"Virga???"

"...That damn father."

"Okay, I'm coming right now!"

Blanche didn't have a car. She had taken a taxi to pick up the two girls. It was rare to see her maternal side in full force, so Luis had naturally obliged.

After hanging up, Luis, his face dark, ran straight to the hospital entrance. He scanned the area, and before long, a taxi pulled up in front of him.

Blanche and the two schoolgirls stepped out first. Immediately, Blanche glanced back at the following taxi, her face turning pale with a trace of panic upon seeing the passenger inside.

The man from the car behind swiftly got out and practically sprinted over.

He was tall and gaunt, his complexion sickly and sallow. His features were twisted, giving him an unmistakably malicious air—a sinister, threatening vibe. Even his smile was a grotesque, unnerving leer.

"Blanche, you bitch, you went to pick her up early."

Virga immediately blocked Blanche's path, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Lucky for me I happened to see it, or you would've slipped away."

"Hey Virga, we have nothing to do with you anymore. What exactly do you want?"

Blanche shielded the two girls behind her.

She was no weak woman. Pushing her daughter toward the hospital entrance, she said, "You two go inside first. Don't stay out here."

Chloe looked terrified. She quickly grabbed Leah's hand, and the two hurried into the hospital building.

Virga moved to intercept them, well aware that Blanche wasn't easily intimidated. The child was her only weak point—he couldn't let them escape.

But the moment he took a step, Luis, already prepared, blocked his way. He shoved Virga hard in the chest, fixing the addict with a cold stare.

Virga was so thin he seemed frail. The push sent him stumbling, nearly toppling over. He turned back, glaring at Luis with fierce, venomous eyes.

"Damn it, where the hell did you come from? Blocking my way? You're tired of living, huh?"

As he spoke, he actually pulled out a dagger, his grin turning vicious. "I'll stab you dead right here. Then you'll fucking learn what 'suffering' means."

To Luis's surprise, Blanche snatched up a nearby broom and immediately stepped in front of him, her expression resolute as she stared Virga down. "Go ahead, try it. We'll all die together today!!"

In Luis's memory, Blanche had always been gentle, capable. He never expected this steely, confrontational side of her.

Virga seemed to have learned his lesson before. His face instantly showed hesitation and clear fear. Gritting his teeth, he spat out, "You slut, you think that little bit of money is enough to get rid of me?"

"Let me tell you, if I can't survive, none of you will have it easy either."

Blanche looked at him coldly. "I'm drowning in debt, poorer than you. Where would I get money for you to waste?"

Virga let out a nasty chuckle. "Don't give me that crap. I heard you took out a loan to buy a house, and it's almost done being renovated. You have money for a house but none for me? You think I'm an idiot?"

Blanche clenched her jaw. "Nonsense. I need to provide a stable home for my child. Besides, it's none of your damn business."

"Hehe, not giving it, huh? Then I'll just have to come celebrate your housewarming."

Virga laughed shamelessly. "What I'm afraid of is your new place turning into a haunted house. If the kid doesn't have a dad, maybe she doesn't need a mom either, right?"

"You bastard, you—"

"Three hundred dollars. I'm not asking for much now. If you don't give it to me, none of you are leaving here today."

Virga was clearly in the grips of withdrawal. He yawned, rubbed his eyes, looking lethargic and miserable.

Blanche's eyes reddened, a look of grim determination settling on her face, as if ready to fight him to the death. But Luis had already pulled her behind him, his gaze icy as he stared down the addict, anger barely contained.

"Even a wild beast doesn't harm its own young. Using your own child as a threat—are you even human?"

"Who the hell are you? None of your damn business, pretty boy."

Virga's expression shifted to one of feigned realization, a lewd smirk spreading. "Oh, I get it. This is your new fling, huh? Good taste, going for a young one. Guess you're at that age where you really need it, eh?"

"Watch your mouth!"

Blanche was nearly beside herself with rage, her face dark.

But arguing with a scoundrel like this was like talking to a brick wall, utterly pointless.

Seeing Blanche's furious, humiliated expression, Virga only escalated his vulgar taunts. "Oh, hit a nerve, did I? Always knew you were a slut. Still won't admit it?"

He then turned to Luis, his grin turning obscene. "So, pretty boy, was she good in bed? This one's got tits and an ass. Bet she knows how to please a man between the sheets."

"I'm not being unreasonable. A girl like her would cost you a hundred bucks a pop at a massage parlor, easy."

"I don't care how many times you've fucked her. Let's say five times. Shouldn't you settle that bill?"

"I'll kill you!"

Tears welling in her reddened eyes, Blanche couldn't take it anymore. She raised the broom and swung at him. Virga, anticipating it, dodged easily, his smile turning even more repulsive.

Luis wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close. He understood all too well the depth of her humiliation and anguish in that moment.

The entrance of the Municipal First Hospital was bustling with people coming and going. All sorts of things happened inside hospitals, but nothing could ever dampen people's eagerness to watch a spectacle.

Quite a few people had already stopped to watch, whispering and speculating as if they were witnessing a mistress confrontation. Hearing only fragments of the exchange, they began making malicious guesses about whether Blanche was a woman of questionable morals.

What woman could endure such humiliation? No matter how strong-willed she was, her emotions were bound to spiral out of control.

"Don't move. You're not without a man now. You don't have to handle everything on your own anymore."

Those lightly spoken words instantly calmed the frantic Blanche. Tears streaming down her face, she looked at Luis with disbelief.

Even though theirs was a transactional relationship, he had said such a thing. Though it felt unreal to her, the warmth that surged within her at having someone to rely on was undeniable.

"Virga, right? It's just about money."

Luis nudged her to go inside the hospital first. Blanche bit her silver teeth and shook her head, still tightly clutching that broom, unwilling to leave.

She had already steeled herself. If Virga truly dared to cause trouble, she would fight to the death to prevent this man from getting hurt.

"Oh, judging by your clothes, you look like you have a few stinking bucks."

Virga said with a vicious expression, "Let me tell you, if you've slept with my woman, then hand over the money obediently. Otherwise, when death comes, you won't be spared either."

As he spoke, he yawned again, his body giving a slight twitch, clearly in great discomfort. Swallowing hard, his greasy, distorted face made it obvious his mental state was far from normal.

Luis smiled, taking out ten thousand dollars in cash from his bag. Even though card payments and QR code scans were convenient nowadays, the somewhat traditional Luis still preferred carrying some cash on him.

The moment Virga saw the money, his eyes lit up, no less intense than a starving beast spotting food.

"Smart move. Give it to me now!"

Without another word, he reached out to snatch it, but Luis immediately raised his hand. As Virga lunged forward, dropping his guard, Luis suddenly kicked him hard in the stomach.

After exchanging for the Combat Expertise skill, Luis now possessed abilities at least at the level of a martial arts champion. That night, he had still been at a disadvantage, overwhelmed by numbers and left covered in injuries.

Luis had been heartbroken over wasting a blind box and some attribute points, his anger bottled up with nowhere to vent. This guy delivering himself to his doorstep gave him no reason not to let it out.

Never mind that Virga had let his guard down. Even if Virga had stayed alert or was in that hyper state after taking drugs, Luis was confident he could beat him to death.

"Damn you, daring to mess with me!"

Virga fell to the ground, groaning in pain, then glared with bloodshot eyes and raised his dagger again.

But having learned his lesson, seeing that Luis was taller and visibly muscular, he hesitated, not immediately charging to attack.

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