Rufus sat and drank his tea, while Paul opened the wine and poured himself a glass.
"I need you to go to Washington, D.C., and deal with a businessman called Charles Marvel," Rufus said. "He's the head of the Marvel family."
"Washington, D.C.?" Paul asked, taking a sip of wine. "To deal with a simple businessman? Surely someone else can take care of that."
Sending Paul to deal with such a small matter was overkill. Paul wasn't sure what was going on.
"Charles has insulted the Clifton family, and my father is furious," Rufus said. "Also, we believe there may be a strong martial arts expert in Washington, D.C., who could cause us some trouble. To ensure our success, my father wants you to come with us."
"A martial arts expert?" Paul asked, interested. "How good is he?"
"He defeated Cliff Munson," Rufus said, watching for a reaction.
Paul raised his eyebrows. Cliff Munson was well known in the martial arts world, and few people dared take him on. The mere idea of someone defeating him was difficult to believe.
"Someone beat him?" Paul asked, incredulous. "Why haven't I heard about this?" Even living in the retreat, he paid attention to what happened with other fighters. If someone had really defeated Cliff, then Paul should have known about it.
"A powerful family has suppressed the news," Rufus said. He looked at Paul. "So, Mr. Novak, who do you think is the better fighter? You or Cliff?"
Paul stared at Rufus, and a smile slowly formed. "I've never fought Cliff, but Flynn Gibson challenged him a year ago. It took Cliff half an hour to defeat Flynn, but as you saw…" He trailed off and gestured outside. "I dealt with Flynn much quicker than that." He tipped back his head and drained his glass of wine.
Rufus was thrilled. Paul had defeated Flynn and Josie much faster than Cliff had, so Paul must be a better fighter than Cliff.
Rufus raised his cup to Paul and then took a sip of his tea.
"I'll go back to Washington, D.C., with you," Paul said, putting down his glass. His eyes strayed over to the window. "I really want to meet this mysterious martial arts expert. We'll see how good he really is."
"Thank you, Mr. Novak," Rufus said. "But I don't know the identity of this expert, so we don't know whether he's an enemy or a friend. Of course, if he stands against us, you'll have to get rid of him."
"If he gets in your way, I'll deal with him," Paul said, shrugging. "That's not a problem."
Rufus nodded. "Rest up," he said. "I'll pick you up tomorrow, and then we'll go to Washington, D.C."
"Okay, I'll see you then," Paul said, pouring himself another glass of wine.
At ten o'clock the next morning, Rufus and Paul took a taxi to the airport and got on a flight to Washington, D.C.
**
In Washington, D.C., the Marvel family home bustled with activity.
Charles had arranged for several family members to go away for a few days. The fewer people who knew about Alex and Debbie's wedding, the better.
The gardens looked the same as always, but inside the mansion, it was a different story.
A red carpet had been laid on the floor of the large hall, and the walls were adorned with colorful balloons, streamers, and flowers.
To keep the wedding secret, the Moon maidens had dealt with the decorations themselves.
Charles had stationed bodyguards and security guards around the house, closely guarding each door.
Alex and Debbie left to get ready, leaving only the Moon girls, Charles, and Lindsey in the hall.
The doorbell rang, and Reginald came in with David. Alex had informed Charles they were coming, so no one was surprised to see them.
Reginald and Charles exchanged greetings, and everyone smiled at each other.
Alex and Debbie got dressed and returned to the hall, where they came face to face with each other.
Debbie smiled when she saw Alex. She thought he looked handsome in his black suit.
Alex stared at Debbie in her snow-white wedding dress. Her eyes sparkled, and she was radiant as she blushed under his scrutiny. He had always found her shyness adorable, and now, in that dress, she looked like an angel.
The Moon girls grinned at Alex when they saw his reaction.
Lindsey forced herself to smile, aware that this was a happy day for Alex and Debbie even though she felt sad.
David had to hide a scowl as he fought down his jealousy. He couldn't believe he would have to watch Alex get married to Debbie.
"Congratulations," he said, managing not to choke on the word. "I wish the two of you a long life together."
"Mr. Marvel," Reginald said, approaching Charles. "You've done well to find a good son-in-law like Alex."
Charles nodded and looked at his watch. "It's almost time." He glanced at Alex and Debbie. "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Alex said, as he and Debbie nodded. In a few minutes, the ceremony would begin, and they were feeling a little nervous.
Alex had explained how he and the Moon girls had met and the nature of their connection to Debbie, and she was happy to have them here.
The Moon maidens had never been to a wedding before, and they were curious. They sat next to Alex, whispering to each other.
"Isn't Mr. Alex really handsome today?"
"And Debbie is so beautiful. She looks just like an angel."
"We serve Alex now, so we'll never get married."
"Next to Debbie, we're all just ugly ducklings!"
Alex turned to them and smiled. "You're not ugly ducklings," he said. "You're all pretty, and I'm sure you'll get married someday."
The women all shook their heads. Celeste looked at Alex and said, "We don't want to get married," Celeste said. "Our greatest wish is to stay with you and Debbie."
Alex was touched, but he didn't know what he was going to do with the four young women. Did they really plan to stay with him for the rest of their lives?
**
Rufus and Paul arrived in Washington, D.C., and made their way to the Marvel family's home.
The car stopped in front of the house, and Rufus and Paul got out, followed by two men.
Shania, one of the Marvel family's guards, saw four men walking toward the house, and she knew they would be trouble. She took two men and went to meet their visitors.
"Can I help you?" she asked, keeping her tone respectful. From the man's appearance and his fancy car, she knew he must be someone important. "Do you have an appointment with Mr. Marvel? I'm afraid he's not available to see anyone today, but if it's urgent, then I can pass on a message."
She glanced at Paul, and she could tell he was dangerous.
"No, I don't have an appointment," Charles said. "But I'm going inside to speak to him anyway, so get out of my way!"
Rufus hated Charles and blamed him for his sister's death. Charles was a mere bug, and one he intended to crush.
"I'm sorry," Shania said. "Mr. Marvel is not receiving any guests at this time. Please come back another day." She was tempted to teach this arrogant man a lesson, but she restrained herself.
Rufus was annoyed by her attitude. He had never been very tolerant, and when faced with someone from the Marvel family, he began to lose his temper. The woman was standing in his way, and Rufus had had enough.
"Andy, Tim!" he called to the two men behind him. "Get me inside!"
"Yes, Mr. Clifton!" the men answered, and then they ran at Shania.
Shania stepped back, shocked at the sudden attack.
The two men were good fighters, and Shania hadn't paid any attention to them. She had been too busy watching Paul, who had appeared to be the greatest threat.
The other guards saw what was happening, and ten of them rushed over to help.
Rufus' two men fought fiercely, their movements fast and furious. They seemed to be everywhere at once, and there was no stopping them.
On the way here, Rufus had ordered that the Marvel family were to pay for their sins, and there should be no mercy.
The ten guards were soon out of action, all lying on the ground, nursing their injuries, and some of them had lost consciousness.
Only Shania was left standing.