James speculated that Sofie Barnes probably had some dirt on that guy.
Most likely, it was "man and woman" business.
The fact that Sofie would keep a card up her sleeve for situations like this showed that she wasn't someone to be underestimated.
James made a mental note to be more cautious around her in the future.
Lost in thought, he stepped into the elevator and arrived at Amanda's floor.
He unlocked the door and walked inside.
He wasn't sure if Amanda was awake yet.
After closing the door behind him, James placed the breakfast he had brought on the dining table.
From Amanda's room, he faintly heard the sound of hurried footsteps, followed by the unmistakable click of a door lock.
James frowned. Something didn't feel right.
He quickly walked to her room and tried the doorknob. It wouldn't budge.
From inside came Amanda's slightly hoarse voice.
"Is that you, little brother?"
James recognized that voice all too wellâit was the same raspy tone Tailsa had after nearly screaming herself hoarse the previous night.
"Sis, what are you doing in there?" James asked calmly, masking his suspicion.
"Nothing... nothing at all. Just wait a moment. I'm not in a convenient state right now," Amanda replied, her tone clearly flustered.
James didn't bother asking why it wasn't convenient.
The situation was obvious.
Amanda was doing something she didn't want him to know about.
He debated whether to kick the door down.
He was confident in his strength.
But then, if what he suspected was true, what would he do once the door was open?
Should he beat the guy up? Or take him out entirely?
None of that would change what had already happened.
James knew getting angry wouldn't solve anything.
He took a moment to calm the irritation bubbling inside him before saying coldly,
"When will you be 'convenient'?"
"Why don't you come back later? I'm not feeling well today, and I probably won't be able to keep you company," Amanda said, her tone now composed, as if she wasn't ashamed to be caught in a compromising situation by her own man.
Thanks to his Super Physique, James had regained his composure as well.
His mind wasn't clouded by anger, and he began thinking rationally.
Without seeing the man inside, he couldn't be certain that Amanda had betrayed him.
First, he needed to confirm if there was anyone in there at all.
And there was a simple way to do that: check her "relationship score."
James pulled out his phone and scanned the candid photo he had secretly taken of Amanda.
The result popped up instantly.
Relationship Count: 3
James was livid.
Damn it! So she really did cheat on me!
He remembered very clearly that when he first met Amanda, her relationship count was 2.
Now it was 3.
James's eyes burned with fury, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked audibly.
Just as he was about to lose control,
Memories of Amanda's tenderness flashed through his mind.
Her warm smile, her gentle voice, her soft touch...
His heart softened.
He lowered the foot he had been about to lift to kick the door down.
"I'm heading out. There's breakfast on the table," he said coldly, turning to leave.
But as he reached the door, a deep sense of unwillingness gnawed at him.
James decided he would wait outside for the mystery man to come outâthen he'd destroy him.
He wanted to make it very clear that messing with his woman had consequences.
He walked to the door, about to put on his shoes, when something caught his eye.
Aside from his own, there were no other men's shoes at the entrance.
What's going on?
Could the guy have come in barefoot?
The thought struck James, and he smacked his forehead.
Then it hit himâAmanda's third "relationship" was...
Himself.
Sht.*
"What kind of trash 'Super Physique' is this? Did my brain not get enhanced too?"
James cursed himself internally. How could he miss such an obvious detail?
Blaming the system entirely, James felt like a weight had been lifted from his chest.
Relief flooded his heart.
Now filled with excitement, he wanted to rush back in and pin Amanda down, scolding her for making him overthink.
But then curiosity struck himâwhat had she been doing in there that seemed so suspicious?
James thought for a moment, opened the front door, took a few loud steps outside, then closed it again with a bang.
He stood still, waiting quietly.
Minutes ticked by.
After about ten minutes, faint sounds of sobbing reached his ears.
James frowned.
Was Amanda... crying?
That didn't seem possible.
In his mind, Amanda was like a cold-hearted queenâdomineering and fierce, not someone who cried easily.
What could have happened today?
Confused, James debated whether to kick the door down again.
He waited a little longer, but the sobbing didn't stop.
Finally, he pulled out his phone and sent a text.
"Did you eat breakfast yet?"
After a long pause, Amanda replied:
"I did."
"Don't lie to me."
"Hm, I'm not lying."
"Then tell meâdid I buy buns or egg pancakes? You have twenty seconds to answer, or I'm breaking the door down."
As soon as he sent the message, he heard hurried footsteps inside the room.
A moment later, the door opened.
Amanda stood in front of him.
She was wearing a black fitted dress, elegant and modest, with a hem that reached past her knees. The padded shoulders of the dress gave her a dignified air.
Her long, dark hair cascaded down her back, clearly styled.
Her face was as stunning as ever, but her fox-like eyes were red and swollen, with traces of tears still glistening.
What shocked James most were the four distinct red marks on her pale cheek.
Seeing those marks, James's expression darkened, his anger reigniting even stronger than before.
The slap marks on Amanda's face felt like they had been delivered to him personally.
His nostrils flared as he exhaled, rage burning like a wildfire in his chest. He spoke slowly, each word laced with fury:
"Who did this?"
Amanda's eyes widened in surprise when she saw James standing at the door. She instinctively stepped back into her room, trying to shut the door.
James moved quickly, taking three strides forward and bracing the door open with ease. His voice was low and firm:
"Sis, if you don't tell me, I'll find out myself."
Using his strength, James pushed the door open, forcing Amanda to stop resisting.
Turning her face away, Amanda muttered,
"I... I accidentally hurt myself."
James stepped forward, wrapping an arm tightly around her waist.
His other hand rose high before coming down with a loud smack.
"Ah!" Amanda cried out, the sting making her yelp.
"I told you, liars get punished," James said sternly.
"I deserved it," Amanda retorted, pushing against his chest, trying to break free.
But James held her firmly in place, unmoving.
She sighed in frustration and said,
"Little brother, just let it go. It's none of your business."
"My sister got hit, and you say it's none of my business?" James growled, his voice rising.
"Tell me who it was, and I'll wipe out his entire family..."
Amanda quickly covered James's mouth with her hand, warning him in a cautious tone:
"Don't say things like that. He's someone you can't mess with."
James let out a bitter laugh.
If he wanted, there wasn't a single person in the world he couldn't "mess with."
Whether it was competing in the Olympics to bring glory to his country or using his wealth to disrupt foreign economies, the Chinese government would back him without question.
His background was unshakable.
"Just tell me who it was. I'll take care of the rest. If I don't beat the sh*t out of him today, it's because he already flushed it down the toilet," James said arrogantly.
Amanda rolled her eyes at him and, with a hint of annoyance, finally revealed the name of the person who slapped her.
"Edgar... my dad. Go ahead and hit him if you want."
James froze, utterly dumbfounded.