Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1695

"We can't be certain yet, but we can confirm they were participants." Lowell gritted his teeth. "Those bastards. They never fail to disappoint, do they? Utterly depraved, with no conscience at all! That poor Martial King! What a tragic loss! Goddamn it, one of these days we'll make them pay!" Before Tarquin could respond, Lowell contradicted himself. "On second thought, who'd want them for anything? I wouldn't even acknowledge them. I don't want that kind of scum." After his rant, Lowell secured the evidence and turned back to Tarquin. "Do we still need to pay a visit to the president of the Thyania Martial Arts Association?" Tarquin flicked his ash. "The old president of Thyania died a while back. The current one only took over a few years ago. He won't know as much as Punikon's grandfather. No need to go. Let's head back." Lowell started the car. "So, we'll follow the leads on Nipponora and Koryon. Should we get Elliot and Elijah involved in the investigation?" Tarquin slowly exhaled. "Let them rest. We'll investigate privately for now. We can ask for their help if it becomes necessary." "Got it." As Lowell drove back, he couldn't help but mutter, "I hear Nipponora and Koryon sent a lot of people this time. They were already strutting around the registration area yesterday like they owned the place. Every single one of them looked like they were begging for a punch in the face. If only Axel were here. We could sign him up and let him absolutely wreck them in this 'friendly' tournament." Tarquin stared out the window, lost in dark thoughts, his face a mask of silence. The next day, the three little ones were up early. Evan had a match today, but they didn't know what time he'd be up, so they had to get to the venue early. After breakfast, the female bodyguard applied their makeup. It was the kind of cool, colorful face paint you'd see at a festival, meant to hide their faces—which were carbon copies of Tarquin's—and conceal their identities. Once they were ready, the boys said goodbye to Tarquin. "Daddy, we're leaving now." Tarquin's face was full of affection as he reminded Evan, "Safety first." Evan nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Daddy. There's no shame in retreating when you're outmatched. If I can't win, I'll concede. Besides, I'm just a kid, so it's not embarrassing to surrender!" Tarquin nodded, then added, "If you run into any fighters from Nipponora or Koryon, don't hold back. You can let loose on them. Just don't kill them." This was a friendly tournament without any deathmatch waivers; killing someone would have serious consequences. So, no fatalities. Evan, influenced by Bernard and Walter, already disliked those two countries. He pursed his lips and said, "One is always trying to steal our culture, and they even throw their own presidents in jail! The other one invaded our homeland and brutalized our ancestors! We've got bad blood with them. I won't go easy on them if I see them!" Tarquin said, "It's more than that. We have a personal vendetta with them, too. They were involved in what happened to your grandpa Bernard." Elliot, Evan, and Elijah were stunned. "!" Tarquin didn't hide anything from them, telling them the whole story. "We can't be sure they were the masterminds yet, so to avoid tipping them off, we can't make a direct move against them. But in the ring, you have my permission to let them have it." The three boys had identical expressions: jaws clenched, brows furrowed, fists tightened, eyes blazing with fire. The anger in Evan's eyes, in particular, was practically shooting flames. Tarquin patted Evan's head. "Let out all that anger. Daddy will clean up any mess." Bernard's death had affected Evan deeply, and he needed an outlet. Letting him participate in this tournament was meant to give him a way to release his grief and rage. Telling him about Nipponora and Koryon was a way to help him channel that anger more effectively. Evan's little brow was knitted tightly. He took a moment before nodding firmly. "I understand, Daddy!"