Chapter 2029
James sighed in relief, thinking he had managed to convince him to reconsider.
"A true man knows when to bend and when to stand tall. Let's just focus on getting through the finals first."
"Mr. James, thank you, but I really can't go on."
He opened the door of the taxi and waved at James as he stepped out.
James stood there, frozen, frantically calling Shirley several times.
But Shirley didn't pick up.
Instead of heading home, Abner made his way to the gym.
Having left early the previous day, his training load was significantly heavier today.
His sparring partner hesitated for a moment, and Abner seized the chance to land a solid punch on his mouth, immediately bruising it.
The man raised an eyebrow, wiping the blood from his lip.
"Mr. Olson, you seem distracted today."
Abner's arms, though lean, were defined with muscle from days of intense training, making his punches both fast and powerful.
He didn't respond, and the man dodged before finding an opening to kick Abner's shoulder, dislocating it.
Despite the pain, Abner seemed unfazed and continued to attack with his legs.
The floor was covered in sweat; it was like it was raining in there.
After his other arm got dislocated too, Abner couldn't raise his hands anymore.
Yet, he didn't give up and kept fighting with his legs.
"Emotions are good, but too much of it can cloud your judgment. Now, with both your arms dislocated, you'd be dead if I were your enemy." Gasping for breath and kneeling on the ground, sweat dripping off him like rain, Abner took a kick to the back and spat out blood.
"Weren't you supposed to visit the hospital? Seems like you didn't."
Struggling to stand up, Abner's repeated attempts were in vain as he kept falling awkwardly.
The man took off his gloves, a smile playing on his lips.
As Abner's sweat pooled on the floor, the man paused from drinking water to hear Abner ask, "Once you secure the head of the family position, do you think you'll be fearless?" The man paused, intrigue in his eyes.
"We've gone over this, Mr. Olson. You have an exceptional memory and a natural talent in martial arts making you more formidable than the other heirs. With you as the
head, we'd lay our lives
you."
The command of the head of the family was absolute.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
Abner managed a bloody grin.
The man stepped forward to reset Abner's dislocated arms.
"Recklessness might intimidate your opponent, but it also exposes you to more risks. Moreover, if Mr. Olson has someone he wishes to protect, remember to keep her hidden. The further away and better hidden she is, the safer she'll be. The Qlson family's influence isn't something to take lightly."
Crouching down, he watched Abner still catching his breath.
"There was someone who offended the Olson family and fled abroad. His relatives overseas suffered; not even a whole corpse was left. The curse affected three generations. This is no joke, Mr. Olson, be prepared."
Once his arms were fixed, Abner slowly stood up.
He had never been fully free of injuries.
But the man also noticed, Abner was incredibly resilient, almost as if he felt no pain.
Dropping his gloves, Abner checked the time; it was eleven at night.
"I need to go home."
"Take care."
Once home, Abner found the house eerily silent.
He rushed to Shirley's room.
Shirley was curled up in bed, her eyes swollen from crying, looking like a shattered doll.
Abner set his bag down and went to the kitchen to whip up something simple, then brought it to her bedside.
"Shirley, get up and have some porridge. I added some shredded chicken."
Shirley remained motionless, her fingers tightly gripping the sheets, her face deathly pale.
Noticing the melatonin on the nightstand, a sleep aid they had just bought and already half gone, Abner's face turned white. He pulled her up from the bed in a swift motion. "We're going to the hospital to get your stomach pumped."