Chapter 2: Now Get Lost

"Aaaah!" Emily was sent sprawling, screaming as she clutched her face. Blood streamed down her cheeks, and several teeth were knocked loose. The crowd just stared, stunned. Her dad was a notorious mob boss in the city; even the school admins sucked up to her. Yet she'd just been hit by an ex-con fresh out of prison. For a moment, the air went deathly still. "You hit me?!" Emily shrieked, hand clamped over her face. The guy with her yelled right away. "You bastard! You dare hit my lover? You've got a death wish!"  He lunged, throwing a punch at Byron. Thud! Byron kicked him. The rich kid went airborne. "Aaaah!"  He slammed into a car. The crack of breaking bone was unmistakable, and he squealed like a stuck pig. "You're asking for it!" Several street toughs roared and charged. Smack! With a casual sweep, Byron's palm sent them flying. They crashed hard and lay stunned, struggling to get up. Onlookers stood there in shock. Byron turned his gaze on Emily and strode toward her. "On your knees. Apologize to my sister." Emily's face froze. Even as he approached, she tried to bluff and screamed, "You bastard, do you know who my dad is? He's Eugene Zorn! Lay a hand on me today and my dad won't let you off. He'll make your whole family sleep with the fishes!" "Still threatening me?" Byron lifted his foot and drove it into her shin. Crack! Emily shrieked and collapsed, pain stealing her breath. "Keep screaming." Byron's voice stayed cold. "Quoting your dad at a time like this. Figures you're an overgrown infant." "I… Aaaah!" She faltered.  Byron brought his heel down and broke her other leg. Amber covered her mouth, frozen in shock. She'd never imagined her brother would come back from prison this fierce; he seemed like a different man entirely. By now, Emily's swagger had vanished. Trembling, she crawled to Amber and kowtowed, stammering, "I'm sorry, Amber. I was wrong. I won't mess with you again!" Students around them stared, thunderstruck. Eugene's daughter had just been put in her place brutally. Byron let his gaze sweep the ring of faces. "From now on, if anyone touches my sister, consider this your warning." He shot Emily a look of disgust. "Get lost." "Yes… I'm going. I'm going right now…" Under countless eyes, Emily crawled and rolled away. She humiliated the Zorns. "Byron…" Amber tugged at Byron's sleeve. "You shouldn't have gone that far. I'm scared…" "Don't be afraid." Byron spoke with sober calm. "I'm back, and no one will push you around again." He paused, then asked, "By the way, Amber, what's with this crowd? Why were they giving you trouble?" Amber bit her lip. "Dad is paralyzed, basically waiting on money to save his life. So… I borrowed money from Emily." Byron's eyes went wide. "How did Dad…" Amber's eyes brimmed. "After you went to prison, we couldn't reach you at all. Your girlfriend, Anastasia, said you'd gotten into deep trouble and needed cash to make it go away." "Mom and Dad kept scraping money together for her because they were worried about you… In total, over $400,000." "They borrowed from every relative and friend. When there was no one left to borrow from, Dad tried to make extra cash. At his age, he went to a construction site to do heavy lifting, and then…" She covered her face. "He fell from a higher floor. His spine was badly injured. Now he can only lie in the hospital, waiting day by day for money to save his life." "What?!" Byron reeled, unable to believe how far their family had fallen. "Mom and Dad… how could they be so gullible? Anastasia asked for about $400,000 and they just gave it?" "Because… because… Anastasia came to our home heavily pregnant!" "What?!" "Anastasia… how could she be pregnant?" Byron's shock turned raw. Though Anastasia had been his girlfriend in name, he'd never even slept with her. If she really was pregnant, there was only one answer. He'd been cheated on. "It's true!" Amber sobbed. "She said she was carrying a Qualls baby and would keep it, so Mom and Dad believed her…" "That bitch. How dare she!" Byron clenched his fists until his nails bit into his palms, blood welling up. A fury beyond words surged inside him. Back then, to protect Anastasia, he stabbed a spoiled trust‑fund brat and landed in prison. And what did Anastasia do? Cheated on him after he went in, used his name to swindle money, bled the Qualls family dry, and tore them apart. "What about later? Did that bitch have the baby?" Byron's tone turned dangerous. "Please don't do anything reckless!" Seeing his eyes grow feral, Amber grabbed his hand. "Right now, Dad's condition is what matters. The doctors said, if he gets timely, proper treatment, he might walk again." "But… the treatment costs are too high. Our family… really can't scrape together a cent." Her voice broke. Seeing his sister so pitiful, Byron felt a stab in his chest. He was now the only one the family could count on. He drew a long breath. "Amber, don't worry. Dad's illness is on me."  In Ninos Prison, he learned a near‑miraculous healing art that could mend bones and pull people back from the brink, and he felt utterly confident about his father's injury. "Come on, we're going to the hospital." "Okay!" ***** Not far away, Anastasia climbed out of a Lamborghini, decked out in luxury brands, an LV bag hooked over her arm. Her gaze locked onto Byron's receding back, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "Was that… Byron Qualls? He made it out of prison alive?" she murmured, dazed. A man climbed out of the car behind her. Had Byron been there, he would've recognized him. It was the trust‑fund brat he'd stabbed three years ago for pawing his girlfriend, Otis. Otis strolled to Anastasia, shamelessly cupping her backside. "Baby, why'd you suddenly hop out of the car?" Anastasia blinked back to herself and cooed, "It's nothing. I thought I saw someone I know." Otis frowned. "Someone you know? Who?" She hesitated, then said, "Byron Qualls." "Byron?" Otis arched a brow. "That punk went into Ninos Prison and came out alive?" Anastasia shook her head. "Maybe I was seeing things." "If he's alive, even better." Otis's mouth curved. "He stabbed me once. Dying like that would be too easy on him. I want to see his face when he learns the girl he worshiped got knocked up by his mortal enemy." "Oh, darling, you're wicked." Anastasia playfully thumped his chest, then got back in the car with him. ***** In a cramped, airless room of Beverly Hospital, the atmosphere felt suffocating. Weak sunlight bled through gaps in the curtains, barely lighting the antiseptic-smelling space. On the bed, Oliver Qualls lay pale, eyes vacant on the ceiling. A young nurse in uniform pushed the door open, a bill in hand, her face icy. "Oliver Qualls, when are you going to pay your hospital bill? It's been forever. Have some shame." Her tone dripped with loathing. Oliver flushed, overcome with humiliation. He lowered his head and murmured, "Nurse, please give us a few more days. Our family will find a way…" She gave a cold laugh. "An extension? How many times have we given you one? People like you shouldn't come to the hospital. You waste resources." She turned on her heel and left. Oliver watched her back, despair and pain filling his gaze. Days like this seemed endless. "My family… maybe they can't carry my illness anymore…" he muttered. To stop being a burden, to keep a shred of dignity, he slowly reached for the paring knife by his side. Meanwhile, Byron and Amber arrived. Amber hurried into the room, excited. She leaned over the bed. "Dad, guess what, something good happened today!" No reply came. Blood was soaking through the sheets. Amber's heart lurched, and she yanked back the covers. "Aaaah!" Her scream filled the room. Hearing it, Byron rushed in, and it froze him in his tracks. Blood was gushing from Oliver's wrist, soaking the sheets in red. "Dad!"