Chapter 10

The black helicopter touched down on the grass just outside the dirt arena. The engine roared, vibrating the ground beneath their feet.

The side door slid open. Ingram stepped out into the wind. He wore a perfectly tailored black suit. His face was a mask of pure, terrifying ice. A squad of heavily armed Blackwater contractors poured out behind him.

At the exact same moment, a line of silver Rolls-Royces tore through the campus gates. They slammed on their brakes at the edge of the arena, tearing up the grass.

Cian Regan, the heir to the Regan family and Orlaith's older brother, stepped out of the lead car. His eyes were sharp and angry.

The two most powerful men in the city locked eyes over the hood of the cars for one second. Then, both of their gazes snapped to Evelena, who was still being held by the school guards.

Ingram saw the blood dripping from the corner of Evelena's mouth. The air around him seemed to freeze. He walked forward with long, predatory strides.

The Blackwater guards did not wait for an order. They drew their weapons, grabbed the school security guards by the collars, and threw them violently into the dirt.

Evelena was free.

Dean Milton recognized the two billionaires. His knees actually gave out. He stumbled forward, stuttering and trying to explain.

Ingram walked right past him. He stopped in front of Evelena. He raised his hand. His thumb brushed against the corner of her mouth, wiping away the blood. His touch was incredibly gentle, contrasting with the murder in his eyes.

His voice was a low, dangerous rumble. He asked her who hit her.

Evelena did not answer. She just turned her head and stared at Kenzie, who was trembling like a leaf.

Cian walked up. He took off his expensive suit jacket and reached out, trying to drape it over Evelena's shoulders.

Ingram's arm shot out. He blocked Cian's hand with brutal force. Ingram stripped off his own jacket and wrapped it tightly around Evelena, pulling her slightly behind him. It was an absolute claim of ownership.

Cian's eyes narrowed. He stared at Ingram. The air between the two men sparked with heavy, violent tension.

The scene shifted to the Dean's office. The room felt like a pressure cooker.

Ingram sat in the Dean's large leather chair behind the desk. Evelena stood right next to him.

Cian leaned against the bookshelf, his arms crossed over his chest. He stared coldly at Milton and Kenzie, who were standing in the center of the room.

Milton was sweating through his shirt. He tried to say Evelena broke the rules and Kenzie was just defending herself.

The office door opened. Palmer walked in. He threw a thick folder directly into Milton's chest. The papers spilled onto the floor.

It was a financial document. It detailed the Santiago Corporation's complete blockade of Kenzie's family supply chain.

Ingram spoke. His voice was flat and devoid of mercy. He told Kenzie that her father's company had just lost hundreds of millions of dollars in the last ten minutes.

Kenzie screamed that he was lying. She pulled out her phone and called her father. The sound of her father screaming and cursing echoed through the small speaker.

Cian pushed off the bookshelf. He looked at Milton and calmly announced that the Regan family was permanently pulling all their funding from the school.

Milton gasped. He grabbed his chest and collapsed into a chair, his face gray.

Ingram stood up. He walked slowly around the desk until he was standing right in front of Kenzie. He looked at her like she was an insect.

He told her to get on her knees and apologize to Evelena. He said if she didn't, the Block family name would be erased from New York by morning.

Kenzie's legs gave out. She dropped to her knees on the carpet. Tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup. She bowed her head to Evelena and choked out the word "sorry."

Evelena looked down at her. She felt no pity. She said two words. "Get out."

Ingram turned to Evelena. He wrapped his arm firmly around her waist and started walking toward the door.

Cian stepped in front of them. He looked at Ingram and demanded to know what right he had to take his sister's friend away.

He looked Cian dead in the eye. He let out a dark, arrogant laugh. He said, "She is under my absolute protection now. That is all you need to know."

The entire school watched in terrified silence as Ingram led Evelena out of the building and pushed her into the back of the Maybach.

The car doors locked. The engine started. Ingram looked at Evelena sitting next to him.

He said she was done playing games in this fake greenhouse.

He picked up a thick file bearing the Santiago Corporation logo and dropped it onto her lap. It contained the financial blueprints of the Valenzuela family's stolen assets. He looked at her and said the Valenzuela family had hollowed out her legacy, and if she wanted true revenge at the upcoming charity gala, she needed better weapons. He told her to report to his headquarters tomorrow. He was going to personally teach her how to destroy them on the real battlefield.