The Broken Rise of Edward

Chapter 20

I’d always heard the whispers about Eden—the kind that spread like wildfire through campus halls.

They said she was a social butterfly, but everyone knew that was just a polite way of saying she was a flirt who traded affection for favors.

Multiple boyfriends, secret meetings outside school, rumors of older men with deep pockets.

And now, seeing the way this drunk man pawed at her, those rumors didn’t seem like rumors anymore.

Still, it wasn’t my concern. People made their choices. I adjusted my jacket and started walking toward the private room.

Then I heard her soft gasp.

“Oh, it hurts? Where? Let me help you.” The man’s words were thick with alcohol. His hand shot forward, pressing into her chest.

Eden stiffened. His fingers didn’t stop there—they moved.

A smirk curled across his flushed face. “My bad. I didn’t hit the right spot,” he slurred, grinding his words with a sickening playfulness. “Why don’t we get a room, sweetheart? I’ll make sure to hit you hard next time. Won’t hurt—you’ll like it.”

His hips thrust forward, his lewd laughter echoing down the corridor.

“Ergh, I hate this…” Eden’s voice was tight and trembling. She tried to pull his hand away, snapping under her breath, “Not in public, Asam. Stop.”

“What’s wrong with public?” he sneered. “Don’t you w****s enjoy being watched? Or maybe it’s because I’m not one of your rich boyfriends, huh? That’s it, isn’t it?”

He spat the words out, pressing his hand down onto her backside.

Eden’s eyes darted left and right, panic flickering beneath her fake smile. “What are you saying?” she whispered hurriedly. “Mister Asam, you’re one of Donovan’s men. You have money, power—you’re manly. How could my weak exes compare?”

The man chuckled, his eyes narrowing. “You sweet-tongued b***h. But you know what? I like that. Makes me want to f**k you right here.”

He lunged closer. His hand slid lower, trying to slip beneath her skirt.

Eden jerked backward, heart hammering, forcing out a fragile smile. “Adam, please… I’m with my classmates for a farewell party tonight. Can you wait two days? I’ll come find you myself.”

He didn’t listen. “I don’t give a f**k about your party!” He yanked her into his arms again, his voice rising with anger. “You lied to me last time! You think I’ll let you walk away twice?”

“Don’t…” Eden’s voice broke. She struggled to keep her composure, her hands trembling as she pushed at his chest. “Please, Mister, I’ll come to you tomorrow. I promise. Just not now.”

That was when I passed them.

I could have kept walking. Should have, maybe. But her eyes suddenly met mine—wide, desperate, pleading.

Her lips parted, and she seized the moment like a lifeline.

“Look, Mister,” she said quickly, pointing straight at me. “My classmate’s waiting for me. See? He’s been looking for me!”

I froze.

Her words were sharp enough to stop me mid-step.

Then, with that perfect trembling smile, she added, “Ethan, you came to look for me, right? We should head back together. Our classmates are waiting for us.”

The man’s head snapped toward me. His grip on her loosened just slightly.

And just like that—Eden had dragged me into her mess.

Ethan’s Point of View

As Eden spoke, she took a few careful steps toward me, her voice trembling yet desperate.

Behind her, the man’s face twisted with drunken impatience.

“I don’t give a fk about your party!” he roared, lunging forward. “I must fk you today!”

He grabbed her arm roughly, pulling her back against him. Then his bloodshot eyes turned to me.

“Kid,” he spat, his voice dripping with menace. “Fk off. If you f**** mess with me, I’ll—”

He froze.

His entire body went rigid, the words dying in his throat. His pupils shrank, his expression morphing from rage to terror.

He blinked twice. His breathing turned shallow. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead, dripping down in trembling streaks.

“Mr… Mr. Cole?!” he stammered.

The silence that followed was almost deafening.

Eden blinked, confused. “Mr. Cole?” she repeated under her breath, looking from him to me.

Before she could say another word, the man released her as if she were on fire. He staggered back and bent at a ninety-degree angle, his entire frame shaking.

“I—I’m sorry, Mr. Cole!” he blurted, voice trembling. “I wasn’t talking to you, sir. I drank too much! Sir is magnanimous and wise—this ignorant fool had no idea who he was offending!”

Then—SLAP!

The sound cracked through the hallway.

He had struck his own face so hard that everyone nearby could hear it.

SLAP! SLAP! SLAP!

Each one landed harder than the last. Within seconds, his cheeks were swollen and bright red. A thin line of blood formed at the corner of his mouth, yet he didn’t stop.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Cole!” SLAP! “Please forgive me!” SLAP!

Eden stood there frozen, mouth slightly open, unable to process what she was seeing. The confident, aggressive man from a moment ago was now trembling, bloodied, and bowing repeatedly before me.

Her gaze darted to me—pure disbelief in her eyes.

But I didn’t say a word.

I tilted my head, studying him. He looked familiar…

And then it hit me.

Last night. The Mirage Club.

He was one of Donovan Clark’s men—the same thugs who’d beaten Damian half to death.

So he had recognized me. No wonder his face looked like he’d seen a ghost.

A small smile tugged at my lips. I didn’t need to say anything. I simply turned and continued toward the room.

Behind me, the slapping didn’t stop until I’d disappeared around the corner.

Eden finally snapped out of her daze. She turned to look at the man—his face now completely unrecognizable, swollen and red, blood dripping from his split lip.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and exhaled shakily, glancing fearfully in the direction I’d gone.

“Mister… you—” Eden started hesitantly.

“Stop!” he cut her off, waving both hands frantically. “Just call me Adam! Please!”

Eden blinked, taken aback by his sudden humility.

He leaned closer, his voice trembling. “Why didn’t you say earlier that you were classmates with Mr. Cole? If I’d known, I’d never have dared—never!”

Eden’s brows furrowed. “This… Mr. Cole you’re talking about…” She swallowed hard, her voice barely above a whisper. “Was it the person who just passed by?”

“Duh! Who else?” Adam nodded vigorously, still trembling.

Eden stood rooted in place, staring after me—her heart pounding, her mind spinning.

For the first time, she looked at me not with disdain…

but with fear.