Chapter 138: Break Their Arms!
On paper, Zenith Entertainment Group’s operatives had little reason to fear Luca Hale.
The man standing behind their entire operation was Dexter Luiz, eldest son and heir to The Luiz Conglomerate, an untouchable figure whose influence stretched across New Orleans and the entire Southern Gulf region.
In local business circles, very few people would dare show Young Master Luiz anything less than absolute respect.
"Mr. Hale, as one of the major shareholders of Twist Streaming Networks, I’m sure you’ve heard of Mr. Dexter Luiz," Director Christopher said with practiced courtesy.
His tone was calm and diplomatic, as though Luca hadn’t slapped him across the face only moments earlier.
If not for the bright red handprint swelling across his cheek, no one passing through the corridor would have guessed a confrontation had just taken place.
The moment Christopher realized Luca was one of Twist’s principal shareholders, he swallowed both his pride and his anger.
He understood one thing well: when standing on another giant’s territory, no matter how powerful your own backing might be, it was wiser to keep your head down than provoke unnecessary conflict.
There was no point dwelling on a single slap. As long as he completed the task Dexter had entrusted to him, his bruised pride meant nothing.
As for Luca’s earlier declaration that Naomi Monroe was his woman, Christopher didn’t place much value on it. More accurately, he refused to believe it mattered.
In his eyes, Naomi might be Luca’s current companion, but someone of Luca’s wealth and status would never seriously commit to a livestream creator.
She was beautiful, certainly, but beauty alone didn’t carry lasting value in their world. With enough money on the table, Christopher believed even the strongest attachment could be bought.
After all, how could a billionaire possibly devote himself to only one woman?
Ironically, that assumption was half true.
Luca did have more than one woman in his life.
What Christopher failed to understand was that, unlike the countless spoiled heirs who treated women as disposable trophies, Luca genuinely cared for every woman he loved.
If Naomi ever chose to leave him of her own free will, he would let her go despite the pain.
But forcing her away against her wishes?
That was something he would never tolerate.
Christopher’s smug, transactional proposal struck directly at one of Luca’s deepest principles.
A faint smile appeared on Luca’s lips, though there wasn’t a trace of warmth in it.
"So," he asked quietly, "you’re certain you want me to name a price?"
Christopher nearly sighed with relief.
’Just as I thought.’
He secretly clenched his fists in satisfaction. His gamble had paid off. Wealthy heirs were all the same.
They enjoyed beautiful women, but none of them truly valued them.
Women came and went.
To men like Luca, they were little more than luxuries, no different from expensive watches or tailored suits.
Christopher nodded eagerly.
"Yes, Mr. Hale. Whatever figure you have in mind, I’m confident our company won’t object."
"Good."
Luca nodded once.
Then again.
A third time.
"Very good."
He slowly raised one hand, spreading all five fingers in front of Christopher’s face.
"How about this number?"
"Five hundred thousand dollars?" Christopher blurted out immediately. His face lit up with delight. "Done! We have a deal!"
He had prepared himself for an outrageous demand worth tens of millions. Instead, Luca had supposedly asked for only half a million dollars.
For the chance to sign Naomi Monroe, the hottest new creator on Twist, five hundred thousand wasn’t merely affordable.
It was a bargain.
’As expected...’
’Even someone like Luca Hale wants to stay on the Luiz family’s good side.’
The thought filled Christopher with renewed confidence. He straightened his posture, secretly congratulating himself on another successful negotiation.
The next second, the smile disappeared from Luca’s face.
His expression turned ice cold.
He clenched his hand into a fist, drew his arm back, and threw a punch.
BAM!
His fist crashed into Christopher’s face with enough force to snap his head sideways.
Before Christopher could even gather his bearings...
BAM!
Another punch landed squarely across his jaw.
Then another.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
The relentless impacts rang through the corridor, each blow heavier than the last.
The onlookers could only watch as Christopher was battered without mercy.
In a matter of seconds, his face had swollen beyond recognition, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and splattering onto the floor.
By the second punch, Christopher finally understood what was happening.
Panic flashed across his face as he instinctively tried to stagger backward.
He couldn’t.
Two Twist security guards had already stepped in, gripping his shoulders like iron clamps. No matter how violently he struggled, he couldn’t move an inch.
All he could do was watch in horror as Luca’s fist continued crashing into his face.
"AAAHHH!"
"STOP! PLEASE STOP!"
"Haven’t you thought about what Young Master Luiz will do when he hears about this?!"
BAM!
"AGHH!"
"Mr. Hale! Please!"
BAM!
"I was wrong!"
BAM!
"I’m sorry!"
BAM!
"I apologize!"
His threats disappeared almost instantly, replaced by pitiful screams and desperate pleas.
Only now did Christopher finally understand.
Dexter Luiz’s name...
Meant absolutely nothing to Luca Hale.
This man simply wasn’t afraid of the Luiz family.
Seeing Luca finally lower his hand, Romero Dennis immediately stepped forward and respectfully offered him a fresh silk handkerchief.
"Mr. Hale, please."
Luca calmly wiped his hands before tossing the blood-speckled handkerchief aside.
His icy gaze settled on Director Christopher and the other Zenith executive sprawled across the floor.
"Break both of their arms," he said flatly. "Then throw them out of the building."
Gasp—
A chorus of sharp breaths rippled through the corridor.
Everyone nearby stared at Luca in stunned silence, their faces filled with disbelief.
They had expected him to teach the two men a lesson, but no one had imagined he would issue such a merciless order without the slightest hesitation.
Even Naomi Monroe, who had remained quiet throughout the confrontation, finally stepped forward.
Without saying a word, she slipped her hand into Luca’s, weaving her slender fingers between his.
Feeling her warmth, Luca’s expression softened almost instantly.
The frost in his eyes melted away.
He gently patted the back of her hand and smiled.
"Let’s go, honey."
Just as the two turned to leave, Director Christopher’s desperate voice echoed from behind them.
"Mr. Hale!"
He struggled on the floor, tears streaming down his bruised face.
"We know we were wrong! Please... let’s end it here!"
"I swear I won’t say a single thing to Young Master Luiz after I go back! He won’t come looking for trouble! Please... just let us go!"
Luca stopped walking.
He didn’t bother turning around.
A cold laugh escaped his lips.
"Looking for trouble?"
"Good."
His indifferent voice echoed through the marble corridor.
"Tell Dexter Luiz that if he wants revenge, he can come find me at Apex Legal Group."
"Or at the Imperium Financial Center."
"If neither of those places is impressive enough..."
"...he’s welcome to march straight into the global headquarters of Starline Airways Group."
Luca’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"As long as he has the courage to show up..."
"I’ll make sure he receives a welcome he’ll never forget."
With those final words, he wrapped an arm around Naomi’s waist and calmly walked away.
The corridor remained deathly silent.
Forget Naomi for a moment.
Not a single person present managed to remain composed after hearing Luca’s declaration.
Apex Legal Group.
Imperium Financial Center.
Starline Airways Group.
Each name landed like a hammer blow.
Judging by Luca’s casual tone...
Were those enormous corporations actually his?
If he wasn’t bluffing, then the wealth and influence behind him had already surpassed anything they could comprehend.
The security captain swallowed hard before leaning toward Romero Dennis.
"Director Dennis... what exactly are our orders?"
"Don’t rush."
Romero kept his expression calm.
"Hold them there while I make a call."
He stepped into a quiet corner of the hallway and pulled out his encrypted phone.
The call connected almost immediately.
"CEO Adams."
"What’s happening backstage?" Harvey Adams asked.
"Mr. Hale just had a serious conflict with Zenith Entertainment Group’s people."
Romero quickly recounted everything that had happened before taking a steady breath.
"Mr. Hale has ordered us to break both men’s arms before throwing them out."
"What are your instructions?"
There was only the briefest pause on the other end.
Then Harvey answered decisively.
"Carry out Mr. Hale’s orders."
"Immediately."
"Understood."
"I’ll handle it personally."
Romero ended the call and returned to the group.
The moment Director Christopher saw him approaching, hope flickered back into his swollen eyes.
"Director Dennis!"
His voice shook.
"Please let us go!"
"I have money! As much as you want! I’ll transfer it to your account right now!"
Romero didn’t even spare him a glance.
He simply raised one hand toward the security team.
"Take them into the alley."
"Break both of their arms."
"Then leave them on the curb."
The security captain hesitated for a moment.
"Director Dennis... which arm should we break?"
Romero shot him a sharp glare.
"Are you stupid?"
"Both of them."
"Do I have to teach you how to carry out a direct order from the board?"
The captain stiffened.
"Understood!"
Without another word, Romero turned around and walked back toward the gala hall.
Behind him, Director Christopher’s terrified screams echoed through the corridor, growing louder as the security guards dragged him away.
Romero never looked back.