Mr. Belmont hunched his back, his good hand clutching the broken wrist that had been forced backward. The joint screamed with white-hot pain and his vision swam with dark spots. He had been struck before by debt collectors but never like this! His wrist throbbed violently and was beginning to swell.
"W–what is wrong with you?!" Mr. Belmont wheezed through clenched teeth. "You broke my… my hand!"
He staggered, nearly losing his footing and only then remembered his cane lying beside the chair. He was going to reach for it—
"Do it."
There was a sinister calmness in Lucian's voice that made Mr. Belmont freeze.
"I w—will report you!" Mr. Belmont snapped. Tears appeared in his eyes from the pain. "You broke my wrist! You think you can get away with this? I will have you thrown into a cell—I will—"
"What will you report me for?" Lucian asked as he glanced down at the deeds in his hand. "For attacking me first when I was only defending myself?"
