From Ruin to Reign Leander's Unbreakable Will novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Trouble Comes Knocking

“Do you really think you know me, Yvette?”

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Leander’s sudden question caught Yvette off guard. She blinked in surprise and then shook her head.

How could she possibly understand him? She had only met him two days ago. But she couldn’t fathom why he would ask something like that out of the blue.

When Leander saw her shake her head, his sneer deepened. His tone was icy. “If you don’t know me, why act like you do? This job is my business, my choice. I’m perfectly satisfied with how things are. Maybe you think you can offer me something better, but so what? I don’t need it. I’ve never seen you or your connections as anything more than background noise. To put it simply, I know Ms. Hollis, and that’s it. As for you, we’re not close.”

He held the tray with one hand, his expression growing even more detached, as if Yvette’s words had barely registered. “Miss Sitwell, if you have time to spare, maybe focus on your own life, or put your energy into someone else. Don’t stand here trying to boss me around. I don’t need you telling me what to do!”

His words were harsh and unapologetic. After all, he was the chairman of Leandrix Corp., a man whose worth surpassed billions, with associates like Frankie–a powerhouse in the business world with connections everywhere. For Yvette to talk to him about networking was laughable.

Without sparing her another glance, he turned and walked away.

Yvette stood frozen, speechless after Leander’s outburst. His words had hit like a slap in the face, leaving her stunned. A moment passed before she came back to herself, frustration boiling over as she stomped her foot in anger.

She was usually the ice queen, always cool and reserved, rarely letting anyone get under her skin. But something about Leander’s scornful dismissal had sparked a flame inside her she hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Yvette, why waste your breath on that jerk?” Ginny chimed in, her voice full of disdain. “Didn’t you see the way he acted, like he’s God’s gift to the world? Trying to reason with him is like talking to a brick wall!”

From the moment she first met Leander, Ginny had never liked his attitude. Sure, he had saved them once, and for a brief moment, she felt a bit of gratitude. But after everything that followed, any goodwill she had toward him evaporated, and now she wanted nothing more than to avoid him altogether.

“Some people wouldn’t recognize a good thing if it slapped them in the face. Who needs him

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Chapter 29 Trouble Comes knocking

anyway?”

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Yvette watched Leander walk away without a second glance, her breath hissing out in a quiet huff. She swore to herself right then and there that she would never bother with him again. If he ended up begging on the streets, it would be no concern of hers.

Madeline sighed softly. It had been years since she last saw Leander, and the changes in him were stark. The person standing before them was a far cry from the man she remembered.

As she sighed, a few yards away at a nearby table, a man in a zebra–print suit sat surrounded by four burly men in black. He leaned back on the couch, exuding an air of authority, his eyes constantly drifting toward their table.

Yvette was tall, striking, and carried herself with an air of elegance. Ginny was petite, with curves that could stop traffic. Madeline’s natural beauty shone through even in her server uniform.

The man had been watching the three women for quite some time, clearly intrigued by their

presence.

He gave a slight nod to one of the burly men in black beside him. “Go.”

The henchman understood immediately and made his way over to Madeline’s table. “Excuse me, ladies,” he said in a deep voice as he reached their table. “My boss would like to invite the three of you to join him for a drink.”

Yvette, Ginny, and Madeline blinked in surprise. They had been to this bar dozens of times and were no strangers to the occasional attempt at flirtation. Usually, it was done with a bit more finesse–a polite approach, a smile, and if they declined, the would–be suitors would respectfully back off. But this kind of direct command was a first.

Ginny, the fiery one of the group, waved her hand dismissively. “Come on, inister, you’ve got to be kidding. We don’t even know your boss, so why on earth would we have a drink with him? Do us a favor, okay? Go back to wherever you came from and stop bothering us.”

She didn’t give the man a second thought. She was used to dealing with men like him; her family was wealthy, and they often had a bodyguard or two around, so she had seen this type plenty of times.

Yvette stayed silent, clearly agreeing with Ginny’s stance, while Madeline felt a flicker of irritation at the man’s audacity.

They assumed the man would take the hint and leave, but he stood his ground, unmoved, his voice turning colder. “I’m afraid that’s not an option. My boss insists that the three of you join him.”

The three women followed his gaze and saw a man in a zebra–print suit with a bloated face

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Chapter 29 Trouble Comes knocking

leering at them. The lecherous grin on his lips was enough to make their stomachs turn.

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“Mister, do you not understand plain language? I said we’re not going, okay?” Ginny snapped, her face twisting with irritation. She repeated herself with even more emphasis.

“Not going?” The man in black didn’t flinch. “Then I guess I’ll just have to drag you over.“”

The tone of his voice made it clear–he wasn’t taking no for an answer.

Yvette, Ginny, and Madeline realized he was ready to use force. Their expressions hardened in unison.

Yvette, the cherished daughter of Linden Sitwell, had never faced a situation like this in her life.

Before she could respond, the bar owner, Daniel Price, suddenly appeared by the man’s side, his face dark with displeasure. “What’s going on, Madeline? This guy giving you trouble?” he asked, his eyes darting between the women and the thug. He had noticed something was off and rushed over, worried Madeline might be in danger.

To run a successful bar in the bustling heart of the city, one had to have some serious connections. And Daniel wasn’t one to sit back and watch his own patrons get harassed, especially not someone he had his eye on.

“Mr. Price, this guy here says his boss wants us to go over and have a drink. We said no, and now he’s trying to force us,” Ginny explained, knowing Daniel wasn’t a man to be trifled with. She laid out the whole story plainly.

“Oh? Is that so?” Daniel’s smirk deepened, his eyes narrowing as he turned to face the thug in black. “Listen, buddy, in my bar, we don’t twist people’s arms to get what we want. And I don’t appreciate my friends being pressured.” He pointed a stern finger toward the man. “They don’t want to join you, so this ends here. I suggest you step back and stop bothering them.”

His voice hardened further. “And if you push this any further, I’ll have no choice but to ask you and your boss to leave. My bar doesn’t welcome troublemakers.”

His stance was firm, unyielding. He was backed by some of the most influential people in the central business district, and no one had ever dared cause trouble in his bar. As the toughest owner on the strip, he wasn’t about to let anyone harass Madeline and her friends without facing the consequences.

But just as his words hung in the air–Clatter!-a sharp sound cracked through the room.

Daniel let out a cry of pain and stumbled backward. In the blink of an eye, a glass bottle had flown from the side and smashed against his forehead.

“Ah!” Yvette, Ginny, and Madeline screamed in shock. None of them expected anyone to attack Daniel so suddenly.

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Finished

Blood trickled down his forehead as Daniel struggled to get back on his feet. He glared at the man in the zebra–print suit who had thrown the bottle, his expression turning dark and stormy. “You dare hit me?”

The zebra–suited man’s chubby face twisted into a sly grin as he casually snuffed out his cigar. “So what if I hit you? If you know what’s good for you, back off. I just want to have a few drinks with these lovely ladies.” He leaned forward, his voice low but menacing. “But if you keep standing in my way, I won’t just stop at hitting you. I’ll burn this whole place to the ground.”

His words, though quiet, carried a chilling weight that made Daniel pause. There was a dangerous edge to this man, a sense of power that couldn’t be ignored.

Weighing his options, Daniel decided to mention his connections. “I don’t know who think

you you are,” he said, trying to steady his voice, “but this bar is under Mr. Harvey’s protection. Are you sure you want to mess with that?”

“Mr. Harvey?” The zebra–suited man sneered. “You mean Leon Harvey?” He chuckled, showing off a set of yellowed teeth, his expression mocking. “Feel free to ask him if he dares cross Tobias Zimmerman.”

Tobias Zimmerman.

The name hit Daniel like a punch to the gut, freezing him in place.

And it wasn’t just him. Yvette, Madeline, and Ginny all felt the air grow heavier, their expressions shifting from shock to outright fear. Especially Madeline and Ginny, whose eyes widened as terror crept in.

Tobias was the kingpin of the north side of Ravenridge, a true overlord of the city’s underworld.

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