Third person's POV
At that moment, a group of people clad in suits and polished leather shoes made a sudden appearance at the entrance, swiftly drawing the crowd's gaze.
Rolf and Alvin had noticeable cuts on their faces, but they stood behind Derek with solemn expressions and respectful attitudes.
Derek stood tall and imposing, a fresh scar marring his brow, yet it did nothing to soften his icy demeanor. His commanding presence was as intense as a force of nature, crashing over like a tidal wave.
Zander's face was a picture of disbelief, his mouth hanging slightly open as he stammered, "How could this be? Aren't you supposed to be..."
Derek strode in with long, purposeful steps, his handsome face set in a cold, stern expression.
His pace quickened, and in just a few strides, he was right in front of Zander.
Without a word, Derek raised his hand and clamped it around Zander's neck.
Compared to him, Zander appeared much thinner and frail.
Faced with Derek's assault, he struggled helplessly like a fish on a chopping board, instinctively trying to back away.
Derek's steps closed in relentlessly. With the champagne tower just behind them, Phoebe panicked and screamed frantically, "Stop, please stop!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs, but it didn't change a thing, so she pinned her hopes on Truman, pleading, "Truman, do something to stop him!"
Truman stood ramrod straight, his face expressionless as he said, "Mr. Greenwood is settling a family matter."
This statement nearly drove Phoebe to the brink of fainting. She shook Ambrose's arm desperately, imploring, "Honey, please save Zander."
Ambrose, however, remained motionless. "It was too late."
As soon as Ambrose finished speaking, a deafening bang echoed in their ears, leaving everyone around them in a state of stunned disbelief. The towering champagne tower collapsed like a small mountain.
Champagne cascaded down on the two like a waterfall, with glasses shattering and crashing to the floor in a cacophony.
Zander's back was slammed against the pillar with such force that his head reeled from the blow. Before he could gather his wits, he heard Derek's icy voice in his ear. "It seems you didn't take a single word of my warning to heart."
Derek pressed a champagne glass he casually caught against Zander's neck, the broken shard pressing against his carotid artery.
"If you don't take my words seriously, then I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget."
Seeing the blood gushing from Zander's neck, Phoebe sprinted toward him without a second thought. "Derek, let go. He's your brother!"
"Brother?" Derek's face was stern, his lips curling into a sneer. "I've cut him slack time and time again because we're family, but he never stops. Zander, you've dug your own grave."
With that, Derek bore down on Zander's shoulders, forcing him down with a vicious push. Zander couldn't withstand Derek's strength. He buckled and fell to his knees onto the ground littered with shards of glass.
The shards pierced his knees, and Zander let out a cry of pain.
Ambrose spoke up, trying to intervene, "Don't go too far. Let him go."
Ignoring Ambrose's words, Derek merely glanced at him coldly and replied in an extremely indifferent tone, "In the Greenwood family, you have no right to interfere."
With that, Derek withdrew his gaze and barked an order to Rolf standing nearby, "Keep an eye on him. If he dares to get up, break his legs."
"Yes, Mr. Greenwood. What if someone tried to stop it?"
The remark was clearly meant for Phoebe. Without turning his head, Derek strode toward Tabitha and said, "If so, we can't let that person go either."
Derek pushed his way through the throng, his eyes finally landing on the person he'd been yearning to see.
Ignoring the gazes of everyone around him, Derek pulled Tabitha into a tight embrace.
He lowered his voice and whispered softly into her ear, "I'm sorry to put you through this."