Looking at the three men, Ethan frowned and squinted. It was only after staring at them for a while did he realize they were from the gambling den he used to visit.
Sighing, he rubbed his forehead. "How much is the debt?"
The bald man grinned, his smile wide. "2000 dollars! You owe us that much."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He couldn’t remember clearly since he had been drunk that night, and he was puzzled.
’Did that guy really owe 2000 dollars? That’s suspicious.’
Suddenly, he saw something that made his eyes widen.
[Family Happiness: 5.01%]
His head snapped back to Evelyn, seeing her look down with watery eyes. He couldn’t immediately understand, but when he figured it out, everything clicked.
’Oh, this is quite a disheartening misunderstanding.’
He groaned, then turned to the three men. Without even glancing at Richard who was his friend, he said coldly.
"You’re not getting any money from me. Scram."
The air froze, and the three men looked at him in surprise. Even Evelyn was a little startled.
"Do you want me to say it again? I owe you nothing, so scram immediately."
Richard’s expression turned ugly. "Ethan, what’s gotten into you? You know how things work at the gambling den. Pay up or your house will become collateral."
Ethan glanced at him, his expression cold. It was only now that he remembered that this young man was the one who had instigated the original Ethan to gamble.
"Oi, Ethan. Stop pretending to be a good husband. If you’re willing to let me have your wife for one night, I can reduce it to a thousand dollars."
Ethan’s expression remained completely unchanged. "Say that again."
The bald man grinned. "I said, if you let me—Puak!"
The bald guy didn’t get to finish his sentence when Ethan’s fist dug into his stomach.
He crumpled to the ground, curling in pain.
"What?! Ethan, you son of a bitch!"
Ethan’s focus shifted to the other guy who had a strong physique. He glanced at Richard, seeing him rush to check on the injured guy.
’Tsk. This guy is really the worst.’
He turned back to the burly guy who was already approaching him with heavy strides.
"You should have complied when you had the chance," He growled and threw a punch.
Ethan instinctively crossed his arms, blocking the blow. He winced, staggering back by a few steps.
’Damn. I’m no longer Victor in my prime. This stings as hell.’
He growled and attacked the guy.
He feinted toward the man’s head before abruptly switching to a kick aimed at his groin.
The burly man collapsed, tears welling in his eyes as he glared at Ethan indignantly. "You... cheat..."
Without mercy, Ethan stomped on his face, breaking his nose and staining the sole of his shoe with the man’s blood.
Ignoring him, he turned back to Richard, a scowl on his face. "Grab them and scram. Tell your Boss I’ll pay him a visit soon."
Richard immediately helped the two guys up and staggered away.
Sighing, Ethan turned back to Evelyn and found her holding Nora close, covering the girl’s eyes.
"Sorry about that," He scratched his head. "Let’s go inside."
Surprisingly, Evelyn didn’t move. She remained standing there, avoiding his gaze.
Ethan blinked. "Evelyn? They’re gone now. We can go inside."
She still didn’t answer him. He frowned, then took a step towards her. She stepped back.
Ethan’s frown deepened, and he quickly stepped towards her before she could retreat.
He took her hand and pulled her inside, unwilling to let their neighbors watch the scene unfold. She barely resisted, but he could sense that she was already trembling from fear.
Nora said nothing, her expression dark.
When they entered, Ethan finally released her hand and turned to face her. Evelyn recoiled slightly, already anticipating a slap.
Ethan sighed and pulled her into a hug.
"You don’t have to be scared of me. I’m not eating you, you know?"
Evelyn froze in his arms, her eyes wide. What else was he planning again?
Was this fake? Was he trying to deceive her again?
Ethan gently patted her hair, choosing to remain silent. He still didn’t release her, waiting for her body to relax.
Meanwhile, Nora watched him with a puzzled expression.
After a while, Evelyn’s body relaxed, and she asked in a small voice. "Do you... do you really owe them money?"
Ethan grunted, sounding displeased. "Honestly, I’m not sure. I was pretty drunk, so I don’t remember what happened. But I know those idiots are probably lying."
He slowly released her, then walked inside the house. She quickly followed him, doubt in her heart.
"But, Ethan... why did you fight them? Shouldn’t you have... paid?"
He turned to her with an incredulous expression, then burst out laughing.
"Me? Pay money to those criminals? Laughable. If someone wants to get a dime from me, they have to try harder."
He ended his statement with a chuckle, then crouched before Nora.
"Hey, do you think I went overboard by beating them?"
Nora’s eyes widened, and she shook her head with a vicious expression. "No, you did well beating them."
Evelyn’s mouth opened in surprise. "Ethan... what are you teaching our child?"
He rolled his eyes and stood up. "I’m not teaching her anything. Right, Nora?"
He glanced at the little girl, winking at her.
The girl smiled slightly, nodding. "Hm, daddy didn’t teach me anything."
Seeing that even her daughter supported him, Evelyn was speechless.
"Nora, you..."
"Pfft!" The little girl laughed, then ran off to the bedroom.
Ethan watched her go with a smile, then he spoke without looking at his wife.
"I know I’ve done some horrible things in the past, Evelyn. But please..." He turned to her, his eyes burning with sincerity. "Let me correct them. Alright?"
Evelyn stared at him with a dazed expression, and she didn’t even know when she nodded. Wasn’t this the way she always wanted? Why had she been doubting him?
Judging from his explanation and reaction to the situation earlier, it seemed it had all been a big misunderstanding.
Perhaps Cassie’s assumption was wrong, and it had only been an unfortunate coincidence. Perhaps, he had really changed...
Seeing her eyes get watery again, Ethan quietly pulled her into a hug and patted her back.
Finally, the tears she had been holding back for a long time came flooding like a river. This time, they were tears of relief.