Chapter 108: A Warning Without a Blow

Adrian Stone grabbed the fire poker from the corner—a thick rod as wide as a man's forearm. Darren Lewis trembled in fear. A single strike from that would shatter bones.

"Y-you can't do this..." He shrank back, his words stumbling.

Elena Ward stared at Adrian in surprise. The man was usually so composed—what had gotten into him? If he actually hurt someone, the military would have questions.

Just as she stepped forward, Adrian handed her the poker. "Hold it with both hands."

Understanding dawned on her. She took the rod, and Adrian delivered a swift kick.

Crack! The poker snapped in two. Elena tossed the broken pieces at Darren's feet, making him flinch again.

Adrian then hauled a stone slab from the yard. "Again."

Elena suppressed a smile. This man had a flair for theatrics.

Another kick. The slab shattered into pieces.

"Impressive skills, Instructor Stone," Elena said loudly. "If that kick had landed on a person..."

"Even a two-hundred-pound man wouldn't survive it," Adrian finished, his gaze fixed on Darren.

Darren's face paled. He was nowhere near that weight.

"Are you alright, brother-in-law?" Adrian feigned concern. "I can't stand men who hit women."

"I-I'm fine..." Darren was thoroughly cowed.

Rose Jackson struggled to stand. "I'll go borrow money—"

Before she could finish, two teenage boys burst in—the elder sixteen, the younger fourteen. Their faces darkened at the sight of their mother's injuries.

"Did Dad hit you again?" Luke Jackson clenched his fists. "Don't worry, Mom. We're here."

"I'm fine..." Rose Jackson tried to leave. "Your brother still has a fever..."

"I'll get the money from Grandma!" Luke blocked her path. "She's taken enough from us over the years to cover his treatment."

Rose Jackson gave a bitter smile. "She won't give it..."

"Then let him ask!" Luke glared at his father.

Elena dabbed the youngest boy's forehead with a damp cloth and chimed in, "That's right, brother-in-law. He is your son."

"Bullshit!" Darren suddenly roared. "Who knows whose bastard this is? Better off dead!"

The room fell silent.

Elena's hand stilled. What did that mean?

She glanced at her sister. Rose Jackson's face was ghostly pale, her lips trembling, but she didn't deny it.

Could there be... some truth to it?

Elena narrowed her eyes. The waters in the Jackson family ran deeper than she'd thought.