Romance

"Huh? You're lecturing me on the law?" 

Jason acted as if he had heard the biggest joke, laughing so hard that he doubled over. "Did you hear that, boys? This nerd thinks he can sentence me!"

He waved a hand and ordered, "Take him out! I'm sick of seeing his corpse-gutting hands. Chop them off!"

Four burly men immediately closed in. Each of them wielded batons in their hands.

"No!" I screamed.

However, the sound of bones breaking didn't come as I expected.

Instead, there was a crisp cracking noise, followed by a scream. "Argh! My hand!"

When I looked at the man who had charged forward first, I saw that his wrist had been bent backward at an unnatural angle. The baton in his hand was now in Cedric's grip.

Cedric's expression was blank, and even his breathing was even. He didn't swing the baton around wildly. Instead, he accurately tapped a point about three inches below the ribs o

On the way home, Cedric drove the car without saying a word. The atmosphere inside the vehicle felt tense and oppressive.

I shrank into the passenger seat and stole glances at his profile.

His demeanor was still cold, and his jawline was tight. His expression revealed no emotion.

"I'm sorry…" I said softly.

Cedric kept his eyes on the road ahead and spoke in a strained tone. "Why are you apologizing?"

"I shouldn't have hidden it from you… Shouldn't have gone to that place… Shouldn't have gotten you involved…"

The car abruptly stopped by the roadside with a screech.

Cedric unfastened his seatbelt and leaned toward me. I shrank back in fear, but he only reached out and gently touched the cut at the corner of my mouth.

"Does it hurt?" His voice suddenly softened, carrying a barely perceptible tremor.

"It does…"

Cedric sighed and lowered his head. He gently pressed his cool lips to

At that moment, the door to the private room was pushed open.

There wasn't a deafening bang. The door simply swung open gently, as naturally as if a waiter had come to deliver water.

However, this slight interruption caused the noisy room to fall inexplicably quiet in an instant.

I opened my eyes and saw a familiar figure standing against the light. He wore a dark gray trench coat, a crisp dress shirt, and gold-rimmed glasses that gleamed coldly.

It was Cedric. In his hands was a silver metal case—his forensic examination kit.

He stood at the doorway and swept his gaze over the room full of demons. It finally landed on me, who was being pinned to the couch by Jason.

In that instant, I saw a flash of fierceness pass through his eyes.

"Let her go," he said.

His voice wasn't loud and sounded as cold as ice, yet it cut through the noisy music with startling clarity.

Jason was stunned for a moment. Then, he laughed. "Well, if it isn't the organ-picking Dr. Mosley?"

Not only did Jason not let me go, but he even went further and draped his arm over my shoulder.

"What? You're here to pick up your wife? Sorry, but your wife belongs to me tonight."

At those words, raucous laughter filled the room.

Cedric didn't laugh, nor did he get angry. Instead, he held his case and slowly walked in.

His leather shoes made a rhythmic tapping noise on the marble floor. Each step seemed to resonate with the thump of one's heartbeat.

As he approached, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. He carried with him the kind of deathly stillness that was unique to someone who spent his days dealing with corpses.

"Cedric! Leave now! Don't worry about me!" I cried out.

Jason had brought over a dozen bodyguards, while Cedric was alone, and a frail intellectual at that. Wasn't this basically him being suicidal?

Cedric acted as if he hadn't heard me. He walked up to the table and languidly took off his leather gloves. He folded them neatly and put them in his pocket.

Then, he took out a new pair of medical latex gloves from his case and put them on. His movements were elegant and precise. It was ritualistic, as if he were preparing for an autopsy.

"Mr. Bell," he called out.

After Cedric was done putting on his gloves, he interlaced his fingers and flexed his joints, producing a faint cracking sound.

"According to Article 238 of the Criminal Code, unlawful detention of another person is punishable by imprisonment for up to three years.

"And, according to Article 234 of the Criminal Code, intentional injury to another person's body is punishable by imprisonment for up to three years as well."

He looked up, and a cold glint flashed behind his gold-rimmed lenses.

"You have multiple crimes combined for sentencing. How would you prefer to go about it?"

"Huh? You're lecturing me on the law?" 

Jason acted as if he had heard the biggest joke, laughing so hard that he doubled over. "Did you hear that, boys? This nerd thinks he can sentence me!"

He waved a hand and ordered, "Take him out! I'm sick of seeing his corpse-gutting hands. Chop them off!"

Four burly men immediately closed in. Each of them wielded batons in their hands.

"No!" I screamed.

However, the sound of bones breaking didn't come as I expected.

Instead, there was a crisp cracking noise, followed by a scream. "Argh! My hand!"

When I looked at the man who had charged forward first, I saw that his wrist had been bent backward at an unnatural angle. The baton in his hand was now in Cedric's grip.

Cedric's expression was blank, and even his breathing was even. He didn't swing the baton around wildly. Instead, he accurately tapped a point about three inches below the ribs of the second man charging at him.

That man instantly collapsed to the floor with a thud, as if his 

Chapter 7 I'll Kill You