At the mention of the name Gordon Lawson, everyone was shocked.
"Gordon Lawson!" one person exclaimed. "He was the bodyguard of one of the richest men in the country. He's opened several martial arts schools."
"He's now one of the top martial arts masters," someone else joined in. "And he's served as a judge in several competitions."
"He won the national championship when he was young," the first person said. "And there are rumors that he's even killed a few people."
"Oh, he's going to kill this kid!" the second person said.
While everyone was still whispering, Gordon smacked Alex in the face with one hand.
He was strong and fast, and his technique was flawless, leaving Alex struggling to breathe as he attempted to defend himself.
Alex raised his hand, blocking Gordon, and then stepped aside.
Gordon snorted as he hit Alex twice more. Each strike was powerful and well placed.
Alex knew Gordon was too strong for him, and it was difficult to fight back. He attempted to use one of his favorite moves, but Gordon didn't block him. Instead, he simply took a step backward, and none of Alex's blows landed.
Alex had won his last fight, but Gordon was a more difficult opponent, and Alex had to consider the best way to defeat him.
Zora had once warned Alex not to be reckless when dealing with those who were stronger than he was. She had advised him to work smarter, not harder. It was the only way he could win.
Alex blocked another strike and then attacked. When he pushed Gordon, he didn't move, and Alex bounced backward.
Gordon grinned as he took the opportunity Alex had left him, springing up and kicking out at Alex's chest.
Alex put his arms up, arching away from Gordon and stepping back a little, depriving Gordon of his target.
Gordon twisted and turned, but there wasn't much he could do while he was still in the air.
Alex struck repeatedly, hitting out with both his hands and his feet, and Gordon dropped to the ground, landing hard.
Everyone was stunned as they stared at Gordon lying there. They couldn't believe Alex had defeated such a famous master.
Alex walked over to Gordon. "Are you okay?" he asked, helping him to stand.
"I'm fine, Mr. Ambrose," Gordon said. "Only my pride is hurt. You're a much better fighter than I expected." He nodded at David. "I'm sorry," he said. "Mr. Ambrose's skills are superior to mine. Please forgive me."
With that, Gordon left.
Alex looked at David, who took a step backward. Several of David's men moved to stand in front of him, blocking Alex's view.
A siren blared from outside the hotel, and a team of police rushed in.
David had called the police before he had come to the Tinsdale Hotel. He had reported that there was illegal activity at the hotel and had asked the police chief to make an arrest.
He had expected Gordon to beat Alex and take him to the police station, but he had failed.
But perhaps Alex would be arrested now that the police had arrived. If Alex ended up in a jail cell, there would be plenty of ways to deal with him.
Anthony Billings was the chief of the police, but he didn't dare defy a powerful man like David Drake.
"Commissioner Billings!" David said, pointing at Alex. "This boy has been keeping a prostitute in his room. You need to arrest him."
Anthony approached Alex with a gloomy expression. "We need to check your room," he said. "Please take us there."
Alex shook his head. "She's not a prostitute," he denied. "It's not what you think."
David sneered. "No?" he asked. "Then who was that woman in your room? As far as I know, you're not married, and you don't have a girlfriend."
Alex paused. He had just been practicing martial arts in his room and hadn't done anything else.
He sighed. "Okay, fine," he said. "You can check it out."
"Are you ready to confess?" David asked, smiling. He turned to Leona. "Let's see who's hiding in his room."
Everyone made their way to Alex's room, and numerous guests opened their doors to see what was going on in the corridor.
"Did you hear any noise coming from room 403 during the night?" David asked the guests.
"Sometimes, I hear the bed creaking," one guest said.
"I've heard a man crying out in pain," another guest added.
"Yes, me too," said a third guest. "But not just at night. Sometimes I hear it during the day."
"You're very energetic," David said, smirking at Alex. "Is that woman whipping you? I would never have expected that from such a big guy, but maybe you like being abused."
"It's not what you think!" Alex said, his face turning red. "So, keep your mouth shut."
Zora stood on the bed when she practiced martial arts, and Alex sometimes cried out in pain when he fought with her. She did hurt him, but not in the way they thought.
They reached Alex's room, and Alex asked, "Can I go in first?"
"Why?" David asked. "Commissioner Billings, go straight in."
"Open the door," Anthony said to Alex. "We'll go in together."
Alex used his key card to open the door, and everyone walked inside.
Zora sat cross-legged on the bed with her head lowered and her eyes closed. Although her face was obscured, she was clearly beautiful.
Zora was surprised that so many people had entered the room, but she knew Georgina wasn't among them, so her life wasn't in danger. She didn't react and simply continued what she was doing.
Anthony watched her suspiciously.
"Well?" David asked Alex. "What do you have to say now? A beautiful woman wearing pajamas is in your bed. I think we all know what you've been doing in here every night!"
David's men agreed.
"I wish I knew where to find such a beautiful lady," one said.
"If I were him, I wouldn't leave my room for a week," another agreed.
"She's really out of his league," a third man said. "I wonder how she ended up with this boy."
"Don't be stupid," Alex said. "She's just been teaching me something. Nothing happened between us." He met Leona's gaze.
"I believe she taught you something," David said with a snort. "Maybe something they didn't teach you in school."
David's men laughed.
"He's right," one man said. "The boy is still young, and he clearly needs a woman to teach him!"
"If you want to know something, then why not search the internet?" David asked. "Why use a prostitute? Take him away, Commissioner Billings!"
Alex ignored their taunts. He only cared about what Leona thought of him.
But Leona seemed to believe the worst. She frowned at Alex, and he could almost imagine her saying, "I thought you were in love with Debbie. I never expected you to do something like this!"
Alex's heart ached. He paused for a moment and looked at Leona. "Say whatever you like," he said. "My conscience is clear. When the investigation is complete, you'll know I was telling the truth."
Leona was stunned. She looked at Alex and wondered if he was being honest. She lowered her head and avoided his gaze.
Everyone else was still staring at the bed. "What's she doing?" David asked. "Why is she just sitting there like that?"
He reached out to touch her.
Just before he made contact, Zora opened her eyes, grabbed David's hand, and pulled hard, throwing him into the air. A moment later, he landed on the floor.
Zora stood and looked around at everyone. "You dare to break into my room!" she said. "You're either very brave or very stupid."