Jordan lowered his head to look at Ivan. "If you want me to let go, sure. But I still require what I asked for. Apologize."
Ivan managed to smirk even though his chest was being crushed.
He was an heir to a powerful family with a booming business. Why would he lower himself to the level of this fool?
People apologized to him. People bowed to him. He would never do something for someone he didn't respect.
Besides, Jordan was just an idiot forced upon a family who didn't want him.
"You're a disgrace," Ivan managed to say. "Do you know what awaits you if you keep hurting me?"
With that Jordan stepped harder, and he let out a guttural scream that shook the entire lobby. Everyone backed off, suddenly scared of what was going to happen.
Ken was watching and realized that pleading with Jordan was like begging a rock.
Soon enough, he was starting to threaten Jordan too. "Think about the consequences, Jordan. Ivan is from an elite family who has a lot of connections. Are you trying to ruin everything for the Campbells?"
Jordan smiled. "You know how you always say that I'm an idiot, Ken?"
Ken stopped. He had a bad feeling about this. He was about to say something when Jordan increased his strength.
Everyone in the lobby screamed as Ivan groaned in pain. But Jordan was now relentless because he increased his strength even more. "I don't care if you're from some elite family who has security, Ivan."
He lowered his head, and the look on his face was terrifying. "I don't make the rules here. You apologize to someone you insult. Now let me hear you apologize."
Ivan was shaking terribly. He didn't know how much pain he could take, but he definitely didn't want it to end by bending over and apologizing. It would be the greatest humiliation he would ever experience.
But he couldn't breathe anymore. More pressure and he would have to deal with a broken rib cage.
Or worse.
Would he really sacrifice his life for this?
Finally, Ivan gritted his teeth and managed to cough out, "I'm sorry!"
Everyone in the lobby heaved a sigh of relief. Thankfully Ivan was not a stubborn man, or this would have cost him his life.
But then, Jordan still stepped harder, making Ivan cry out.
They were outraged now. Why was he still not letting go? Ivan already said sorry!
What they didn't know was that Jordan had no intention of letting go at all.
Ken felt like he had just gotten a slap. "Jordan, let him go! You promised and now keep your word!"
He couldn't let anything happen to Ivan while he was present. His family could take it out on the Andrich clan and he didn't want such a rift to occur between the two clans.
Jordan just shook his head. "I made it very clear from the beginning who you should be apologizing to, Ivan."
"Oh, god." Ivan felt weak. "Does it fucking matter, Jordan?"
It was almost pointless to care about Ivan at this point, Ken thought. In fact, he might actually prefer it if Jordan went ahead and stomped him to death.
Besides, it would be Jordan who would have to suffer their wrath anyway, not Ken.
"Let me go if you know what's good for you!" Ken still tried, though, afraid of the possible consequences for everyone. "You're not the only one who will suffer, Jordan. Think about Sienna. Think about what this would mean for her family. Don't you want her to have a good life when you get divorced?"
It was a dirty trick that might backfire, but Ken wanted to make Jordan angry. But Jordan knew what was happening.
Did Jordan care? No.
Jordan increased the force of his foot and Ivan nearly collapsed under him.
It wouldn't be his fault if Ivan chose his so-called dignity over his life. He merely gave him a choice.
He looked up at Jordan, his eyes bloodshot and his anger emanating from him.
But then, he turned to Sienna and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Sienna. I didn't mean to say all those things. . . ."
Sienna's heart swelled with joy. She looked at Jordan and nodded, then he let Ivan go.
"Get lost," Jordan told Ivan as soon as he stepped away. "My wife already forgave you, so you owe her."
Ivan scampered to his feet and rushed towards Ken.
Then, the elevator doors opened, and out came the whole Campbell clan. They all froze when they saw the commotion.
Sam was stunned. "Jordan, didn't we tell you to go home?"
"And what are you doing here?" Rina asked. "What's going on?"
Sienna opened her mouth to answer but Ken beat her to it. "Jordan lost his mind. He slapped Ivan Graham so many times and threatened to hurt him more by stepping on his chest.
"Hey, I asked him to apologize first," Jordan said coolly. "I was just making sure he knew how to do it."
Sam's face turned bright red when he heard this.
The Graham family was one of his prospects for his business and now Jordan made sure that he wouldn't be getting even an email from them.
"Jordan, for the love of god," Sam began to say, reining in his anger. "Please apologize to Ivan."
"No, I have nothing to apologize for," Jordan said firmly.
And the whole family Campbell was shocked.
Kris couldn't handle this nonsense. "Are you trying to get us killed, you bastard?" she asked Jordan. "You're so stupid and reckless!"
Then she looked at Sam reproachfully. "This is all your fault! If you didn't make that stupid bet with this dumbass, we wouldn't be in this position right now!"
Sam gritted his teeth, knowing that Kris had a good point. How could he believe that Jordan suddenly grew a brain and was now normal?
"Mom, Dad. . . ." Jordan suddenly said, but Sam had enough of him.
Kris also shook her head. "Don't call us that. This family would never recognize you as a member and the sooner you know that, the better."
Sam turned to Ken and Ivan with a bow. "Ken and Ivan, I apologize for the behavior of this man. You must understand that he is not in his right mind--"
"Well, he's still your son-in-law, isn't he?" Ken said.
Ken wanted to push Sam and the others to their end so they wouldn't have a choice but to marry Sienna off to him. No one would be able to stop him.
"I'm so sorry," Sam said in a low voice.
"You can't take care of that dog and control him," Ivan put in. "How do you expect people to invest in your business when that idiot can't even be taught to behave?"
Jordan looked at Ivan coldly. Ivan's skin got really cold and covered with goosebumps. His chest still hurt, and it seemed to hurt more now.
"I thought I already taught you a lesson, Ivan," Jordan said coldly. "Your mouth still looks like it needs some cleaning."
"You have done enough, Jordan!" Sam yelled. "Stop it, please! Stop making up reasons to hurt people!"
The corners of Jordan's mouth lifted as he smiled. "I'm merely standing up for my wife, Sienna, which is something you never seem able to do for her. Is that trouble now?"
"What?" Sam asked.
Sienna decided to come in and interrupt. "Dad, Jordan is telling the truth. He did it for me. He defended me from Ivan."
Instead of sympathizing with her, Kris was shocked, "What's wrong with you, Sienna? Why are you standing up for him and tolerating his bullshit?"
"Mom, it really isn't like that," Sienna said calmly. "Jordan really did it for me. Ivan humiliated me and told me a lot of insulting things."
Jordan watched the whole scene unfold and realized that no one believed Sienna. He decided to look at Ivan. "Tell us, what did you say to her?"
Ivan shivered and looked everywhere. He really didn't want to talk but he didn't want to suffer from Jordan again. "I was the one who . . . no, you attacked me first!"
He started to pant heavily, and everything in his heart was stopping him from telling the truth.
"Are you sure?" Jordan prompted, smiling at him.
Ivan immediately started to feel pressured. It felt like he wasn't talking to a man anymore, but some kind of creature from hell.
He had narrowly escaped from him earlier, and he didn't wish to run straight back to him. Still, his chest hurt and he didn't wish to get embarrassed like that again. Sweat ran down the side of his face.
"It was me," he finally said. "I'm the one who insulted Miss Sienna and said some unacceptable things. Everything that happened to me . . . I deserved it."
With that, the last of Ivan's strength finally gave way and he collapse on the marble floor.
Jordan let out a laugh. "Who's the good dog now?" He turned to the silent crowd. "Well? Does anyone else have any questions?"