"My phone's broken, Mr. Langdon!" Uncle Steve exclaimed. "I just broke it this morning."

Dominic shot a look at his subordinates, prompting two of them to lunge at Uncle Steve. They pinned him to the ground and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

The screen was lit up. It looked perfectly fine.

Kevin grabbed Uncle Steve's hand and forced him to unlock his phone using his fingerprint. He then navigated to the camera surveillance app and played the footage from earlier that morning.

Uncle Steve was holding his phone as he gave me his orders.

"Take this 800 dollars and buy something cheap, Caleb. Dominic's just a country bumpkin. He won't be able to tell the difference between premium and low-grade seafood."

Uncle Steve's voice resounded clearly from the recording.

A steely expression crossed Dominic's face. He stepped on Uncle Steve's face and hissed, "A country bumpkin, you say?"

Uncle Steve squealed in terror. "I was wrong, Mr. Langdon! I was spouting nonsense because I had too much to drink!"

Dominic turned to look at me. "You're quite bold, brat. How dare you buy canned sardines and crayfish to be served during my birthday banquet?"

I looked into Dominic's eyes and said, "I could only buy those with the 800 dollars that I had, Mr. Langdon. But if I had bought more expensive seafood, then I would be colluding with Steve to pull the wool over your eyes. I only caused a fuss because I wanted you to know his true nature."

Dominic scoffed. "You must think that you're so smart. You still ruined my 80th birthday banquet. What are you going to do about that?"

"The banquet hasn't started yet, Mr. Langdon," I said while looking at him. "There's still enough time left for me to buy the premium seafood that you want."

Dominic retracted his knife and asked, "And where will we get the money to pay for the seafood?"

I pointed at Uncle Steve and said, "From him. Force him to return the 80,000 dollars that he embezzled."

Uncle Steve struggled wildly on the ground, exclaiming, "I don't have any money. Your money's not with me!"

Dominic ground his foot into his face. "Where's the money?" he demanded.

Uncle Steve's eyes rolled to the back of his head from the pain.

Meanwhile, Jordan fell to his knees with a loud thud and shouted, "Caleb's the one who stole your money, Mr. Langdon!"

I was stunned.

Tears streamed down Jordan's face as he pointed at me and exclaimed, "Earlier this morning, Caleb stole the 80,000 dollars from Dad's drawer when he went to the restroom. He then intentionally used 800 dollars to buy canned sardines and crayfish just so he could pin the blame on Dad!"

I barked out an indignant laugh.

"You should make sure that your story is logical before you weave your web of lies, Jordan. Why would I be standing here and risking capture right now if I did steal the 80,000 dollars?"

Jordan pulled out something from his pocket and said, "Look, Mr. Langdon! This is a photo from when Caleb deposited money into his account earlier this morning."

Kevin took the photo from Jordan and handed it to Dominic.

Dominic briefly glanced at it before throwing it at my feet.

The photo clearly showed me depositing money at the bank counter. The amount was 80,000 dollars.

It was true that I had deposited money into my bank account earlier that morning. However, that money was meant to pay Mom's medical bills. I had only managed to collect that sum after making food deliveries for six months on top of borrowing money from my friends and relatives.

I glared at Jordan. "You followed me?"

Jordan scoffed. "Just admit it, Caleb. You stole Dad's money and deposited it into your own account!"

Uncle Steve also chimed in, "Look, Mr. Langdon. I told you that he's an ungrateful bastard! His mother is hospitalized. He stole your seafood money because he didn't have enough money to pay her medical bills!"

Dominic's gaze slowly turned glacial as he stared at me. "What do you have to say for yourself, brat?"

I gritted my teeth. "That money doesn't belong to him! It's meant for my mother's medical bills! Do you dare swear that the money belongs to you, Steve Cutterson?"

"Who else could it belong to me but me?" Uncle Steve demanded in a self-righteous tone. "How could you possibly save up 80,000 dollars when you're just a food deliveryman?

"You should ask him to hand over his bank card, Mr. Langdon. The truth will come to light once you check his account."

Kevin strode over to me and clamped his hand on my shoulder, asking, "Where's your card?"

I immediately covered my pocket and exclaimed, "I need this money to save my mother's life! You can't mess with it!"

Jordan lunged at me and delivered a kick to my stomach.

I let out a muffled groan and doubled over, giving Jordan an opening to reach his hand into my pocket. I bit his wrist in retaliation.

Jordan yelped in pain before he shoved me away. He then raised his metal bat and smashed it against my back.

I crumpled to the floor, tasting blood in my throat.

Uncle Steve crawled back up to his feet and stepped on my hand. "How dare you bite my son, you beast?"

He bent over and pulled out my wallet from my pocket. He then retrieved my bank card and offered it to Dominic with both hands. "Here's his card, Mr. Langdon."

Dominic took the card and tossed it to Kevin.

I lay on the ground and struggled to crawl forward as much as I could, exclaiming, "That's the money that I saved up for my mother's medical bills, Mr. Langdon! My mother will die without that money!"

Dominic looked down at me from the tip of his nose. "Whether your mother lives or dies doesn't concern me. This is the fate that you brought upon yourself for daring to steal my money."

I glared at Uncle Steve and Jordan.

"How dare you use my mother's life as a cover-up for your despicable schemes, Uncle Steve? I'll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!"

Uncle Steve spat at me and sneered, "How dare you curse me, you thief?"

Dominic looked at me and said, "Transfer the money out of his account. Buy some premium seafood with it."

"No!" I roared hopelessly.

I managed to wrench myself out of the subordinates' grasps and lunged at Kevin.

Kevin kicked me square in the chest, sending me soaring six feet away before I crashed against the wall.

Stars exploded in my vision. I felt as if every organ in my body was rattling violently.

Dominic strode over to me, saying, "Since you returned my money to me, I won't kill you, brat. Get out of my sight."

I lay on the floor and watched as Kevin took my card away. My heart felt as if it was being stabbed by countless blades.

Uncle Steve walked over to me and spoke in a hushed voice. "You're still too young to challenge me, Caleb."

I looked up and glared at him. "Where did the 80,000 dollars go?"

"I used it to pay off Jordan's debts, of course," Uncle Steve said with a grin. "Jordan lost 10,000 dollars in Mr. Langdon's casino, so I used his own money to pay him back. An ingenious plan, no?"

My entire body trembled from anger.

"You beasts!" I spat as I pounced on him and clamped my hands around his neck. "Give me back my money!"

Uncle Steve's eyes rolled to the back of his head as I strangled him with all my might.

Jordan rushed over to us and smashed his bat against the back of my head.

My vision briefly blacked out, and I loosened my grip around Uncle Steve's throat.

Jordan kicked me over and over again, shouting, "Fuck you! How dare you hurt Dad? You're just a damned deliveryman! How dare you act out of line?"

I gritted my teeth, refusing to make a sound as I covered my head.

Meanwhile, Dominic's subordinates stood on the sidelines and watched us. No one stepped forward to stop Jordan.

Dominic finally spoke up when my face turned into a bloody mess. "That's enough. I don't want anyone dying on my turf."

Only then did Jordan finally stop beating me, heaving for breath.

Uncle Steve massaged his neck as he glared at me. "Mr. Langdon, not only did this brat steal your money, but he also raised his hand against me. We can't just let this slide!"

Dominic arched his brow and asked, "What do you propose?"

Uncle Steve's eyes flashed. "Although he returned your money, he still hasn't paid the interest that he owes you, Mr. Langdon. According to the rules, he needs to repay you ten times what he stole from you. Thus, he needs to pay you another 800,000 dollars!"

I looked up at him and shouted, "Have you lost your mind, Steve?"

"800,000 dollars?" Dominic asked with a smile. "He's just a deliveryman. How will he pay me such a large sum of money?"

Uncle Steve pointed at me and said, "He can work at your establishments to pay you back. He can work as a dealer in your underground casino. Or he can serve as a punching bag in your underground boxing ring. Essentially, he'll be selling his life to you."

My eyes widened. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Uncle Steve scoffed. "Kill you? You're the one who couldn't keep your hands to yourself!"

"It's not a bad idea," Dominic said while stroking his chin. "Get some paper and a pen, Kevin. We'll have him sign an 800,000-dollar promissory note."

Kevin threw a piece of paper and a pen in front of me. "Sign it."

I tore the paper to shreds and exclaimed, "I refuse! I didn't steal your money!"

Kevin slapped me hard across my face. "I see that you want to do things the hard way."

He pulled out a knife and stabbed it through the back of my left hand.

I screamed in agony as sweat drenched my clothes.

The tip of the knife had embedded itself into the wooden floorboards.

Kevin yanked out the knife, causing fresh blood to spurt from the open wound.

"Are you going to sign the note?"

My body spasmed from the unbearable pain. "I won't…" I mumbled.

Uncle Steve strode over to me and stepped on my wound.

"You truly are stubborn to your core, Caleb. It's fine if you don't want to sign the note. I'll just have to stop by the hospital to have a little chat with your mother."

My eyes widened. "Don't you dare do anything to Mom!"

Uncle Steve grinned. "What are you going to do about it? Your mother's heart is weak. Do you think she can handle the stress if she finds out that you're a thief who now owes Mr. Langdon 800,000 dollars?"

My eyes reddened. "I'm going to kill you, Steve Cutterson!" I roared.

I struggled wildly, but Kevin kept me pinned on the ground.

Jordan pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello. I want you to gather a few men to drop by the cardiology department in the municipal hospital. The woman you're looking for is in Ward 302. She's my aunt, Elise Cutterson. That's right. Bring her to the kitchens of the Grand Empire Hotel."

There was a loud buzzing noise in my ears.

They were actually going to the hospital to abduct Mom!

…

Half an hour later, a group of hooligans strode through the kitchen doors, pushing a woman in a wheelchair.

It was Mom. Her complexion was deathly pale, and she was still wearing an oxygen mask.

"Mom!" I shouted hoarsely.

Mom began panting heavily when she noticed the bloody state I was in. "What happened to you, Caleb?"

Aunt Valerie grabbed a fistful of Mom's hair and exclaimed, "Take a good look at your dear son! He got caught stealing 80,000 dollars from Mr. Langdon and was punished for it!"

"That's impossible! Caleb's not a thief!" Mom exclaimed while shaking her head wildly.

Uncle Steve shot an icy look at her. "Mr. Langdon wants Caleb to pay him 800,000 dollars as compensation, but Caleb refuses to sign the promissory note. If he still refuses to sign the note, we'll just have to take your life instead!"

Mom's eyes widened in fear. "800,000 dollars?"

She suddenly pressed a hand to her chest and began coughing violently.

"Mom!"

I wanted to rush over to her, but Kevin still had me trapped under his foot.

Meanwhile, Dominic was sitting nearby. He impatiently rapped his knuckles against the table and said, "Hurry up. I don't have time to watch you put on a pitiful act."

Uncle Steve grabbed the promissory note and screamed, "Sign it! I'll yank off her oxygen mask if you don't!"

"Don't you dare lay a single finger on Mom!" I shouted.

I struggled wildly, but I still couldn't free myself from beneath Kevin's foot.

"Your threats don't scare me!" Aunt Valerie exclaimed with a scoff.

She then ripped the oxygen mask clean off Mom's face. Not only that, but she also slipped her hand into Mom's pocket and pulled out her nitroglycerin pills.

"Give them back!" I roared.

Mom's face started to turn purple from lack of oxygen. She looked like she was in immense pain as she clutched her chest. She fell back against the wheelchair as her body spasmed uncontrollably.

Uncle Steve strode over to me and stepped on my face. He dangled the bottle of pills in front of me and asked with a wicked smile, "Are you going to keep being stubborn, Caleb? I'll return the pills to you if you sign the promissory note."

"Stop wasting your breath on him, Steve," Aunt Valerie said impatiently. "The old hag's not going to last another minute."

My heart felt as if it was tearing apart as I watched Mom's eyes roll into the back of her head, her breathing slowly turning weak.

My pride and reluctance was completely worthless when Mom's life was hanging in the balance.

"I-I'll sign it," I mumbled as I stared at Mom's deathly pale face, my heart aching terribly.

I bit my finger until I drew blood and left my bloody fingerprint on the note.

I scrambled over to Mom and stuffed the pills into her mouth with quivering hands. The tension drained out of my body as I watched her weak and labored breathing even out.

I thought I was going mad as humiliation, fury, and hatred raged within me. I held Mom tightly, digging my nails into my palms.

Meanwhile, Uncle Steve offered the promissory note to Dominic with a pleased expression. "Here you go, Mr. Langdon."

Dominic glanced at the note and flicked it. "That's enough. I'll be taking him away now. Throw him into the underground boxing ring, Kevin."

A sudden burst of strength surged through Mom at that moment. She threw herself off the wheelchair and grabbed Dominic's leg. "Please have mercy on my son, Mr. Langdon! We'll pay our debt to you! We can sell our house for the money!"

"Get out of my way!" Dominic exclaimed, kicking Mom aside.

Mom crashed to the ground and fainted on the spot.

"Mom!"

I struggled wildly against Kevin, managing to break free from his grasp as I rushed to Mom's side.

"Who's she trying to fool by playing dead?" Aunt Valerie asked mockingly. "Take them away!"

I turned to glare at Uncle Steve, Aunt Valerie, and Jordan, searing their faces into my mind.

"Steve Cutterson, Valerie Dane, and Jordan Cutterson. I'll make the three of you pay a thousandfold for what you did to Mom and me today."

Kevin grabbed me by the scruff and dragged me outside.

I didn't struggle. Instead, I made a vow to myself as I watched the paramedics haul Mom into the ambulance.

I was going to end Uncle Steve, Aunt Valerie, and Jordan in the near future.