Chapter 44: Cripple

Jonathan walked toward Avery, each step radiating a menacing, murderous aura. He resembled a devil emerging from the depths of hell, ready to hunt down his prey. Avery's eyes were filled with fear as she watched Jonathan approach. She had been so confident that Master Yannis could easily handle him, but she had completely underestimated Jonathan's strength. How could someone she thought was a mere country bumpkin possess such terrifying power? At that moment, Joshua, still groggy from his injuries, slowly opened his eyes. As his vision cleared, the sight before him shocked him. The powerful master his family had hired lay unconscious in a pile of debris, while Jonathan stood tall, completely unharmed. Worse, he was walking toward Avery. In a panic, Joshua struggled to his feet, standing between Jonathan and his sister. "You backwoods hick! If you touch my sister, I'll fight you!" he shouted, his voice trembling with fear. Jonathan gave Joshua a cold, piercing stare. "I have no intention of hurting a woman, but you... you've given me a reason." Avery grabbed Joshua's arm, pulling him back. "Joshua, don't! Jonathan, if you want to blame someone, blame me. I sent the people to kill you. But know this—this isn't the true strength of my family. My elder brother is in seclusion, and he's far stronger than Yannis. If you harm me, my brother will make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!" Jonathan smirked, his gaze filled with disdain. "Is that so? Then call him. I'll show him exactly how hard my fists are." His eyes turned back to Joshua. "You tried to scar Isabella's face earlier, didn't you?" "I-I…" Joshua stammered, his body trembling uncontrollably under Jonathan's cold gaze. The fear in his eyes was palpable, and his bravado had completely crumbled. Jonathan stepped closer and grabbed Joshua's shoulder with one hand. Avery, desperate to protect her brother, lunged forward but was easily brushed aside by Jonathan's flick of the wrist. "What are you going to do?" Joshua stammered, barely able to speak. "I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget and make sure the Cooper family knows the consequences of crossing me," Jonathan replied. Without another word, Jonathan drove a powerful punch into Joshua's stomach, causing him to double over in agony. Jonathan then swiftly pressed his hand against Joshua's limbs, breaking his bones with precision. "Ahh!" Joshua screamed in pain, his body collapsing to the ground, his limbs useless and broken. In mere moments, Jonathan had completely incapacitated him. Avery's eyes filled with tears as she saw her brother lying helpless on the ground. "Jonathan! The Cooper family will never forgive you for this!" she shouted, her voice cracking with despair. Jonathan didn't even look back as he replied coldly, "Now your brother knows what it's like to regret." Turning to Isabella, he extended his hand. "Let's go." Isabella, still in shock from the brutal scene she had just witnessed, took Jonathan's hand and walked away with him. Avery, consumed by rage and helplessness, could only watch as they left. "Jonathan! I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you!" Avery screamed as her brother writhed in pain on the ground. She called out desperately for an ambulance. Outside the Cooper Family Villa, Abigail and Andrew sat in a car, waiting impatiently. "Why is it taking so long?" Abigail muttered, growing restless. Andrew chuckled, "Don't worry. The Cooper family is probably torturing that country bumpkin as we speak. I even sent a message to Mr. Cooper, telling him to let Jonathan suffer but not to kill him outright. You'll get your chance for revenge." Abigail nodded, but her impatience remained. She was eager to see Jonathan broken and humiliated for daring to defy the Cooper family. "I can't wait to see how miserable Jonathan is now," Andrew said with a smirk. "He thought he could come to Skyward State and make a name for himself. Now he'll see what happens when you mess with the wrong people." Abigail smiled faintly, agreeing. "He's just a country bumpkin. He has no idea how complicated things are here. He deserves everything that's coming to him." At that moment, the two spotted two figures leaving the villa. To their shock, it was Jonathan and Isabella—and they didn't look injured at all. "This... how is this possible?" Abigail gasped. Andrew's jaw dropped. "Did they... reconcile?" "No way," Abigail said, biting her lip in frustration. "Joshua wouldn't reconcile with Jonathan after everything that happened. Something's off." "Should I call Mr. Cooper and find out?" Andrew asked, unsure of what to do next. Abigail shook her head after a moment of hesitation. "No, let's wait and see." A few minutes later, ambulances arrived at the villa. They watched as Joshua and Yannis were carried out on stretchers, with Avery following close behind, her face pale with fear and worry. "The Cooper family... failed?" Andrew muttered in disbelief. "How is that possible?" Abigail clenched her fists, her mind racing. Could the Cooper family's top warrior really have been defeated by Jonathan? Was this country bumpkin hiding his true strength all along? Andrew, sensing Abigail's growing frustration, tried to reassure her. "Don't worry, Abigail. We'll regroup. Jonathan might've gotten lucky this time, but he's still just a country bumpkin. When Thomas comes back, he'll take care of him." Abigail nodded slightly, though her mind was still spinning. Her gaze followed the ambulance as it sped away. This couldn't be real. Jonathan couldn't possibly have bested the Cooper family. Not someone like him. He had to have been lucky. Next time, she vowed, she would make sure Jonathan was crushed completely. … Meanwhile, at the Skyward State First Hospital, inside a VIP ward, Joshua lay on a hospital bed, his limbs suspended in bandages. He groaned in pain, screaming intermittently. Avery stood by his side, tears streaming down her face. Next to her, their father, Greg, stared at his son's broken body with a cold, steely expression. "Don't worry, son. The man who did this to you will pay with his life. No one crosses the Cooper family and lives to tell the tale," Greg said, his voice filled with cold fury. Avery wiped her tears and urged, "Dad, we need to call Zane. Only my brother can take down someone like Jonathan. He's stronger than anyone else." Greg shook his head. "Zane's still in seclusion and won't be back for another half month. We can't disturb him. But don't worry, I've already found someone else to handle this." "Who?" Avery asked, her curiosity piqued. Greg narrowed his eyes. "Have you ever heard of the Cloud-Flipping Rain Tower?"