From Ruin to Reign Leander's Unbreakable Will novel Chapter 415

Hudson froze, and his expression went completely blank. He wasn't the only one. Stella and Margot both stiffened, stunned.

The people in front of them were from Grandhawk Properties. Stella knew the name. It was a newcomer, having only recently stepped into Dawnmere. Sure, Grandhawk Properties had a bunch of thugs and enforcers under them, but on paper, there was no way they could hold a candle to Hudson's Linus Trading Co.

The young man leading the group was just some mid-level figure from Grandhawk. Yet somehow, this kid had the nerve to completely ignore Hudson, the CEO of Linus Trading Co., and even speak to them with utter disrespect. Stella couldn't wrap her head around it.

How does Grandhawk Properties even have this much confidence and guts?

Hudson's eyes went cold. In all his twenty-something years, nobody had ever brushed him off this blatantly.

His expression darkened. His voice dropped to an icy growl. "Grandhawk Properties is barely even standing in Dawnmere. You're not even in the top twenty. I honestly have no idea who filled your head with this kind of confidence. Give me your director's number. I'll talk to him myself. You're not qualified to talk to me."

"Confident?" The young man leading the Grandhawk Properties curled his lip like he was bored. "You're already lucky I'm talking to you. Linus Trading Co. is a third-rate outfit at best. Even Lakeshore Realty Group, the biggest shark in Dawnmere, wouldn't dare meddle in Grandhawk's business. What makes you think you can?"

He shot Hudson a sideways look, tapped his nose, and let out a mocking snort. "Right, I forgot. Linus Trading Co. isn't even on the list of third-rate companies in Mornwick. No wonder you don't get what Grandhawk is built on. Before you stick your nose in our business again, maybe figure out who our chairman is. Otherwise you might end up tanking your own company."

Hudson felt a jolt in his chest. When he came here, he had already checked Grandhawk's file. The company had only set foot in Dawnmere in September, and its CEO was a young, unknown manager. Nothing worth worrying about.

But the tone coming from this guy was that Linus Trading Co. was something he could crush with two fingers. That calm arrogance made Hudson second-guess everything he thought he knew.

While Hudson was still trying to make sense of it, the Grandhawk leader spoke again. "Master Damon, clear them out. They're wasting our time."

The middle-aged man in front nodded once. Then he stepped forward, fast as a pouncing predator.

"What?"

Hudson's stomach dropped. A blur shot straight at him. He tried to throw up an arm, but the punch landed first, slamming into his chest and knocking him backward. He hit the sand hard.

The twenty-some bodyguards around him finally snapped into action. They rushed in together, but Master Damon, Damon Kranz, moved as if he were walking through an empty hallway. One guy was fighting more than twenty. Three moves at most, and bodies were already hitting the ground. Legs twisted. Bones cracked. Screams everywhere.

"A bunch of trash. You think you can lay a hand on me?" Damon stood there like the whole place belonged to him.

Every villager froze. The crowd fell silent. They wanted to protect their home, but they weren't id*ots.

Those bodyguards looked like hardened fighters. Even then, more than twenty of them together got wiped out by one man. If the villagers jumped in, they'd just be lining up to get hurt.

"Hudson!" Stella's voice cracked as she ran to him. She pulled him up, and her hands were shaking. Her eyes were wide with shock.

I've seen what Hudson can do. I watched him take down four or five thugs armed with knives, all by himself, just because he wanted to protect me. I know how strong he is. But even with all that, he still can't block a single punch from this guy. So, how strong is this Master Damon supposed to be?

The young man leading the crew from Grandhawk Properties let out a cold little laugh and wagged a finger at the crowd. "Save yourselves the trouble. This here is Master Damon. We brought him in for a reason. The guy's a top tier internal martial arts master. We're tearing this whole village down today. Anyone who wants to stand in the way can go ahead and test him. If you're dying to spend the night in a hospital, be my guest."

The villagers had been boiling with anger a moment ago, yet the moment he made that announcement, the whole crowd froze. Not a single person dared step forward. Everyone suddenly feared being the first one knocked out.

Cain and Basim, who had followed Margot over, knew instantly that this was turning ugly. They kept their heads down and stayed far from the action because the last thing they wanted was trouble falling on them.

Hudson was boiling inside, angrier than he had ever been. He also knew perfectly well that he was no match for Damon. With Stella watching him, his expression darkened until it was almost purple.

A minute ago, he had bragged confidently that he could settle everything without breaking a sweat. Yet after revealing who he was, the other side treated him like a nobody. They dropped his men like flies, and even he took injuries that left him embarrassed and furious.

He felt like he had just lost every ounce of dignity in front of Gemma and Stella.

While he was still scrambling for a plan, Linus finally stepped forward in his gold embroidered coat.

Linus moved to the front. Even with all his years in business, the scene in front of him made his brows tighten. "Friends from Grandhawk Properties, don't you think you're pushing things too far?"

His eyes narrowed a fraction, and the quiet pressure of someone used to being in charge came through.

"Linus Trading Co. isn't some big fancy brand, but I do know a few people. Grandhawk Properties might have its own hidden backing, but here in Northridge, you don't get to run wild."

The young man from Grandhawk Properties narrowed his eyes as well and let out a casual laugh. "Is that so? Then go ahead and try. Let's see who in Mornwick dares to stop Grandhawk Properties from doing what we came to do."

Linus snorted and pulled out his phone. "Mr. Howard, it's me, Linus."

Of course, other people might not recognize the voice on the phone, but how could I not? That's Howard, the eldest son of Gumus in Ascendia. Dawnmere is one of the counties directly under Ascendia's jurisdiction, and Ascendia practically runs the place. Howard's influence alone is enough to shake several counties around us. Even the chairman of Lakeshore Realty Group, the biggest company in Dawnmere, treats him with absolute respect and calls him Mr. Howard without a second thought. In all of Mornwick, there aren't even three young people who can stand on the same level as him. Yet even a heavyweight like Howard wants nothing to do with blocking Grandhawk Properties. If someone like him refuses to get involved, then who in the world is standing behind Grandhawk Properties?

Margot felt her heart slam against her ribs. It didn't even feel real. She studied in Ascendia, so she always heard news before anyone else. Gumus's eldest son, Howard, practically ruled the entire generation. He was the kind of man who could summon storms with a sentence. CEOs and board chairs bowed to him. His influence was staggering.

And Bastian was every bit his equal. He was the heir to the throne of Mornwick. So when Margot heard that Grandhawk Properties had him standing behind them, all she felt was pure hopelessness.

With someone like that backing the project, the fate of Greenstem Village being flattened was essentially already decided.

Basim and Cain, who had been ready to step in earlier, froze completely. Their bravado vanished. Neither dared to move.

"So the chairman behind Grandhawk Properties is Mr. Bastian. Hudson offended you before. That has nothing to do with Linus Trading Co. We won't get involved." Linus acted like the seasoned businessman he was. Once he realized the name they were dealing with, he gave up instantly. He lifted his hands, stepped back, and removed himself completely.

Francis, Gemma, and the others turned to Hudson with desperate hope in their eyes. Hudson didn't say a word. He simply followed Linus to the side, head lowered so far he couldn't meet anyone's gaze.

"Hudson, you…" Gemma might have been a simple village woman, but even she understood the significance of this. Her face burned hot. She wished she could crawl into the ground and disappear.

She had puffed herself up earlier, promising the villagers that Hudson could settle this with no trouble. The villagers believed her. They flattered her. But now, reality hit them like a slap.

"Fine."

Stella stood alone, feeling the strength drain from her limbs. Her expression went blank.

Margot held her up. Her chest ached with frustration, but there wasn't a single thing she could do.

Even though I'd spent the past few years drifting toward the excitement of the outside world, this place was still the home that raised me for more than a decade. I couldn't bear the thought of watching Greenstem Village get wiped off the map. But no matter how much I hated it, I had to admit there was nothing left I could do. And the truth hits even harder now. The man behind them is Bastian. Looking across all of Mornwick, unless Frankie, Gumus, or Tommy speaks up for themselves, who in the world can make Bastian change his mind?

In the middle of her panic, she suddenly froze.

Off to the side, out by the fields, a tall figure came into view.

He was strolling over with a drink in one hand and the other tucked into his pocket, moving like he had all the time in the world. And there he was at last. Leander.