Chapter 1362 by Marina Vittori
An Understated Dominance
Ethan had reached his breaking point and slapped Hugo in frustration. The force of the slap sent Hugo sprawling to the ground, leaving everyone in the crowd bewildered. They exchanged incredulous looks, struggling to process what had just transpired.
âWhat on earth is happening here? Shouldnât Ethan be dealing with the troublemaker who barged in?â
Some in the crowd whispered.
âWhy did Hugo get slapped? Is this some kind of mix-up?â
âUncle Ethan?â Hugo held his cheek, looking confused.
âWh-whyâd you hit me?â
Ethanâs anger flared, and he threatened, âYou blind fool! Iâm gonna slap you again!â
He stormed over, landing a series of punches and kicks while yelling, âYou laze around all day, bully people, and stir up trouble everywhere.
âOur family is ashamed to have a good- for-nothing like you! Today, Iâm giving you a lesson on behalf of your father, you worthless scoundrel!â
âOuch! Please, stop! Uncle Ethan. I know I messed upâ¦â Hugo winced from the relentless blows and begged for mercy. The crowd was still stunned, sharing puzzled looks.
Ethanâs sudden burst of violence was not what they expected. Usually, when Hugo got into trouble, heâd get a good scolding. But this punishment was just too brutal.
Cody and Harper, who had just arrived by car, were equally shocked by the scene. They thought Dustin would come to the Langford residence to make amends.. They never imagined Ethan would lash out at Hugo like this.
It left them wondering if influential folks had some peculiar habits. âDid the Langford family take a crazy pill or something?â In the car, Lana watched from a distance, her face showing astonishment. Everything that happened that night was completely unexpected.
âMr. Ethan, heâs your nephew, after all. Take it easy. You donât need to beat him to a pulp,â Dustin said with a friendly smile.
Ethanâs face twitched, but he didnât stop the assault on Hugo. In Ethanâs mind, he was thinking, â Hang in there, Hugo! I have no choice but to do this. Itâll be over soon.â
Under Ethanâs relentless barrage, Hugo lost consciousness. Someone nearby couldnât bear to watch any longer and said, âSir Ethan, please stop. If you keep beating him, Mr. Hugo might not make it.â
Ethan finally paused and grumbled, Hmph! A bastard like him needs a solid lesson!â
He then waved his hand and gave the order. âSomeone! Get this bastard out of here. Look after him, and give him family discipline once heâs back on his feet!â With Ethanâs command, the nearly lifeless Hugo was carried away, bloodied and bruised.
âSorry about that,â Ethan said to Dustin, wearing an apologetic smile. âI didnât handle this right, leading to this mess. If he had done anything to offend you, please forgive us.â
âNo hard feelings,â Dustin replied with a friendly grin.
âIâm not here for payback. I just wanted to have a chat with you.â
âA chat?â Ethan gulped nervously. He couldnât help but think, âWhatâs there to talk about? With your status, donât you have some self-awareness?
âHow can things go well for anyone who hangs around with you?â While he complained silently, he managed a forced smile and said, âNo worries at all; come on in.â
âThanks,â Dustin nodded, and with Maximus following, he entered the Langford residence. Outside, Cody, Harper, and Lana were left utterly dumbfounded.