Back From Prison, Built For Revenge - Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Yael's arrival shattered the tense atmosphere like a bomb going off.
The entire hall fell silent. All eyes were locked on the man whose presence alone commanded the room. His bodyguards fanned out, a sea of black suits creating an impenetrable perimeter. Onlookers scrambled back, pocketing their phones, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.
Chloe stood her ground, her face pale but her posture ramrod straight. She didn't look at Yael, keeping her gaze lowered as if indifferent to the chaos swirling around her. Only the slight tremble in her hands betrayed her unease.
Yael walked toward her, his steps slow and deliberate. His eyes flickered over Hayden, a bone-chilling coldness in his gaze, before landing on Chloe.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low and gentle, a stark contrast to the intimidating aura he projected.
Chloe met his eyes for a brief moment before shaking her head. "I'm fine."
Yael's brow furrowed. He didn't believe her for a second. His gaze fell to her rumpled sleeve and the faint red marks on her shoulder where Hayden had grabbed her. Even without a visible injury, the sight ignited a white-hot rage within him.
"Who did this?" His voice dropped, sharp and cold.
Chloe looked away, refusing to answer. She didn't want to complicate things or drag Yael into her mess. But her silence was all the confirmation he needed.
His eyes snapped back to Hayden, now burning with a glacial fury. "Mr. Stone. Is this how you treat your guests?"
Hayden tried to look unfazed, but a bead of sweat trickling down his temple gave him away. He knew Yael wasn't someone to mess with, but he couldn't back down now. He forced a sneer. "Mr. Foster, this is a Stone family matter. You're overstepping."
"Family matter?" Yael's lips curled into a smirk. "If I remember correctly, Ms. Quinn cut ties with your family years ago. What 'family matter' could you possibly have with her?"
The words hit Hayden like a punch to the gut. His face darkened, but he had no comeback. Yael was right—Chloe was no longer a Stone. She was just the girl they had cast aside.
But that only made the public humiliation sting more. "Even so, she was my sister!" he spat through gritted teeth. "What's wrong with me teaching her a lesson?"
"'A lesson'?" Yael laughed, a humorless, condescending sound. "If your idea of a 'lesson' is putting your hands on someone, maybe you're the one who needs to be taught."
He turned his head slightly and gave a sharp nod to his bodyguards. "Take care of him."
Before Hayden could react, two guards grabbed him and forced him to the ground. He struggled, but their grip was like iron. He was completely overpowered.
"Let me go!" he roared. "Yael, you wouldn't dare touch me!"
The threat was meaningless. Yael simply watched him, as if observing a pathetic joke.
"'Dare'?" he repeated softly, then crouched down to meet Hayden's furious glare. "Mr. Stone, I do whatever I want. The word 'dare' isn't in my vocabulary."
Hayden was crushed by his sheer dominance, left seething in silence. Just then, a shrill voice cut through the tension.
"Stop! Please, stop!"
Everyone turned to see a small, delicate figure burst through the crowd—Yolanda. She threw herself in front of Hayden, frantically pushing the guards away and shielding her brother with her own body. She looked up at Yael, her face a tear-streaked mess.
"Mr. Foster, I'm begging you, let my brother go! It's our fault, we'll apologize, just please don't hurt him!" Her damsel-in-distress act was enough to make most men soften.
Yael just stared at her, unmoved. He didn't even bother with a reply, simply glancing at his men. "Continue."
The guards moved to restrain Hayden again, pushing Yolanda aside. She let out a cry as she stumbled but scrambled back, trying once more to intervene.
The onlookers started murmuring, some sympathizing with the siblings, others silently cheering Yael on. Finally, Carlos and Quella, who had been watching from the edge of the crowd, stepped forward.
"Mr. Foster," Carlos began, his tone cautious, "we all know each other here. There's no need to make such a scene. For the sake of our families' relationship, why don't we let this go?"
Quella chimed in, "Yeah, doing this in public isn't good for anyone. Let's just all take a step back."
Their words did little to change the situation. Yael showed no sign of backing down. He just stood there, his predatory gaze sweeping over each of them.
After a moment, he finally spoke. "Take a step back? Mr. Lambert, tell me, if that was your sister who'd just been assaulted, what would you do?"
Carlos froze, unable to answer. Quella looked down, saying nothing more. They both knew this was far from over.
Suddenly, Chloe, who had been silent this whole time, spoke up. "That's enough."
She gently tugged on Yael's sleeve, her voice barely a whisper. "Don't. This will only make things harder for me."
Yael looked down at her, his deep, ocean-like eyes swirling with an unreadable emotion. Finally, he gave a curt nod and waved his men off. "Let him go."
The guards released their hold and stepped back. A disheveled Hayden struggled to his feet, his face flushed with rage and humiliation. He couldn't form a single word, instead glaring at Chloe and Yael with a look of pure hatred, as if branding them for a future reckoning.
No one paid him any mind. In the next second, all attention snapped to a new spectacle.
Yael bent down and swept Chloe into his arms, holding her small, defiant frame securely against his chest. He turned and walked away without a backward glance, leaving a trail of shocked, envious, and bewildered stares in his wake.
Behind him, the hall was a mess, buzzing with the lingering fallout.
"Well, that took a turn... "
"Looks like she and Mr. Foster are seriously involved."
"I have no idea what happens next, but it's not going to be pretty."