Fighting even against soone with subpar skill was still exhausting, especially when there were many of them. Each body that fell at Mark’s feet sent another wave of urgency to finish this all at once. He needed to see soone he knew first — anyone.
It didn’t matter whether it was Penny, Benjamin, Slater, or Mint.
At this point, he had wishful thinking. That while fighting all these n, he would stumble upon them in a room. It was why, whenever he got the ti, he would check so rooms — sotis, throwing his enemy into the doors to force them open. Multitasking.
But Mark was not ready to see what he had just walked into.
Standing by the door, Mark ca to a complete halt the second he kicked it open. He was told by one of the guys he fought with that this was the way, before Mark knocked him out. Who would have thought that person was telling the truth?
The only thing the syndicate didn’t tell him was that Zoren wasn’t a hostage. He wasn’t kept like one, but instead, there he was, lifting a man with his bare hand while holding the latter’s head.
Mark’s eyes fell on the other man’s twitching hand, catching blood dripping from his fingertips. He gulped, shifting his eyes to where his boss was standing.
’This...’he thought, holding his breath as he studied the dark look on Zoren’s face. A very familiar yet unfamiliar look that Mark hadn’t seen in ages. ’... is just like that ti.’
Zoren’s eyes were naturally dark, but now they were oozing with killing intent. Physically, Zoren had grown weak because of his health issues. However, during the brief ti Zoren recovered, he had learned a lot of things to maintain it.
And Mark wouldn’t deny that Zoren was one of the strongest and most cunning people he had known. After all, Zoren was not a fighter, but he knew how to fight if he wanted to. But the most concerning part was that Zoren was just like Renny whenever he had to use his hands to hurt soone.
’I should’ve known,’Mark told himself, reminded of the ti Zoren reached out to Mint when the latter introduced herself to the group. ’That he truly is... recovering. But why do I feel like... sothing in him is different?’
Sothing was not right, and this gut feeling just seed to eat Mark from the inside.
"Master," Mark whispered, but Zoren didn’t move an inch. "Put him down, please."
Mark gulped, taking a step carefully, as if he were afraid to disturb a beast’s nap. "Sir," he called again, his voice quiet and careful. "He’s not moving anymore. That man is no longer a threat."
Zoren tilted his head, staring at Glenn. "Mark," he called quietly, yet for so reason, Mark felt like he almost flinched. "If I squeezed tight enough, do you think that’ll crush his head?"
"What?"
"Was it possible for a human being to crush another human being’s skull with his bare hand?" Slowly, Zoren slid his eyes to the corner while Mark’s brows rose. "By the look on your face, the answer’s no."
"Sir."
"Should we put that to the test?" Zoren set his eyes back on the unconscious Glenn, whose head remained in his grip. "Do you think that will wake him up? And that... he would feel the pain?"
"Miss Penelope wouldn’t want you to sully your hands," Mark breathed out, sothing about Zoren’s tone giving him this unsettling sensation under his skin. "You promised her that you’d no longer use the Phantom Circle and stay away from such violence."
"..."
Mark drew a deep breath, not realizing this was probably the first ti he was going to directly interfere with Zoren’s business. "I will tell her all about it... even if I have to die as a consequence."
"..." Still, Zoren remained quiet, but his eyes stayed on the man before him. After a mont, the side of his mouth hooked up a bit as a shallow, amused laugh escaped him. "You never interfered with before. How refreshing."
"I’m sorry, sir. I just do not want you to do sothing that will put your marriage in peril."
"Do you think my marriage with her is that delicate?"
"No, but it could put a dent in it. And when a dent is present, another one appears. If you could be reckless once and get away with it, you’ll continue being reckless until everything important is gone. I’m not letting you make that mistake." Mark paused as he took careful, jagged breaths. "I’m not married, but I’ve seen it... with my parents. That’s how they separated."
Again, silence filled the room as Zoren didn’t respond. He still hadn’t let go of Glenn. Whatever made him angry was sothing Mark didn’t know and didn’t want to know. That was the least of Mark’s concerns.
"Sir, Miss Penny is still in this building," Mark added sternly. "Your third brother-in-law is still here. Benjamin is still here, and I’m not sure if they’ve t. But what I am certain of is that those people are important to you, and you don’t want them gone. Even Sir Hugo is out there, buying all of us so ti. So, please."
Another mont passed, and still no reaction from Zoren. When Mark opened his mouth again to speak, whatever he could think of, Glenn’s body landed on the floor with a loud thud.
Mark heaved a sigh of relief but almost choked when he saw Glenn’s swollen face. The way Glenn’s body landed on the floor granted Mark a clear view of his face. It was awful; covered with blood, and underneath that blood was a swollen face. Those who were faint of heart would’ve thrown up at the sight of him.
What happened here?
Just as Mark thought of that, Zoren slowly walked to the sa spot and faced him. Mark slowly lifted his gaze, and when their eyes t, his pupils dilated. Since Mark was standing at the entrance, all he could see was Zoren’s side profile. But now that Zoren was facing him, he could see the blood on the side of Zoren’s head that trickled down his face, neck, and drenched his collar with nothing but red.
Zoren winced a bit and touched his temple with his thumb. "My head’s throbbing, Mark," he muttered, while Mark wasted no ti to get to him.
Just in ti, Mark held Zoren’s arm as the latter briefly swayed as if he was almost losing his balance. "Sir, you’re bleeding." His eyes shook, knowing whatever that wound was, it was not sothing shallow.
"He hit and then..." Zoren forced his eyes to open. "I am... getting a bit confused here."
"Huh?"
"Glenn." Zoren tipped his head in the body’s direction. "He thinks he can just hold a gun at when I’m the one who’s allowing him to live."
"What?" Mark furrowed his brows. "Sir, what are you—"
Mark couldn’t finish his sentence as Zoren suddenly winced, holding his head. "Sir! Sir!"
As Mark’s voice sounded distant in Zoren’s ears, overwheld by this ear-splitting ringing, a man’s frantic voice suddenly rang in Zoren’s head.
"Renren?! Zoren!? Where are you!?"
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