Chapter 63 Confidence Is a Weapon
The pizza shop was silent except for the muffled screams.
Xander Hale thrashed against the pillar, his face purple with rage, his eyes bulging. The duct tape over his mouth distorted his shouts into incoherent grunts. His bound wrists twisted and pulled, but the nylon rope held firm. The more he struggled, the tighter it seemed to get.
His men watched him with wide eyes. None of them moved. None of them tried to help. They had seen what happened when they disobeyed. They had felt the cold press of the gun barrel. They were not eager to feel it again.
Veyra stood at the door, watching Xander Hale’s tantrum. His cheap suit was torn at the shoulder. His slicked-back hair had fallen completely loose, hanging in greasy strands across his forehead. He looked pathetic. Like a wild animal caught in a trap.
She almost felt sorry for him, well, almost.
"Xander Hale," she said.
He stopped thrashing. His eyes locked onto hers. They were filled with hate.
"I told you the gun was empty," Veyra said. "But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t have hurt you. A gun doesn’t need bullets to do damage. The barrel alone can break bones. Crush windpipes. Blind eyes."
She smiled.
"You should be grateful I’m in a good mood."
Xander Hale screamed into his gag. The sound was useless. No one was coming to help him. His men were tied up. His phone was in Veyra’s bag. The shop’s windows were covered by the roller shutter she had asked Leon Wei to lower.
He was alone.
"Well," Veyra said. "This is goodbye. I hope you have a lot of time to think about your choices."
***
The car that was taking Aunt Clark had been gone for several minutes.
Veyra stood on the sidewalk, her hands in her pockets, her mind churning. The sun was lower now. Shadows were stretching across the street.
Her thoughts went back to Aunt Clark, about the slap and the fear in her eyes when Xie Heng threatened her daughter.
She thought about Xander Hale. About the rage in his face with the way he had promised revenge.
He would not let this go. Men like him never did. His pride had been wounded. His authority had been challenged. In front of his men. In front of strangers.
He would come back. With more men. With weapons. With a plan.
Aunt Clark was not safe. Not yet.
Veyra pulled out her phone. She typed a message to Aunt Clark’s number, the one she had saved before they parted.
Stay hidden. Don’t tell anyone where you are. Not even family. Not even close friends. I’ll contact you when it’s safe.
The response came quickly.
I understand. Thank you again.
Veyra tucked the phone back into her pocket.
She walked toward the corner, toward the second black car that had been waiting down the street. Li Wei had left two bodyguards behind for her. They stood by the doors, their faces blank, their eyes alert.
"Mrs. Thorne," one of them said. "Where to?"
"The coffee shop. The one where this all started. Didi Coffee."
The bodyguard nodded. He opened the door for her. She climbed inside.
As the car pulled away from the curb, Veyra stared out the window. The pizza shop disappeared behind her. The red awning. The crooked sign. The broken window where a chair had crashed through.
She had done something today. Something she had never done before.
She had stood up to a bully. She had protected someone who could not protect herself. She had faced down armed men with an empty gun and won.
She felt powerful.
But she also felt something else. Something heavier.
Xander Hale was a local strongman. He had connections. He had backing.
Dorian could end this with a single phone call. One word from him, and Xander Hale would disappear. His backing would evaporate. His men would abandon him.
But Veyra did not want to make that phone call.
She wanted to handle this herself.
She wanted to prove that she could. That she was not just a woman who needed to be rescued. That she was not just a womb carrying an heir. That she was someone. Someone capable. Someone strong.
She would not rely on Dorian.
Not for this.
The car stopped at a red light.
Veyra looked out the window. The street was busy. Shoppers. Office workers. A woman pushing a stroller.
Her thoughts drifted back ro Aunt Clark’s daughter. The girl Xander Hale wanted to force into marriage. She was probably young. Scared. Trapped.
Veyra understood that feeling. She had felt it herself. Trapped in a marriage with a man who let her mother die. Trapped in a basement with no food and no water. Trapped in a family that looked at her like she was dirt.
She had escaped.
Now she wanted to help someone else escape.
The light turned green. The car moved forward.
Veyra pulled out her phone. She typed another message to Aunt Clark.
What’s your daughter’s name?
A moment later: Megan. Megan Clark.
How old is she?
Twenty-two. She’s in college. She doesn’t know about Xander Hale. I’ve been trying to protect her.
You don’t have to protect her alone anymore. I’ll help.
There was a long pause. Then: Why? You don’t know us.
Veyra smiled. You remind me of my late mother
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.
Veyra put the phone away. She leaned her head against the window. The glass was cool against her temple.
She would find a way to deal with Xander Hale. Permanently. She would not let him hurt Aunt Clark or her daughter.
And she would do it without Dorian.
The car pulled up to Didi Coffee.
Veyra recognized the place immediately. The same storefront. The same window display. The same bell above the door.She had been here yesterday.
She had been scared then. Lily had just been taken. She had been handing out flyers, begging strangers for help.
Now she was back. Not as a supplicant but as a thanker.
She stepped out of the car. The two bodyguards flanked her.
"Wait outside," she said.
"Mrs. Thorne—"
"Wait outside. I’ll be fine. There’s a window. You can see me."
The bodyguards exchanged glances. Then they nodded.
Veyra walked to the door. The bell chimed.
The coffee shop was small. A counter. A display case. A few tables. The woman behind the counter looked up.
She was young. Mid-twenties. Dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. A name tag read Mia.
Veyra recognized her. She was the one who had called. The one who had given her the information about Aunt Clark.
"Hi," Veyra said. "I don’t know if you remember me. I’m the woman from yesterday. The missing girl."
Mia’s eyes widened. "Oh! Yes, I remember. Is she okay? Is she safe?"
"She’s safe. She’s home and that’s because of you." Veyra reached into her bag. She pulled out an envelope. Inside was another thousand yuan. "This is for you. A thank-you."
Mia shook her head. "I can’t accept that. I didn’t do anything special. I just made a phone call."
"You did more than most people would. You got involved. You helped a stranger." Veyra pushed the envelope across the counter. "Please. Take it."
Mia hesitated. Then she took the envelope. She tucked it into her apron pocket.
"Thank you," she said quietly.
"Thank you." Veyra smiled. "If you ever need anything—anything at all—call me. I owe you."
Mia nodded. Her eyes were bright.
Veyra turned and walked out of the coffee shop. The bell chimed.
The bodyguards were waiting by the car.
Veyra walked toward them. Her steps were light. Her heart was full.
She had done it. She had thanked the people who had helped her. She had protected someone who needed protecting. She had faced down a bully and won.
She felt like a different person than the woman who had woken up this morning.
Leon Wei was standing by the driver’s door. His arms were crossed. His face was calm. But his eyes were watching her with something that looked like respect.
"Mrs. Thorne," he said. "Are you finished?"
"For now. Thank you, by the way."
"For what?"
"For not intervening. In the pizza shop. You could have come in. You could have taken over. But you let me handle it."
Leon Wei was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You had the situation under control."
"I had an empty gun."
"You had confidence. The gun was just a prop." He paused. "You acted admirably. I didn’t expect you to handle yourself so well."
Veyra blinked. "Was that a compliment?"
Leon Wei’s mouth twitched. "Take it however you like."
Veyra laughed. She could not help it. The tension of the past hour was finally releasing.
"I surprised myself," she admitted. "The first time I held a gun, I was terrified. My hands were shaking. I could barely aim."
"And today?"
"Today, I wasn’t nervous at all. I was... calm and focused." She looked at her hands. They were steady. "It felt natural."
Leon Wei nodded. "That’s good. That means you have the temperament for this work."
"Work?"
"Self-defense. Protection. You don’t freeze under pressure. That’s rare."
Veyra felt a surge of pride. She had never been good at anything physical. She had never been brave. She had always been the one who waited. Who endured. Who hoped someone would save her.
But today, she had saved someone else.
The sun was setting by the time they drove back to the city.
The car pulled into the driveway. The bodyguards opened the doors.
Veyra stepped out. Her legs were tired. Her eyes were heavy. But her heart was light.
She had done something good today. Something meaningful.
Leon Wei walked beside her toward the front door with his phone in his hand and on his phone was the video of Veyra and what she did in Aunt Clark shop.
He pressed send and send it to Dorian.