look as she saw Hailey's tear-streaked face. "Mom, this is a hospital. Don't act like this—it'll only embarrass us if people see."

"I'm not saying I don't believe William, but I know how Edward is. We were married for three years, and he never once raised his hand to anyone. So to hear that he beat William to this extent... it's hard for me to believe."

She crossed her arms, her face skeptical. "What did you two do? Edward wouldn't just attack someone for no reason."

Hailey's patience snapped at her daughter's doubt. Her voice rose as she let out a dramatic sigh. "Why, oh why, do I have a daughter who would rather believe a country bumpkin than her own mother? What did I do in my past life to deserve this?"

Her voice carried, echoing down the hospital hallway, drawing curious looks from people nearby.

Winona's face softened with frustration as she held up her hands. "Okay, fine, I believe you. But you have to tell me—what exactly happened between you two and Edward?"

At this moment, Stephanie spoke up. "Ms. Spencer, I think Edward is just resentful about the divorce and is deliberately taking it out on your mother and brother as a form of revenge. I think you should call the cops and have him arrested—otherwise, he'll just think he can push you around."

Winona shot Stephanie a sharp, displeased glare. Stephanie immediately fell silent, standing stiffly to the side.

"Sweetheart, I've always said Edward was no good. He even tried to hit me!" Hailey initially intended to continue badmouthing Edward, but when she noticed Winona's increasingly piercing gaze, she quickly stopped herself.

"We just went to ask him to return your car, but not only did he refuse to admit it was yours—he even hit your brother!"

When Winona heard this, confusion filled her eyes.

Her car?

What car?