"Shut up! Don’t interfere, just stay out of this!" Owen snapped at Wang Min, who immediately shrank back, not daring to make another sound.

"Renault, you think you can keep playing the hero? I’m going to teach you a lesson. I’ve got Grace right here, and tonight, I’ll take my time enjoying her! You’ll get to watch!" Owen’s voice dripped with malice as he adjusted his collar, smirking at Renault. "It’s getting hot in here, don’t you think? How about we start stripping? I’ll give Grace a real show. What do you say, Renault? How does that sound?"

Renault glanced at Grace, her muffled protests growing more desperate. Despite her situation, she maintained her composure, glaring at Owen with an intensity that matched Renault’s own.

Renault sighed inwardly. Grace was brave, strong-willed even in the face of danger. He admired her courage but knew this situation couldn’t be resolved with words alone.

Renault’s voice was calm but cold. "Owen, if you’ve got a problem with me, let’s settle it. Leave her out of it."

Owen laughed harshly. "Oh? You want to negotiate? How about you beg for her? Get down on your knees, Renault!"

Renault’s eyes narrowed. "Is that the best you can do? Bully someone who can’t fight back?"

Owen’s smirk widened as he stepped closer to Grace. "Oh, she’ll fight back alright, but that’s part of the fun."

With a quick motion, Owen reached for Grace’s clothes, tugging at the fabric.

"You dare?!" Renault exploded with anger. He moved with lightning speed, his hand slicing through the air, striking Owen’s throat with precision.

Owen gasped, clutching his throat as he stumbled back, the pain momentarily paralyzing him. Renault followed up with a swift kick to Owen’s gut, sending him crumpling to the ground in a heap.

Owen writhed in pain, gasping for air. Renault stood over him, his expression unreadable.

"You really thought you could get away with this?" Renault asked coldly, shaking his head. "You’ve always been pathetic, Owen."

As Owen struggled to his feet, the fury in his eyes grew. He wasn’t about to let Renault get away with humiliating him. With a quick move, Owen pulled a gun from his waistband, pointing it directly at Grace.

"Stay back, Renault! Or I’ll shoot her! You think I won’t?" Owen shouted, his voice trembling with anger.

Renault froze, his eyes locking on the gun. For a moment, the tension in the room thickened. Renault hadn’t anticipated Owen bringing a weapon. The stakes had just risen.

He knew Owen wasn’t bluffing. This wasn’t just about a personal grudge anymore. Renault could see the desperation in Owen’s eyes.

"Alright, calm down," Renault said, raising his hands slowly. "We can talk this out."

Just as the situation seemed to teeter on the edge, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Renault glanced over to see Wang Jian entering the room, his eyes widening at the scene before him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Wang Jian barked, surprised to see Owen holding a gun and Renault standing ready to fight.

"You two were supposed to negotiate, not kill each other!" Wang Jian exclaimed, clearly frustrated with how the night had escalated.

"Owen, put the gun down," Wang Jian ordered, stepping forward. "You’re going to get yourself killed, you idiot."

Owen hesitated, glancing between Wang Jian and Renault. "I don’t care! I’ll take care of Renault myself, and I’ll enjoy Grace while I’m at it!" he spat, eyes wild with rage.

Wang Jian shook his head, trying to defuse the situation. "You’re making things worse. Put the gun down, and let’s talk."

"Shut up, Wang Jian!" Owen shouted, turning the gun back toward Renault. "Renault, you’re going to give me everything you own, including this damn villa. I want it all."

Renault clenched his jaw, his eyes flickering between Owen and the gun pointed at Grace.

"You can have the villa, Owen," Renault said, his voice measured. "But let her go. This isn’t about her."

Owen’s eyes narrowed, and he sneered. "No, Renault. It’s about you losing everything. I want you to know how it feels to be powerless, to watch as I take everything you care about. And I’ll start with her."

Wang Jian, sensing things spiraling out of control, stepped forward again. "Owen, let’s not go down this path. You don’t need to drag Grace into this."

Owen, his grip on the gun tightening, ignored Wang Jian’s plea. He was too far gone, his mind focused solely on breaking Renault.

With a swift move, Renault reached into his coat, his hand gripping a concealed baton. As Owen’s attention flickered for just a moment, Renault struck. The baton cracked against Owen’s hand, knocking the gun to the floor.

Owen screamed in pain, clutching his hand as the gun clattered away.

Renault didn’t waste a second. He kicked the gun aside and pinned Owen to the ground, his knee pressing into Owen’s back.

"You never learn, do you?" Renault muttered as Owen struggled beneath him. With one swift motion, Renault twisted Owen’s arm behind his back, rendering him powerless.

Wang Jian watched in stunned silence as Renault effortlessly subdued Owen.

A shot rang out. The sound echoed through the room, and Owen let out a blood-curdling scream as the bullet tore through his leg.

"My leg! My leg!" Owen cried, writhing on the floor in agony, blood pooling beneath him.

"You brought this on yourself," Renault said coldly, standing over Owen. "I warned you."

Wang Jian stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Renault, stop! This has gone far enough!"

Renault glanced at Wang Jian, his expression icy. "Has it? Because I think Owen hasn’t learned his lesson yet."

With Owen incapacitated, Renault turned to Grace, quickly cutting the ropes that bound her. She collapsed into his arms, exhausted but unharmed.

Renault gently helped Grace to her feet, keeping one eye on Owen, who was still writhing on the floor.

"Let’s get out of here," Renault said softly to Grace, guiding her toward the door.

Before they could leave, Wang Jian blocked their path. "Wait, Renault. You can’t just walk away from this."

Renault raised an eyebrow. "Watch me."

Wang Jian held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Listen, we don’t want this to escalate any further. Just... let Owen go. We’ll call it even."

Renault stared at Wang Jian for a long moment before speaking. "You think I’m letting him off that easy?"

Wang Jian sighed, clearly exasperated. "Renault, don’t do something you’ll regret."

Renault chuckled, his voice dark. "The only thing I regret is not putting an end to this sooner."

He turned to leave, Grace by his side, but stopped at the doorway. "Wang Jian, if you ever try something like this again, I won’t just shoot Owen in the leg next time. Understand?"

Wang Jian nodded, swallowing hard. "Understood."

With that, Renault and Grace walked out of the villa, leaving Owen screaming in pain and Wang Jian scrambling to figure out how to clean up the mess.

End of Chapter 12.