Kakamora fought alone against six of David's men.
The white shirt beneath his jacket was completely soaked with blood. Dark red stains were splattered across the dusty floor in every direction.
Even though his entire body was covered in blood, Kakamora only became more savage the more he bled. Like a wounded beast driven mad, he grew increasingly ruthless and terrifying with every passing second.
One after another, the men surrounding him collapsed to the ground until only three remained standing. The other three were already sprawled motionless across the floor.
The remaining men desperately tried to restrain the monster-like Kakamora. Two of them tightly held him from both sides while the last one continuously rushed in from the front, attacking without pause. The four men became tangled together in a brutal struggle while David sat nearby, calmly watching the fight unfold.
Kakamora violently fought back, grabbing broken furniture scattered around the building and smashing them toward his attackers. Bloodstains and chaotic footprints spread across the filthy floor.
Aside from the crashing sounds of ocean waves outside, the entire dockside building echoed with furious growls, heavy breathing, and the sounds of violent impacts.
As the remaining two men struggled to hold Kakamora down—
David finally stepped into the fight. Without hesitation, he drove a powerful punch straight into Kakamora's stomach.
Bang!
"Ugh—!"
Already exhausted from the prolonged battle, Kakamora's face twisted in pain as he was sent crashing onto the floor. Dust exploded into the air from the impact.
Kakamora clutched his abdomen with one hand while using the other to push himself back up. However, his body had already suffered too much damage, and he collapsed once again.
Blood slowly dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Even as he tried to force himself upright, his knees trembled violently beneath him. One hand remained tightly pressed against his stomach.
David looked down at him with complete disdain. Then he crouched beside him as if treating him like something beneath his feet and mockingly asked,
"Well, Kakamora… giving up already? That was disappointingly fast. I thought I'd get to play a little longer."
He burst into laughter before standing back up and casually walking to the side. Picking up a wooden stick nearby, David suddenly swung it down toward Kakamora.
Crack!
Kakamora collapsed face-first onto the floor.
David immediately stepped closer and began kicking him repeatedly without mercy. Kakamora curled up while enduring the blows, unable to stand back up.
Then David grabbed a metal pipe nearby and prepared to strike him again—
But suddenly—
The phone inside his pocket began ringing insistently. At first, he intended to ignore it, but the caller kept ringing nonstop.
Clicking his tongue in annoyance, David pulled out the phone and glanced at the screen. The moment he saw the caller ID, his expression immediately changed. He answered the call at once.
"Yes, Big Brother."
A calm yet authoritative voice came from the other side.
"David… Kakamora's still alive, right?"
David glanced sideways at the bloodied Kakamora lying on the floor before replying casually,
"Yeah, Boss. Should I dump him into the ocean and feed the fish?"
"Let him go."
"…What?"
"Release him. Let him leave."
David's brows instantly furrowed.
"Boss…?"
"An old friend from EagleWings is here with me right now. He's asking for his subordinate back."
The man on the phone chuckled faintly before continuing,
"And since he asked so politely like a gentleman, we should show some generosity too. We're not narrow-minded people, are we?"
"But Big Brother—"
David protested unwillingly. However, the voice on the other side turned colder and firmer.
"David. Let him go."
"…Understood, Boss."
Though unwilling, David had no choice but to release the prey already caught in his hands. He signaled his men to back off before turning and walking outside the building.
He climbed into the black car waiting outside while one of his subordinates started the engine and drove away from the abandoned docks. The remaining men loaded the injured members into another vehicle and followed behind.
Sitting in the passenger seat, David rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. He took a deep drag before slowly exhaling smoke into the night air. Then he pulled out his phone and called someone.
"Hey… how's the situation over there? I just finished up and I'm already on the road. Thought I'd stop by while I'm out."
A tired voice answered from the other side.
"Three broken ribs. His left arm's in pretty bad shape too. The doctors are still checking him right now."
David smirked faintly.
"Well… lucky and unlucky at the same time, I guess."
He flicked ash out the window.
"At least he's still alive."
....
Using his blood-smeared hand to support himself against the dusty floor, Ethan clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Tch…"
The sound echoed through the silent surroundings.
Ignoring the pain raging through his body, he forced himself up with difficulty. He wiped the blood from the corner of his lips using the sleeve of his shirt before pushing himself fully to his feet with a hand braced against his knee.
Then he staggered toward the rear section of the abandoned building to search for his mother. Inside a dark corner of one of the rooms, Isabella was tied tightly to a chair with ropes, her mouth sealed shut with tape.
The moment she saw her son, she did not smile. Instead, she stared at him intensely. Kakamora or Ethan quickly untied the ropes restraining her.
At that moment, two of his subordinates arrived from behind. They approached respectfully and bowed their heads.
"Boss… we're here."
One of them spoke apologetically.
"We're sorry we couldn't get here in time. We rushed over as soon as we heard the news, but we were too late."
Ethan dropped heavily onto an empty chair nearby and lazily waved a hand. Tilting his head back slightly, he asked,
"So… what did the old man say?"
The two men exchanged awkward glances before one of them scratched his head and answered carefully,
"He didn't say much, Boss… but to get you released…"
He hesitated for a moment.
"…they handed over control of the PingCasino to them. And also—"
"What?!"
Ethan suddenly exploded in anger and shot to his feet.
"They gave them the PingCasino?! What the hell were they thinking?! Did they think I couldn't get out myself?!"
His furious voice echoed throughout the building.
"Do they even know how much effort I put into taking control of that casino?!"
Standing nearby with folded arms, Isabella stared at him with disbelief filling her eyes.
"Ethan… what is all this?"
Her voice grew sharper.
"What exactly are you doing? Explain this to me properly."
Ethan ran a hand roughly through his messy hair before replying irritably,
"Ah… Mom, just pretend you didn't see anything. This isn't something you should get involved in."
Then his expression softened slightly.
"I'll take you home first. You should rest. Did they hurt you anywhere? Did they torture you?"
"Ethan."
Isabella interrupted him coldly.
"Or should I call you by that ridiculous monster name instead?"
Her eyes narrowed.
"Kakamora… was it?"
Ethan's expression darkened slightly.
"Have you gone insane? Even if you spent your entire life trying to surpass Julian, the Thorne family's wealth would still be enough for you to live comfortably forever!"
Her voice trembled with frustration.
"Do you even understand what kind of life you're dragging yourself into?!"
Ethan let out an impatient sigh before forcefully guiding his mother toward the car outside. Isabella resisted the entire way.
When they reached beside car, she angrily shook off his hand, yanked open the car door, and climbed inside. Ethan entered the driver's seat afterward and ordered his men to return to the organization before starting the engine and driving away.
Throughout the drive, Isabella kept glancing at her son while nervously biting her nails deep in thought. Her son being connected to gangs like this was already horrifying enough. But if her current husband, Mr. Thorne, Julian's father, ever found out…
The consequences would be disastrous. Not only was Ethan involved with a dangerous organization, he was apparently one of its right-hand men.
A respected upper-class figure like Mr. Thorne would never tolerate such a stain on the family name. If the truth came out, everything she currently possessed could disappear overnight.
Trying to calm herself, Isabella pulled out her phone and called her personal driver. Afterward, she turned toward Ethan and spoke firmly.
"Drop me off at the Glory Restaurant. I'll go home from there with my own car."
Her eyes moved toward the blood stains still visible on him.
"If your father sees you looking like this, the whole house will explode."
Then she added quietly,
"You should go to a hospital too."
Ethan only gave a crooked smile and nodded. Through the rearview mirror, he looked directly at his mother and spoke in a mocking tone.
"Mom… you really haven't changed at all, have you?"
He smirked faintly.
"You still care more about wealth and status than anything else."
His gaze turned colder.
"So, what if that man abandons you one day?"
He tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"You still have my real father. That poor drunk bastard."
His laugh was bitter.
"Are status and luxury really that powerful?"
"Don't you dare mention that useless man!"
Isabella suddenly slammed her hand against the car door and shouted angrily.
"When we lived with him, could you even eat properly?! Did you ever get to live like everyone else?!"
Her breathing grew uneven.
"Mr. Thorne didn't just feed you, he gave you a proper life!"
Then she pointed at him sharply.
"If you stopped doing these disgusting things and focused on your studies instead… if you surpassed Julian…"
Her voice lowered.
"Mr. Thorne might've valued you even more than him."
"Heh… really?"
Ethan let out a low laugh. Still exchanging sharp words, the two finally arrived in front of Glory Restaurant.
The luxurious restaurant stood brightly illuminated while soft music drifted faintly from inside. Ethan stopped the car near the entrance. The moment the car halted, Isabella angrily stepped out and slammed the door shut.
Then she turned back around and knocked hard against the window.
"Ethan."
Her expression was unusually serious.
"I don't want to say this again."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Stay away from those organizations."
A brief silence followed.
"And leave the life of 'Kakamora' behind."
Her voice softened slightly.
"Don't destroy your own future."
With that, Isabella turned around and walked into the restaurant without looking back. Ethan silently stared at his mother's retreating figure for a long moment before letting out a deep sigh.
Then he stepped on the accelerator, and the car sped off into the night.