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"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Eli Jang stood still, the tension between him and Warren slowly dissipating as the green glow of his animal instincts faded. The two fighters had come to a silent understanding, but behind them, Olly Wang's laughter broke through the quiet.
"Yeah, that's right, Eli," Olly sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Listen to your boyfriend."
Eli froze for a moment but didn't react. His expression was calm, his eyes betraying no emotion as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Olly's taunts had no more power over him. Without acknowledging the insult, Eli turned away from Olly and began dialing Daniel's number.
"Really?" Olly laughed louder, his voice becoming more shrill as Eli ignored him. "You're just gonna walk away from this? After everything? You're pathetic, Eli!"
Eli didn't even look back. He pressed the phone to his ear, waiting for Daniel to pick up. Warren stood beside him, his eyes narrowing at Olly's words, but he remained calm, knowing Eli wasn't going to take the bait.
Daniel answered after a couple of rings. "What's the situation?" his voice calm, though tinged with curiosity.
Eli glanced over at Olly, who was still pacing and ranting behind him. "Olly's down, but he's still running his mouth. The Hostel's ours now," he said, his voice steady.
"Good," Daniel replied with a slight edge of satisfaction. "I'll send someone to handle the cleanup. I'll contact Heather's mother, Gangmi Choi. She can deal with the aftermath."
At the mention of Gangmi Choi, a familiar knot formed in Eli's chest. He hadn't spoken to her in a long time, and he knew their relationship was strained, to say the least. He pushed those thoughts aside for now. "Alright, we'll wait here."
Eli hung up the phone and slid it back into his pocket. He turned toward Warren, who was still glaring at Olly, waiting for the right moment. Meanwhile, Olly had noticed Eli's complete dismissal and it only fueled his anger.
"You think you're better than me?" Olly spat, his voice rising as he stepped forward. "You think you can just ignore me? I'm still here, Eli! I'm not done with you!"
But Eli, calm and composed, merely glanced at Olly with indifference, not letting him get under his skin anymore. He started to walk toward the exit, giving Warren a small nod as if to say, "handle it."
Warren turned to face Olly, his expression unbothered by Olly's ranting. He had already been patient enough, and now, it was time to shut Olly down.
The background around Warren seemed to darken as he shifted into his refined CQC stance. His eyes locked onto Olly with a laser-focused intensity, and for a moment, the cockiness drained from Olly's face. He could feel it, the overwhelming danger emanating from Warren, like a predator closing in on its prey.
"Wait, what's with that look-?" Olly started, but before he could finish, Warren was already in motion.
In the blink of an eye, Warren closed the distance between them, his body moving with terrifying speed and precision. Olly's eyes widened as Warren appeared directly in front of him, his hand already some centimeters from his heart, ready to strike.
Warren's movements were calm, controlled, like a master executing a perfectly rehearsed move.
"I ain't hearing all that," Warren muttered coldly, his voice barely above a whisper.
BOOM.
Warren's inch-punch connected directly with Olly's chest, right where his heart was. The impact was instant and devastating. Olly's body froze for a second, the shockwave from the punch rippling through his entire system.
His heart stopped for a brief moment, the world around him seemed to slow down. His vision blurred, his legs gave way, and his body crumpled to the floor, unconscious before he even hit the ground.
The room fell into a tense silence as Warren stood over Olly's motionless form, his fist still clenched tightly at his side. The strike had been clean, effective, and devastating, exactly how Warren had trained it to be. His expression remained calm, unfazed by the ease of the takedown.
Eli, standing a few feet away, glanced back over his shoulder as Warren finished the job. He gave a small nod of approval. "Nice work."
Warren shrugged. "Didn't feel like hearing him yap all day."
Eli chuckled quietly, the tension in his shoulders finally easing. The fight was over, and the Hostel was theirs. As the two stood there, the sound of rain began to patter lightly against the windows, a calm following the storm of their confrontation.
The cleanup was on the way, and soon enough, the Allied Crew would control yet another territory. But for now, they waited in silence, knowing that the battle was far from over.
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Eli Jang stood still, his eyes fixed on the ground as he heard the distant sound of a car approaching. The familiar black sedan came to a smooth halt, and out stepped Gangmi Choi, her sharp features framed by the cold, harsh streetlights.
Dressed in her usual professional attire, she was every bit the private prosecutor, efficient and commanding. But between her and Eli, there was more than just the weight of the law. There was a past, a painful one.
Warren Chae glanced over at Eli, sensing the tension in the air. He knew exactly what was coming. Gangmi Choi had never forgiven Eli, not after what had happened with Heather, her daughter, and Eli's former lover.
The pain of Heather's death had created an unbridgeable divide between them. Even now, as she walked toward them, the air felt thick with unresolved grief and anger.
Gangmi's sharp gaze immediately landed on Eli. Her eyes, cold and unforgiving, seemed to pierce through him as if she were trying to read the regret he carried inside.
But Eli didn't meet her eyes right away. Instead, he kept his head lowered, his heart heavy with the weight of all the things he could never say to her.
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End of the chapter
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