Chapter 57: CH 057: Painful? (MR 11)

Chapter 57: CH 057: Painful? (MR 11)Gab’s voice cracked with anger as he charged forward, his words biting. "If you don’t step away, I promise, I’m going to break your skull!" His chest heaved with each labored breath, his hands balling into fists, knuckles turning white. "I know what you are. You’re a cheat, and I’m not blind. A cheat like you doesn’t deserve someone as innocent as Ella. So move, or else." Dave didn’t even flinch. He leaned back casually, his lips curling into a smirk, his eyes half-lidded with amusement. "Really?" His tone was low and mocking, full of contempt. "I’m not going anywhere. So, by all means, go ahead. Break my skull. Let’s see what happens." Ella’s heart hammered in her chest, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. She opened her mouth, wanting to defuse the situation, to tell them both to stop before it escalated further. But Dave raised his hand slightly, a silent signal for her to hold her words. She swallowed, unsure if she was more afraid of the fight or of what was going to come next. Gab took another step forward, his jaw clenched tight as he glared at Dave. The vein in his temple throbbed visibly, his fists trembling with barely contained rage. "You really think I won’t do it?" Gab growled, the words like a warning, his eyes dark with fury. Dave leaned in slightly, his posture almost lazy, as if he were savoring the tension. "I don’t think so," he replied, voice dripping with scorn. "That’s why I’m giving you the chance. Or maybe... you’ve got no balls after all?" Gab’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, his breath quickening. His gaze flicked between Dave and Ella, his teeth grinding together. But Dave didn’t let him off that easily. "Oh, what’s the matter, knight?" Dave continued, his voice mocking. "Too shy to save your princess? I thought you were supposed to be brave, not some weak-minded fool who can’t even protect his own balls." Gab’s hands shook as the taunts riled him up, his patience unraveling by the second. The words cut through him like a blade, stoking the fire inside him until it burned bright with anger. "Shut up! Shut up!" he shouted, his fists flying toward Dave’s face with explosive speed, aiming for a clean, punishing hit. But the blow never landed the way Gab had hoped. Instead, there was an ear-piercing scream, but it wasn’t from Dave. It was Gab himself. He staggered back, clutching his hand with a grimace of pain. His palm had turned a deep red, and blood had already begun to ooze from the raw, bruised skin where it had connected with Dave’s solid body. Dave raised an eyebrow, his expression an exaggerated mask of concern. "Oh, sorry. Was that painful?" His voice dripped with feigned sympathy, mocking every inch of Gab’s suffering. "Would you like to try again? I promise this time it won’t hurt. I’ll even pretend to be the cheat you claim I am." Gab’s fingers trembled around his injured hand, his whole body shuddering from both the pain and the sheer humiliation of what had just happened. The room fell silent for a moment, and he could feel his pride taking a brutal hit. His eyes burned with fury, but he was no fool. He stepped backward, his hand still clutched to his chest, the fight draining out of him for a moment as the sting from his hand reminded him of how futile his attack had been. Gab had already turned his back, eager to escape the tension that still lingered in the room. He was just a few steps from the door when a voice sliced through the silence, sharp and commanding. "Stop right there!" Gab froze, his feet rooted to the spot, as if the words had cast an invisible force field around him. Slowly, he turned his head, his eyes meeting Dave’s, who was now walking toward him with slow, deliberate steps. There was an unsettling calm to Dave’s movements, and the air seemed to crackle with a tension that sent a chill down Gab’s spine. Dave closed the distance between them with a confident, almost casual stride. When he was close enough, he stopped, his gaze never wavering from Gab’s face. With an almost unbothered sigh, Dave reached up and adjusted the collar of his shirt, his fingers light on the fabric, as if this moment were nothing more than an inconvenient distraction. "You know, when you make accusations," Dave began, his voice steady but carrying an edge, "you should always check your sources before trusting them." He tilted his head, his gaze sharp, cutting through the air like a blade. "Now what will you do to make up for the damage you’ve caused? You didn’t just falsely accuse me, you also punched me in the face." Gab’s breath was caught in his throat. His heart raced, and the words hit him like a slap to the face. He had no retort, no defense, just the heavy weight of his own guilt pressing against him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words stuck in his throat, lodged somewhere deep inside, unable to escape. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit him full force. With a gasp, Gab’s knees buckled beneath him, and he collapsed to the floor. The sudden vulnerability of the position took him by surprise, but he was too overwhelmed with shame to care. He bowed his head, the rush of panic and guilt flooding through him as he began to apologize, his voice shaky and frantic. "I’m sorry," he stammered, his eyes wide with desperation. "I didn’t mean to! I—I was pushed! The others, they told me to do it! They told me to pull Ella away from you! I didn’t want to, I was forced!" The words spilled out in a frantic, disjointed flow, desperate to absolve himself of any responsibility. But in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn’t going to be enough. From the other side of the door, the two boys who had been with Gab could hear every word. Their expressions faltered as they overheard the way he was twisting the truth, throwing them under the bus to save his own skin. But they said nothing, unsure of how to intervene without making the situation worse. Dave’s eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable as he watched Gab kneel before him, still trembling. There was no sympathy in his gaze, only a cool, calculating assessment of the situation. He crossed his arms over his chest, taking a moment before he spoke again. "Well," Dave said, his tone still calm but with a flicker of steel beneath it. "I’ll only pardon you for now. But don’t think this is over. I’ll give out my punishment later, and trust me, it’ll be something you won’t forget." He paused, letting the words sink in, the weight of the promise lingering in the air. "Also, from now on, anything I tell you to do, you must do. You and those friends of yours." He said, then, with a sharp motion, he turned his gaze to the door. He reached for the handle and opened it, glancing at the other two boys outside. They immediately stiffened, recognizing the quiet authority in his gaze. Without a word, they dropped to their knees in perfect unison, their voices shaking as they spoke in unison, "Yes, sir, we’ll do as you say." Dave’s eyes lingered on them for a moment, a faint smirk playing at the corner of his lips. He didn’t need to say more. The message was clear, and they had all heard him. Turning his attention back to Ella, he gestured for her to follow him. She moved to his side, casting a final glance at the corner of the room where Gab was still kneeling, his head bowed in shame, his body stiff and unmoving. He didn’t return to his friends. He stayed exactly where he was, trapped in the weight of his own actions. Just as they stepped toward the door, an announcement echoed throughout the building, breaking the tense silence. The voice over the loudspeaker was crisp and clear: "Lockdown has been lifted. All doors will now be opened until they’re locked manually." The door to the hallway clicked open, and the bustle of people beyond could already be heard. Dave turned to Ella with a faint nod. "Alright, time to go," he said, his voice now lighter, though the undercurrent of authority still remained. Ella followed him out of the room, the tension slowly easing from her shoulders as they moved down the hallway. Gab remained behind, his head still bowed, the weight of his actions pressing down on him with every passing second.