Chapter 30

The dim glow of the parking lot lights cast long shadows as Nani stepped out of the building, rolling his shoulders from a long day at work. He exhaled, ready to head home until he noticed something off. The air felt heavy, charged with an unfamiliar tension.

Before he could react, figures emerged from the shadows. Eight men, dressed in dark clothing, their movements calculated. Nani's sharp gaze swept over them. He wasn't naïve, he knew exactly what this was. Someone had sent them.

One of them lunged first, and Nani dodged smoothly, countering with a swift punch to the ribs. Another came at him from the side, he caught the man's wrist, twisting it sharply before slamming his elbow into his jaw. Two down. But there were too many.

One of them rushed at him from behind. Nani barely twisted in time, but the delay cost him. A sharp kick slammed into his ribs, making him stumble. Another landed a punch to his shoulder. Pain radiated through him, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, sending an uppercut to the attacker's chin.

The others didn't let up. One swung at him, and Nani dodged, but another caught him with a hit to the stomach. His vision blurred for a second, but he forced himself to stay standing.

His sharp eyes flicked around the parking lot and then he saw it. The emergency button on the wall. he let himself fall just close enough to the wall. With the last of his strength, he slammed his palm against the emergency button.

A loud siren blared through the parking lot.

Panic flickered in their eyes.

"Shit, let's go!" one of them barked. They hesitated only for a moment before retreating, disappearing into the night just as security and company staff rushed in.

Nani exhaled shakily, his body screaming in pain. He had taken down most of them, but in the end, eight against one wasn't a fair fight. His knees buckled, and before anyone could reach him, darkness took over, and he collapsed to the ground.

A dull, persistent beeping pulled Nani from the darkness. His body felt like lead, pain radiating from his ribs and shoulder as he slowly opened his eyes. The white ceiling, the faint scent of antiseptic, it didn't take much to realize where he was.

The hospital.

With a groan, he shifted slightly, only to hear a gasp.

"P' Nani is awake!" Prim's voice wavered, and when he turned his head, he saw her wide eyes brimming with unshed tears. Next to her, Win and Dew sat, their expressions tight with worry, his usual playful demeanor nowhere to be found. Dew, ever the quiet one, looked tense, his sharp gaze sweeping over Nani like he was checking for any more unseen injuries.

"You scared the hell out of us," Win muttered, leaning forward. "What the hell were you thinking, fighting off eight men alone?"

Nani exhaled sharply. "Not like I had a choice."

Prim sniffled, wiping at her eyes. Nani sighed. "Don't cry. I'm fine."

"You call this fine?" Dew finally spoke, his voice low. "If security hadn't found you in time, who knows what would've happened?"

"Doesn't matter" Nani said firmly, pushing himself up against the pillows despite the ache in his body. "What matters now is that we don't let this get out." His sharp eyes landed on all three of them. "No one says a word about this. Not to anyone. Especially Sky."

Win raised a brow. "You really think you can hide this from him?"

"Yes." Nani said without hesitation. "And if any of you dare to tell him, I swear I won't go easy on you."

Dew exchanged a glance with Win, but neither of them argued. They knew how stubborn Nani could be when he made up his mind.

"But what about your rival?" Dew asked. "Whoever sent those guys, they're not going to stop."

Nani's expression darkened "That's exactly why we stay quiet for now. I need to figure out who's behind this before making a move." His gaze sharpened.

Win let out a slow whistle. "Damn. You're really out for blood, huh?"

Nani didn't reply. He didn't need to. The look in his eyes said enough. The moment he got out of this hospital, Nani was going to make sure the people who did this would regret ever coming for him.