Seeing the man who had just barged in, both Billy and his buddy Sean let out a chuckle.
It was Liam, the person Billy had called earlier. And though Liam was already heading straight toward them, Billy still waved his hand enthusiastically, as if to hurry him up.
With quick, purposeful strides, Liam closed the distance and reached Ethan's table. But Ethan didn't even flinch. He remained seated, exuding calm confidence.
Liam stopped right in front of them, his face twisted in a scowl.
Seeing him approach, Synthy gave a respectful bow. "Manager," she greeted softly.
But before she could say anything more, Liam spoke in a loud, commanding tone. "Don't worry, Synthy. I'll handle this. I'll teach this bugger a proper lesson."
He immediately pulled out his walkie-talkie and barked into it, "Manager to security."
A voice crackled from the other end. "Security here. Go ahead, sir."
"Bring five men. And bring the sticks too. Move quickly."
"Roger, sir."
The moment Synthy heard that, she panicked. "Manager, I think there's been a misunderstanding. They're our honored gue...."
But before she could finish, Liam raised his hand to silence her and strode forward.
Then, without warning, he grabbed Ethan by the collar and yanked him up from his seat. Ethan, who still lacked any real physical strength, was hoisted effortlessly into the air.
"You bastard… how dare you show up at DS Palace and try to scam Synthy? You've got some nerve."
Smack!
A loud slap echoed through the lobby.
Ethan's body staggered back, his cheek stinging with pain. His head buzzed as he barely managed to keep his footing.
"What the hell? Why is this guy so riled up?" Ethan thought in disbelief. "He could've just kicked me out if he had a problem… why go this far? Why does it feel like I touched a nerve I didn't even know existed?"
He slowly touched his cheek, trying to make sense of the sudden escalation.
The other guests who had been calmly enjoying their meals looked up, startled.
They had expected to see a little drama, maybe some shouting or a heated argument at most.
But for it to start with a slap?
Even the onlookers were taken aback. That was more than they had bargained for.
Meanwhile, Synthy, realizing the situation was spiraling out of control, quickly pulled out her phone and dialed a number with trembling hands. Once the call connected, she pressed it to her ear and spoke urgently.
"Sir, something's happened… It's like this..." she began explaining in a hushed, rapid voice.
But Liam wasn't done.
With fury in his eyes, he grabbed Ethan again, this time by the hair, and slammed a fist deep into his stomach.
Thud!
Ethan doubled over, breathless. The pain tore through his gut like a blade.
Alice, standing nearby, went pale as a ghost.
She instinctively tried to rush to her brother's side, but Billy moved quickly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.
"Where do you think you're going?" A wicked grin flashed in his eyes.
Alice struggled to break free, but Billy's grip was too strong. She twisted and pulled, her eyes brimming with panic, but it was no use.
Seeing his sister in that helpless state, something inside Ethan snapped.
Rage flared in his eyes.
He tried to get up and charge toward her, but...
Thud!
Another punch landed. This time, straight to his mouth. His head snapped back, and he stumbled again, barely able to stay on his feet.
At first, the nearby guests had been startled by the sudden chaos. But now?
Now they were watching like it was some twisted form of entertainment. Not a single person stood up to intervene. Not one voice spoke in their defense.
Just then, the doors swung open again.
Five security guards marched in quickly, responding to the earlier call. They headed straight toward Liam.
Liam grabbed Ethan by the collar and shoved him toward them.
"Take him out. Beat the shit out of him," he ordered coldly.
Ethan, already battered and weakened, couldn't resist. The guards grabbed him without hesitation and began dragging him outside.
Alice screamed, struggling even harder to break free, her voice trembling with desperation. "Let go of me! Let go!"
But Billy's grip remained firm.
Just as Ethan was being dragged to the exit, the doors burst open again.
This time, it was a well-dressed man in his fifties. He didn't even need to glance around. He knew exactly where to go. He marched forward confidently.
The moment he saw the situation, the manager straightened his back nervously. Synthy quickly stepped forward.
"Sir, you arrived just in time! Please help them, Mr. Ethan is one of our Gold Members!" she said urgently.
The man was about to intervene.
But then… his eyes fell on Ethan's tattered clothes and bruised face.
"Gold member?" he muttered under his breath. "He looks more like a beggar."
He had rushed here the moment he heard that someone was assaulting a Gold Card member.
But now, seeing Ethan's appearance, his brows furrowed in doubt.
He turned to Synthy. "Is… this really our Gold Card member?" he asked in a low voice.
"Yes, sir. He is," Synthy replied firmly.
"You're absolutely sure?"
"Yes, sir. I was the one who received the 100 million payment personally."
"Really? But just look at his clothes," the owner said. "Even before the beating, his outfit was pathetic."
He was the man who owned this eight-star hotel.
Synthy, still standing respectfully by his side, frowned slightly but kept her tone composed. "Sir… we shouldn't judge someone based on appearance. And certainly not beat them just because they seem poor."
The manager meanwhile walked forward slowly. When he'd first seen the owner arrive unexpectedly, panic had crept into his heart. But now, noticing the man's hesitation… he was certain of one thing.
They were on the same side.
They didn't believe Ethan belonged here.
But just then.....
A slow but clear voice rang out. "Are you the owner of this hotel?"
It was Ethan.