Purple Man Reappears?

"Abel, it's really nice to see you here."

Abel reached out and shook hands with Sean, smiling as he said, "If it were anyone else's party, I might have refused, but since it's yours, I couldn't say no."

"Abel, you know my house well enough. Come in and relax."

"Sure. I just want to put these down first. My mother made Zuo Zongtang's chicken and white-cut chicken. I'm sure someone here will appreciate some gourmet Chinese flavors."

Sean looked at the bag in Abel's hand, surprised, and nodded. "I've been looking forward to tasting Aunt Treya's cooking for a long time."

Without further delay, Abel walked into Sean's house.

Once inside, Abel greeted several people and exchanged nods with familiar faces.

Abel was somewhat of a notable figure at Midtown Science and Technology High School. Not only was he academically outstanding, but his mastery of Chinese culture, combined with his good looks and tall physique, drew attention. Though he wasn't particularly into sports, no one would dare call him a nerd, especially after witnessing him throw the quarterback of the school football team out of a classroom with one hand.

He walked to the living room table, unpacked the food, and placed it there, attracting some curious glances. Afterward, Abel poured himself a glass of red wine, quietly slipping away from the crowd. He made his way to the balcony in a small activity room on the third floor of Sean's house.

The balcony was a hidden gem, known only to those familiar with Sean's home. Although it wasn't large, the view was spectacular, and it was one of Abel's favorite places to retreat to. The noise outside wasn't quite his scene. Here, he could relax, sip some wine from a bottle he assumed someone had sneaked from their parents' collection, and enjoy the evening. If all parties were like this, he wouldn't mind them at all.

Abel spent nearly an hour there, reclining on a sun lounger and enjoying the cool night breeze. But his peace was suddenly interrupted by the sound of a quarrel, which piqued his curiosity. He opened his eyes and looked down in the direction of the commotion.

In the garden below the balcony, four girls were facing off. Abel recognized three of them—they were the kind of social butterflies common at Midtown Science and Technology High School, always involved in one drama or another. They had once tried to approach Abel, but he had rejected them, and they hadn't interacted much since.

As for the fourth girl, Abel only vaguely recalled seeing her before. She seemed familiar, though he couldn't place her. Clearly, they had all been invited by Sean to the party.

Is this a little side drama? Interesting...

Abel remained silent, watching the scene unfold below.

"Tessa, I want an answer today. Will you leave Ryan alone?"

The girl called Tessa appeared calm, even smiling as she replied, unafraid. "Angela, I'm not the person I used to be, and your threats don't work on me anymore. Besides, Ryan came to me on his own. He's been pursuing me relentlessly. Even if I left him, he'd still chase after me. And as for you... I doubt Ryan would even give you a second glance."

"What are you saying, you *&%#!?"

Angela raised her hand to slap Tessa, but just as she swung, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Angela, what are you trying to do to Tessa?"

Angela turned, wincing at the tight grip, and saw Ryan standing there. "Ryan, you're hurting me!"

"I'll ask again, what are you trying to do to Tessa?"

"I just wanted to teach her a lesson! Let go, you're hurting me!"

"You want to teach Tessa a lesson..."

Muttering to himself, Ryan suddenly raised his hand to slap Angela, but Tessa's calm voice cut through the tension.

"Ryan, stop."

In an instant, Ryan's anger vanished. He released Angela's wrist and obediently moved to Tessa's side, like a devoted and gentle pet.

Seeing Ryan's behavior, Angela shrieked, clutching her hand. "You must have done something to him—hypnosis? Witchcraft? Drugs? You despicable woman! I'm going to expose you!"

"Angela, how many people do you think would believe someone like you? But it seems you won't give up easily. You two, teach her a lesson."

At Tessa's command, the two girls who had been standing behind Angela suddenly turned on her, attacking her with a wild fury. Their faces were blank, devoid of any awareness, just like Ryan's.

As Angela's screams echoed through the garden, people began to gather and rushed in to pull the two girls off her. But even as they were dragged away, the girls continued trying to attack Angela, as though possessed.

Realizing that the commotion was drawing too much attention, Tessa whispered something to Ryan. He immediately led her away, disappearing from the scene.

Abel stood on the balcony, watching Tessa and Ryan as they left, a serious expression on his face. He turned back to look at the two girls, who were slowly coming to their senses, staring at the beaten and bruised Angela with blank, horrified faces. They seemed completely unaware of what they had just done.

This is... Kilgrave's ability. How could it have appeared in Tessa? Is she a descendant of Kilgrave? Or is something else at play here?

Kilgrave's power was incredibly dangerous. Abel remembered killing Kilgrave, but he also knew all too well the kind of world he lived in. If Kilgrave had somehow been resurrected, passing his abilities on to others, Abel wouldn't be surprised at all. He had to get to the bottom of this, especially since such a threat could easily reach Treya, someone who had once been under Kilgrave's control.

Setting his glass down, Abel quietly left the balcony. With everyone's attention focused on Angela, he followed the path Tessa and Ryan had taken, quickly pursuing them.

Abel's magic hadn't yet fully recovered, and he hadn't regained the ability to Apparate, which would have made tracking much easier. For now, he had to rely on more conventional means.