Zeke's heart raced as the angry voice thundered through the phone, sweat beading on his forehead.He hesitated, then stuttered out, "Mr. Yach, it's not that I won't let him go. It's Mr. Mosier's orders. No bail for Yankel, no exceptions."Clarke paused, his brow furrowing. "You're saying this came from Howard?""Yes," Zeke replied.Clarke went silent for a beat, and then his voice dropped an octave. "I don't give a damn about Howard's previous orders. I'm telling you now, let him go. I'll deal with Howard."With that, he ended the call.Zeke stared at the phone in his hand, his back slick with sweat.Regaining his composure, Zeke passed the phone to Yousef, then turned to the police behind him, his face etched with difficulty. "Let him out," he said, his voice tinged with resignation.The police's faces twisted in anger, but they were trapped by their own insignificance. They were just rank-and-file officers, and the man on the other end of the line was a titan with deep pocket

Rebecca's complexion shifted from ashen to crimson, her emotions painting her face with strokes of fury until it settled into a deep, angry red. Her eyes bore into Liam with lethal intent as she hissed through clenched teeth, "You... you have the gall to mock me? You'll regret this, how you dare to mock me."Look, if you know I'm Yankel's mom, then you ought to know my husband runs the Bristow Group. He's the owner, the patriarch of the Bristow family. Our family's name carries weight around here, and you have the nerve to mock me and set up my son? You're asking for trouble!"Rebecca's fury had boiled over. Liam's icy smirk only fueled her rage. She jabbed a finger at his nose and yelled, "I don't give a damn who you are! Mock me, mess with my son, and I'll make sure you regret it! Hey, what are you waiting for? Grab this jerk! You useless cops, letting the real crook walk free and snatching my boy instead—what good are you?"Get him! Take him down! If you don't, I couldn't care le

In a flash, Yousef's hand cracked across Sunniva's face, leaving her reeling. As he glowered at her, he barked, "Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Is that how you talk to your mother?" Sunniva, still reeling from the slap, felt her cheek burn with pain and humiliation. She glared back at Yousef, her eyes brimming with bitter defiance. "Mother? Do you think she's worthy of that title?"Oh, father, you're quite the saint, aren't you? Hitting your own daughter for that woman? It's no wonder Mom spent her days in tears, dying from a heartbreak. And you? You couldn't wait to parade that woman around before Mom's body was even cold. Do you think she can fill Mom's shoes?"Listen to me, Yousef. Mom's gone. You drove her to her grave! And me? I despise you. I'll despise you for the rest of my days!"Sunniva held her reddened cheek, panting from her outburst at Yousef before whipping her head around to glare at Rebecca with icy, spiteful eyes. "Rebecca, if you value your life, st

The crowd gathered around, along with folks like Zeke, all started to talk Liam down from the ledge, trying to convince him not to make a move he would regret, especially not against the big-shot chairman of stateBristow Group."Kid, don't do anything hasty. That guy's the head honcho of the state Bristow Group. You're out of your league!" one onlooker said."Seriously, man, just drop it. If you tick him off, you're the one who's gonna end up in hot water," another chimed in."Money talks, doesn't it? His son's mixed up in an attempted rape case, and yet he's walking free on bail...""That's filthy rich for you. The almighty dollar flexing its muscles!""Listen to us, will you? Don't throw down the gauntlet..."They had all overheard that Clarke from state police headquarters had even stepped in, ordering the release of Yousef's son Yankel and demanding the capture of whoever set him up.Zeke, with a look of uncertainty, glanced at Liam and muttered, "I mean..."Despite the cro

Liam ended the call and faced Yousef, Rebecca, and the rest with a calm, detached gaze.Yousef, who had been watching Liam's call, mocked, "What's this? Calling for backup?""That's right. You got yourself some muscle, didn't you? If it's a game of who knows who, I'm game to compete," Liam said, a grin playing on his lips.Rebecca sneered, her voice dripping with scorn, "Please, what a laugh. You think you've got clout? Kid, you're as good as dead!"Yousef chuckled and said, "Fine by me. I'll sit tight and see what kind of savior you can rustle up. If you manage to bring someone today who can stop me from springing Yankel, then I, Yousef, will keep my word. I'll pack up and leave Drunham City for good and drop the whole Yankel business."However, if you lose, don't come crying when I play hardball."In the end, Yousef's eyes glinted with a chilling intent to kill, his presence erupting with a fierce energy.Liam, however, stood his ground, unfazed by Yousef's intimidating show.