Andrew hissed, “This third slap? No reason at all. I just don’t like the look of your face and feel like beating you to death. And this fourth one’s for your parents–since they clearly failed to raise you, I’ll handle it for them.”

After the string of brutal slaps, Seth’s head was spinning. His ears rang like sirens, and his vision started going black around the edges.

“Andrew… I swear…” he gasped, his voice shaky. “I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you, you arrogant bastard!”

However, just as he spat out his threat, a blood-curdling scream ripped from his throat–Andrew had suddenly snapped five of his fingers.

“Keep going,” Andrew said coldly, his voice like a death sentence.

Seth’s mouth bled as he glared up with bloodshot eyes. “You’re dead. You’re so fucking dead…. How dare you treat me like this? My family–everyone in the Haywoods–they’ll never let this slide!”

His scream pitched into hysteria as Andrew crushed the remaining five fingers on his other hand, rendering both of Seth’s hands completely useless.

All ten of his fingers were shattered.

The sight was so horrifying that the rest of the Haywood men stood frozen, faces pale as ash. Some were trembling, and one even pissed himself.

Aspen forgot all about her own fear. She just stared, stunned, as Andrew tore Seth apart like it was nothing.

This version of Andrew was something else entirely–colder, darker, far more terrifying than she had ever imagined.

As she watched Seth’s mutilated body twitch on the floor, even her own scalp tingled from the fear crawling down her spine.

“Go on,” Andrew said, pressing his hand against Seth’s battered face with a cruel smile. “Keep threatening me with the Haywoods. See if I so much as blink.”

Seth had no more courage left. All ten of his fingers were gone, and he could not take the pain anymore. He could not even speak properly, let alone throw out more threats.

Even so, the hatred in his eyes burned brighter than ever. He was screaming inside, swearing that if he ever got out of this alive, he would go through hell itself to destroy Andrew.

“You’ve got nothing left to say? Great. Then, let me send you on your way,” Andrew said flatly, rising to his feet.

Seth’s body went cold, and a chill like midwinter crept up his spine.

“A–Andrew… what are you doing?” he stammered, voice hoarse, practically pleading. “I’m a Haywood, one of the Five Apex Families! If you kill me, you and that bitch Aspen will both die! Do you hear me?”

His words were fast and panicked, his voice breaking. He could feel it–Andrew was not bluffing. He was really about to die.

Chantelle finally stepped in. “Andrew, you’ve made your point. You’ve hurt him, humiliated him–you’ve made him pay! You can beat him, break him, even bury his pride. But you cannot kill him. That’s a line we do not cross.”

Andrew turned to her with a faint, amused smile. “And what if I do cross it? Then what?”

Chantelle felt the contempt in his tone and clenched her fists. “If you do… then it’s a blood feud. The Haywoods won’t stop. Not even Mr. McCormick can protect you after that.”

Andrew chuckled and shook his head. “Sorry. But I never planned to rely on Mr. McCormick to protect me.”

Aspen’s eyes widened as she realized what he was about to do. “Andrew, don’t-”

Sadly, it was too late.

Andrew stomped down, snapping Seth’s neck in one clean blow.

Seth’s body collapsed to the floor, lifeless, blood pooling fast. His eyes remained wide open in disbelief, even in death.

Andrew turned slightly and looked at the stunned Aspen beside him. Then, he glanced back at Chantelle’s frozen face and grinned.

He said, “I’ve got my own rules. You can mess with me, push my buttons, and I’ll let it slide. But the moment you touch my people, I’ll personally send you straight to hell.”