Chapter 123: Is That... a Hickey?
Chapter 123: Is That... a Hickey?
The explosion of dust forced everyone inside to shield their faces.
Several thugs stumbled backward in panic, coughing as the thick cloud spread across the lobby.
For several long seconds, no one could see what was standing outside.
Then the dust slowly began to settle.
A lone figure appeared in the doorway.
Lucas.
He calmly stepped over the twisted copper door lying on the floor as though he had merely walked through an ordinary entrance.
His expression was cold.
His eyes slowly swept across every person in the room.
No anger.
No excitement.
Just a chilling calmness.
The entire lobby fell silent.
Even the men gripping steel pipes suddenly felt their palms become sweaty.
One of the thugs forced out an awkward laugh, trying to ease the suffocating atmosphere.
"W-Who... who are you looking for?"
"We’re... uh..."
"We’re not even open yet..."
No one responded to him.
Lucas took another step forward.
His footsteps echoed throughout the building.
Each step felt like it was stomping directly onto everyone’s nerves.
His fists slowly tightened.
The veins on the back of his hands became visible.
Just as he was about to continue walking, Daisy hurriedly grabbed his arm.
"Lucas..."
Her voice was filled with worry.
She knew exactly what kind of people operated this place.
These men were vicious.
If things truly got out of control, somebody could end up dead.
Looking at the destroyed entrance, Daisy’s heart was already pounding wildly.
If Lucas fought everyone here...
The consequences would be unimaginable.
Lucas glanced at her.
Seeing the concern in Daisy’s eyes, he slowly loosened his clenched fists.
Then he looked back at the crowd.
His voice was calm.
"Who’s the boss here?"
Nobody answered immediately.
The thugs exchanged nervous glances.
Finally, Daisy raised her voice.
"We’re here to see Tharok!"
Upstairs, inside the office, Tharok had already heard every word.
His brows knitted together.
"So they came looking for me..."
He motioned toward several of his men.
"Bring them upstairs."
The lackeys nodded immediately before hurrying downstairs.
The moment they left, Tharok quickly opened the drawer beneath his desk.
Inside lay a sharp military dagger.
Without hesitation, he slipped it into the back of his waistband beneath his shirt.
He had survived this long because he never underestimated anyone.
Anyone capable of kicking down a reinforced copper door wasn’t someone he could casually dismiss.
His mind raced rapidly.
Who did I offend recently?
A business rival?
Someone’s rich son?
Or...
Did one of my men provoke the wrong person?
The more he thought about it, the colder his palms became.
A minute later...
Lucas, Daisy, and Mia were escorted upstairs by several unusually polite lackeys.
The arrogance from earlier had completely disappeared.
Nobody dared block Lucas’s path anymore.
As Lucas entered the office, his eyes immediately landed on the corner of the room.
A girl sat on the floor with her wrists tied.
Her clothes were wrinkled.
Her face looked pale from exhaustion.
There were obvious tear marks beneath her eyes.
Debbie.
She had spent nearly an entire day trapped inside this room.
At first, she thought another group of criminals had arrived.
Perhaps another gang.
Perhaps more trouble.
But when she saw Lucas walk through the doorway...
Her eyes instantly turned red.
All the fear she had been suppressing burst out at once.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her face.
"Lucas..."
Her voice trembled.
"You... you really came..."
The next second, Debbie struggled to her feet and rushed toward him without caring about anything else.
She threw herself straight into Lucas’s arms.
Unable to hold back any longer, she buried her face against his chest and cried.
"I thought..."
"I thought nobody would come..."
Lucas gently patted her back.
"It’s alright."
"I’m here now."
"You don’t have to be afraid anymore."
Standing nearby, Daisy also rushed over.
The two sisters immediately hugged each other tightly.
Neither of them could stop crying.
After spending an entire day worrying about one another, seeing each other safe was enough to make every emotion explode at once.
Watching the reunion, even Mia quietly let out a relieved breath.
Only then did Lucas slowly raise his head.
His cold gaze landed directly on the man sitting behind the large office desk.
Tharok.
At almost the same moment, one of the lackeys hurried to Tharok’s side and whispered into his ear.
"Boss..."
"The downstairs security camera recorded everything..."
"He..."
"He kicked through the reinforced copper door..."
"Three kicks."
"That’s all it took."
The color instantly drained from Tharok’s face.
His fingers unconsciously touched the dagger hidden behind his back.
Cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead.
He stared at Lucas in complete disbelief.
Three kicks...
That door weighs hundreds of kilograms.
What kind of monster does something like that?
But despite the shock, Tharok wasn’t the kind of man who lost his nerve the moment trouble arrived.
He had built his business by dealing with dangerous people every single day.
Fear alone wasn’t enough to make him surrender.
Besides...
This was his territory.
More than a dozen of his men were inside the building.
No matter how terrifying Lucas looked, Tharok refused to believe a single college student would actually dare do anything here.
Lucas ignored him completely.
Instead, he turned toward Debbie.
His voice softened.
"What happened?"
"Tell me everything."
Debbie took several deep breaths to calm herself.
Her eyes were still red from crying.
She wiped away her tears before slowly beginning her explanation.
"A few weeks ago..."
"Someone contacted me anonymously."
"They said they had... pictures of me."
Her voice became noticeably quieter.
"They were nude photos."
"I don’t even know where they came from."
Lucas frowned.
Debbie continued.
"At first, they only threatened me."
"They demanded money."
"I ignored them."
"I thought they were bluffing."
"But yesterday..."
"They sent me loan documents."
"They used my identity."
"They forged my signature."
"They claimed I borrowed five million dollars."
Debbie shook her head desperately.
"I never borrowed that money."
"I’ve never even seen that much money before."
"When Mom was sick, I did think about borrowing money..."
"But even then, I could never have borrowed five million."
"The first time Daisy and I ever saw a million dollars..."
"...was the money you gave us."
"So how could I suddenly owe five million?"
Her voice broke again.
"They said if I didn’t repay it..."
"They would upload those pictures everywhere."
"They threatened to send them to my workplace."
"To my relatives."
"To everyone I know."
"They even said they’d ruin my life."
She lowered her head.
"I came here because they kept calling."
"They told me if I didn’t show up..."
"They would release everything."
The office became completely silent.
Lucas slowly turned around.
His eyes landed on Tharok.
There wasn’t a trace of emotion on his face.
That expression frightened Tharok far more than shouting ever could.
Lucas calmly rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.
His fingers slowly curled into a fist.
The sound of his knuckles cracking echoed throughout the office.
Tharok’s pupils shrank.
He instinctively took half a step backward.
Every lackey in the room suddenly became nervous.
They still remembered what happened to the copper door downstairs.
If that same fist landed on a human body...
Nobody wanted to imagine the result.
Seeing Lucas walking toward him, Tharok hurriedly raised both hands.
"Wait!"
"Wait!"
"This can be resolved!"
"There has to be some misunderstanding!"
"Let’s talk!"
Lucas stopped only a meter away.
His fist remained clenched.
Tharok could clearly see the veins bulging on the back of Lucas’s hand.
For the first time in years...
He genuinely felt death was standing in front of him.
Lucas spoke quietly.
"I want every single photo deleted."
"Every copy."
"Every backup."
"I don’t care where it’s stored."
"If one copy remains anywhere in the world..."
He stared directly into Tharok’s eyes.
"I’ll hold you responsible."
Tharok swallowed hard.
"I understand."
"I’ll personally handle it."
"It won’t leak."
"I guarantee it."
Lucas extended his hand.
"Your account number."
Tharok blinked.
"...What?"
"Your account number."
This time, Lucas’s tone became colder.
"I don’t like repeating myself."
Tharok hurriedly waved both hands.
"No... no need."
"It was a mistake."
"We’ll cancel the debt."
"No compensation is necessary."
Lucas didn’t move.
"Your account number."
The room fell silent again.
Nobody dared breathe loudly.
Finally, realizing Lucas wasn’t asking for permission, Tharok reluctantly recited his bank account number.
A few seconds later...
His phone vibrated.
Bank Notification
Deposit Received: $10,000,000
Tharok stared at the screen.
His mouth slowly fell open.
Ten...
Million?
That was double the fake debt.
He looked up at Lucas in complete disbelief.
Lucas calmly put away his phone.
"The money is for ending this matter."
"Not for buying your friendship."
His eyes narrowed.
"But if those photos ever appear online..."
"If Debbie is threatened again..."
"If I hear your name connected to this one more time..."
Lucas stepped forward until they were almost face to face.
"I won’t come here to talk."
Cold sweat immediately covered Tharok’s forehead.
He nodded repeatedly.
"I understand!"
"I swear!"
"I’ll erase every copy."
"I’ll also find whoever forged the documents."
"They won’t get away."
Lucas stared at him for another few seconds before finally turning around.
"Let’s go."
Debbie and Daisy immediately followed behind him.
Mia quietly exhaled in relief.
Only after Lucas disappeared downstairs did everyone inside the office finally dare breathe again.
Outside the building...
The fresh air felt completely different.
Debbie looked at Lucas with grateful eyes.
"Thank you..."
"If you hadn’t come..."
She couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Daisy also bowed deeply.
"Lucas..."
"I really don’t know how to repay you."
Lucas smiled.
"You don’t have to."
"I promised I’d help."
Then he looked toward Mia.
"Oh."
"I forgot."
"Daisy."
"Debbie."
"This is Mia."
"My friend."
Mia smiled politely.
"It’s nice to meet both of you."
The sisters quickly thanked her as well.
"If you hadn’t come with Lucas..."
"Thank you."
Mia waved her hand.
"I didn’t really do anything."
As they talked, Daisy suddenly noticed something on Mia’s neck.
She tilted her head.
"Wait..."
"Mia..."
"What’s that on your neck?"
Mia froze.
"Huh?"
Daisy stepped closer.
She gently brushed aside a strand of Mia’s hair to get a better look.
Her eyes slowly widened.
"No way..."
She looked from Mia...
Then toward Lucas...
Then back at Mia again.
"...Is that a hickey?"