Caiden was currently sitting in his office. He had just received a call from Amber, stating that she needed his help to rescue some people who had been kidnapped.
His daughter hadn't explained the situation exactly, but he suspected this was related to the attack he had received earlier.
His men told him they were probably Mambas' members, and he wondered how the hell they got so bold as actually to try to kidnap him.
The problem was that knowing his daughter, he was sure she was probably going to the Red Lotus Lounge to try and save those people, but that would be an idiotic move.
The best thing would be to wait for help. Still, her strength, her inexperience, and probably Erik Romano would definitely push her to do something stupid, like actually trying to rescue the hostages.
The problem was that Caiden was not aware that the thugs gave the students a time limit and that if they didn't go to the Red Lotus Lounge, they would kill all the students' parents.
Caiden picked up his phone and dialed a number. His voice was low and dangerous as he spoke.
"Bob, Listen carefully," he said. "I need you to gather a squad of our best men and prepare them to move out. We're going to the Red Lotus Lounge."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Caiden could almost hear the gears turning in the other person's head. He knew what he was thinking.
The Red Lotus Lounge was not a place you went into lightly.
A ruthless gang ran it and didn't take kindly to outsiders interfering with their business.
"Sir, are you sure about this? Isn't this a blatant war declaration to Matthew McConnel?"
Caiden gritted his teeth. "My daughter is probably in there, and I'll be damned if I let her be held captive or killed by those bastards. I want her out of there, and I want her out now."
He could hear the man on the other end of the line sighing, but he knew that his words were absolute for this man. Caiden then explained the situation based on what Amber had told him.
"I'm putting you in charge of this operation," Caiden said firmly.
"I want you to be ready as soon as you can. We don't have much time."
"Do you want me to call the clans?" the man asked his employer.
"Yes, they won't stay idle if their kin gets kidnapped," Caiden added.
"Sir, regarding the time needed, most of our men are outside the city, and it will take them at least an hour to be here."
"Can't you do it faster?" Caiden asked.
"No, sir, unfortunately, this is the situation."
"Nevermind, just be sure you gather them as fast as possible. Let me know when you are ready."
"Yes, sir."
With that, Caiden hung up the phone and leaned back in his chair, letting out a long breath.
He knew that his daughter's survival depended on how fast the squad arrived, and knowing it would have taken them an hour was scary. The problem was that there was nothing he could do.
His mind was already thinking about what he would do once his daughter was safely home.
His daughter had to expect consequences for her actions, but at this moment, he didn't care what she did. All he wanted was for her to be safe and out of harm's way, and he was hoping she did nothing stupid.
As he waited for news from his men, Caiden paced the length of his office. He couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness that had been gnawing at him since he had tried to contact his daughter, only for her not to have answered his phone calls.
***
In the meantime, at the Red Lotus Lounge, Anderson was still trying to stall for time. However, he didn't have anything to say to Matthew anymore.
From what he saw, the man was on the verge of having a mental breakdown. It was understandable since his son died; however, it was clear that they had nothing to do with it, and wanting to kill them all was just stupid.
Matthew's eyes flickered with anger, and his fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles were white.
Anderson stood across from Matthew, his heart pounding in his chest. The man's face was cold and emotionless, and Anderson knew he was in deep trouble.
Matthew had made it clear that he wanted to kill Anderson and the other students, and he was just wasting time to get a better taste of the sweet revenge he was going to get in a couple of moments.
"So, Anderson," Matthew said, his voice dripping with contempt.
"I will give you one chance, only one, to get out of this mess. I want you to tell me who killed Nathaniel."
Anderson swallowed hard and, keeping his voice steady, said, "No one of us killed Nathaniel. Thaids killed him! We know nothing about it aside from this!"
The young man could see the tension in Matthew's body as he leaned forward, his voice low and menacing. He seemed almost like a crazy psycho, ready to lash out at any moment.
Matthew sneered. "Do you really expect me to believe that? My son wasn't perfect, but thaids? Come on. I already told you once that he would never have gotten killed by such mindless beasts. It's clear that your little group targeted him."
Anderson shook his head, feeling his anger rise. "What group are you even talking about? I will tell you this one more time. We had nothing to do with Nathaniel's death!" he said.
The more Anderson spoke, the more Matthew could feel his anger rising up. It was as if the young man was trying to provoke him at this point. He found it idiotic since he was only making the situation worse.
Matthew's eyes narrowed. "ENOUGH WITH YOUR LIES!" he spat. "DO YOU REALLY THINK I WILL BELIEVE THAT? You and your little group of friends were the last ones to see him alive. I don't know why you did that, but you will pay!" Then Matthew placed a hand on his face and laughed bitterly.
"HAHAHAHHA. You and your little friends are all the same. You think you can do whatever you want, without any consequences, just because of your parents, and you are so talented as to be admitted to the Red Palace."
Anderson felt a surge of frustration. He knew that Matthew was looking for any excuse to justify his bloodlust, and Nathaniel's death was all the excuse he needed.
But Anderson and the other students had done nothing wrong. He would be furious right now if he knew that Matthew was accurate and that Erik had indeed killed Nathaniel.
"So, are you really willing to go against our families just because of your petty little revenge?"
Anderson tried to keep his cool and stay calm in the face of Matthew's aggression. But it was difficult, especially when the man started playing with the blade on his side.
Matthew laughed bitterly. "Your families are not much stronger than my organization. I have many people around the city; the ones you see here are just a fraction of them. I have the power to do whatever I want, and I will not let your little group of misfits go without punishment."
Anderson felt his jaw clench. Matthew was beyond reasoning at that point.
The only thing that kept them alive was his insanity; he could see it in the eyes of his men, who were starting to have enough of this chat and only wanted to kill them all and go home.
"We will not be intimidated," Anderson said firmly.
Matthew stood up; his face contorted with rage. "You are a fool, Mr. Worthington. Nothing will remain of you after I am done with you!"
Anderson stood up as well, feeling his muscles tense. "Let me see that then," he said, his voice rising.
At that moment, everyone placed their hands on their weapons, students included. The air inside the Red Lotus Lounge was thick with tension.
Anderson and his fellow Red Palace students stood shoulder to shoulder, facing off against Matthew and his men.
The two groups had been talking for what felt like an eternity, despite only five minutes having gone by.
Anderson could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he looked around at the scene before him. The men unsheathed their weapons and were ready to engage.
Matthew had a wild look in his eyes. Anderson could tell that the man was going to give the order, which made him nervous.
He didn't know what Matthew was capable of, but he knew he would do anything to get what he wanted.
On Anderson's right side, Mikey was standing with his arms crossed and a determined expression on his face. However, Anderson knew he was just as scared as he was but was doing his best to hide it.
The other students weren't in the same situation, though; to save their parents, they were willing to fight.
Matthew glared at Anderson for a moment longer. "Ah! The words of a dead man bear no weight. Kill 'em all!" Matthew ordered.
However, at that moment, the door behind Matthew burst open, with his father and Erik at the forefront.
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