Chapter 355
Gilbert stood frozen in shock, unable to comprehend seeing Alex standing boldly in front of him.
“You worthless piece of trash!” Gilbert spat venomously. “What the hell are you doing here p>
A guard raised his iron baton, ready to strike Gilbert down, but Alex swiftly raised a hand, halting the entire room with a silent command.
Alex smirked coldly. “Why shouldn’t I be here p>
Gilbert’s mind spun wildly, still unable to grasp the situation unfolding before him.
He glanced around, noticing dozens of eyes glaring at him with murderous intent, but he brushed it off arrogantly.
To him, they were nothing more than ants-pitiful, powerless ants. Why fear a swarm of insects?
He had stolen their family members, taken their daughters, even their women, and killed whoever he pleased-and they still couldn’t lay a finger on him.
They were nothing. Powerless. Useless.
Why fear insects that couldn’t bite?
He was a Guise, untouchable. Practically invulnerable.
“You insignificant pest still don’t realize where you’re standing, do you?” Gilbert sneered, stepping forward aggressively.
He jabbed his finger into Alex’s chest, contempt dripping from every word. “This is the Guise family hall. Guards, grab this scumbag! Break every bone in his pathetic body p>
Yet none of the guards moved.
They simply stared at Gilbert, eyes filled with mocking disdain, like spectators watching a foolish dog challenging a lion.
Alex seized Gilbert’s pointed finger with terrifying speed and twisted brutally.
A sickening snap echoed through the hall.
“Arghh!” Gilbert screamed, eyes bulging with pain.
Without hesitation, Alex drove his fist into Gilbert’s face, shattering his nose and sending four teeth clattering onto the marble floor.
Gilbert collapsed, blood streaming from his face, howling in agony.
“You’re dead, Alex! Do you hear me? You’ll die screaming-I swear I’ll torture you p>
Norman, who had watched silently as his family members were cut down one by one, finally exploded in rage as his son crumpled to the floor.
“Do you realize what you’ve done, you arrogant fool?” Norman roared to Alex. His voice trembled with fury.
“You’ve declared war on all of Paris! Even if you slaughter us tonight, your entire family will be hunted down by the whole country. If you value your miserable life, you’d better let us go right now p>
“Oh, really?” Alex laughed darkly, stepping casually toward Norman.
“I thought you people knew how this worked. Isn’t it your rule-the powerful stomp on the weak, and the weak just suffer in silence p>
“These families have suffered endlessly, losing their daughters and loved ones because of you p>
“Isn’t it your turn to stay quiet and endure the pain-just like you made them do under people stronger than you p>
Norman’s eyes flashed with hatred, his laughter bitter and dangerous.
“You know what? I don’t care who you think you are. To me, you’re just another terrorist drunk on your temporary power p>
“I’ve already called the military; the generals will be here soon enough. If you want to live, you’d better run now p>
Gilbert staggered to his feet, face bloody but eyes fierce with newfound hope.
“Did you hear that, asshole? The soldiers are coming. You’re finished! All of you will be wiped out p>
The crowd paled in fear, the threat palpable in the heavy silence. But Alex simply burst into mocking laughter, unfazed.
“You think this is funny?” Norman hissed.
“It’s hilarious,” Alex replied calmly. “You’re counting on reinforcements that will never set foot in this room p>
“Impossible!” Norman snapped defiantly.
“Stop pretending you know anything, you pathetic fool!” Gilbert shouted furiously. “You’d better start begging for mercy p>
Alex shot Norman a cold, hard glare. “Go on, call your troops yourself. I’m not going anywhere—I’ll be right here waiting p>
Determined to humiliate Alex, Norman connected the phone to the hall’s large display screen.
His fingers trembled as he dialed, his expression fierce and confident.
The screen flickered to life, revealing General Cole’s uneasy face.
“General Cole!” Norman barked urgently. “Have your soldiers arrived yet? I’ve been waiting for hours p>
Cole hesitated, his face pale and troubled. “I’m sorry, Norman. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but my hands are tied p>
Norman’s eyes widened in shock, disbelief twisting his features.
“What the hell are you saying? Are you seriously telling me this right now? Paris is under attack, and you’re doing nothing p>
“Can you contact someone higher up?” General Cole said helplessly. “My orders come straight from above-I’m grounded and forbidden to move p>
“How dare they!” Norman growled, seething with rage. “Keep your men ready-I’ll call the Minister of Defense myself p>
Norman cut the connection in frustration and immediately dialed the next number, desperation clear on his face.
The call connected, and Minister Barry’s voice came through clearly.
“Barry!” Norman shouted, panic surging through him. “Who the hell dared to ground the Paris military? General Cole says his orders come from the highest
level p>
“Wait, what?” Barry replied, equally stunned. “I haven’t heard anything about that.” Norman clutched the phone, his voice desperate and shaking.
“Barry! I send you money every damn month! You better order General Cole to move his troops now p>
Barry’s voice came through smooth and oily. “Relax, Norman. I’ll make the call. Cole will move whenever you want-just make sure you pay this month’s allowance p>
“Move the troops first, you greedy son of a bitch!” Norman snapped. “You’ll get your money, just do your damn job p>
The line went dead.
Alex laughed mockingly. “Bribing the Defense Minister, huh? How many others have you paid off to hide your crimes from the king p>
Norman’s face twisted in rage.
“What the hell do you know about the king? I run Paris, not that spoiled brat sitting on the throne! Now, you better get on your knees before the army storms in here p>
Alex folded his arms and leaned casually against the wall, completely unbothered. “I’m not going anywhere. If you think your military will show up, go ahead and wait p>
Calmly, Alex took out his phone and made a quick call.
Minutes later, Norman’s phone buzzed with a brief message that turned his blood cold:
“I’m sorry, Norman. I can’t move General Cole p>
Norman exploded, his face red with fury. “You filthy, lying pig! You took my money, and now you’re abandoning me when I need you most? You’re going to regret this p>
Frantic and sweating, Norman began calling other powerful officials and senators.
Each promised to help at first-but soon, every one of them responded with the same infuriating message:
“Sorry, I can’t help you p>
Alex watched Norman crumble with a cold smile. “Looks like nobody can move your precious army, Norman p>
Norman’s face flushed dark with humiliation and panic. He had one last card to play. Shaking, he dialed the Prime Minister.
“Prime Minister! I’m being attacked
in my own government hall! Why
won’t General Cole mobilize his soldiers to protect me?” Norman
shouted, desperation thickening his voice.
The Prime Minister frowned, confused. “Attacked? I haven’t heard anything about
an attack p>
“He’s right here!” Norman shouted, pointing furiously at Alex. “This lunatic
attacked me out of nowhere! Send troops immediately p>
The Prime Minister glanced at the screen-and when his eyes locked onto Alex,
his face drained of all color.
“Prime Minister,” Alex said calmly, stepping closer to the screen, “have you also taken bribes from the Guise family? Look around-the people here are victims of the crimes committed by this corrupt family p>
Several desperate voices rose instantly from the crowd.
“Prime Minister, please! The Guise family killed my daughter! They took everything from us p>
“We beg you, sir-give us justice p>
“Silence, you filthy worms!” Gilbert screamed. His face was twisted in disgust.
“Prime Minister, don’t listen to these insects! Just send your troops, and I’ll bury
every last one of them myself p>
“Shut your mouth!” the Prime Minister snapped harshly.
“I don’t know you or anyone named Guise. In fact, I heard several ministers have just been arrested for accepting bribes from your family. But let me make this perfectly clear: I’ve never taken a penny from you criminals p>
Alex raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Really p>
“I swear to God!” the Prime Minister shouted, desperation in his voice. “On my
own family’s lives, if I’m lying, let them die p>
Alex smiled coldly, utterly composed.
“That’s interesting-because right now, the king’s men are entering your office. If they find even one trace linking you to the Guise family, you’re finished p>
The Prime Minister went pale, panic flashing across his face. “There’s nothing, I swear! I have absolutely no ties to these criminals p>
Suddenly, everyone watching the screen saw the door behind the Prime Minister burst open.
Royal officers stepped into the room, their expressions stern.
“In the name of the king,” the lead officer announced firmly, “we’re here to
investigate your connections to the Guise family p>
“I have no ties with them! Believe me, please-I’ll cooperate fully p>
The Prime Minister spun back to the screen, his fury now aimed squarely at
Norman.
“You bastard! How dare you drag me into your filthy mess? If you want to die, die alone-don’t drag me down with you! I swear I’ll destroy you and your entire family p>
The call ended abruptly, plunging the hall into stunned silence.
Norman and Gilbert stared at each other, pale and frozen in disbelief. Their world
was crumbling around them.
Alex moved calmly toward Gilbert, grabbed him roughly by the hair, and forced
him to meet his icy gaze.
“Tell me, Gilbert,” Alex growled dangerously, his voice low and lethal, “which hand
did you use to hit Sophia p>