Ch 519 - Don’t Mess With A Ghost

Despite being surrounded, the man and woman appeared fearless.

One of the Baltimore martial artists managed to get past two of the intruders and close in on the woman in black.

But before he could attack her, the woman kicked back, sending him to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood and struggled to get up.

At Edward's command his family launched a fierce attack on the intruders, but they were no match for them. After just a few attacks, the Steadmans were all rolling on the ground, clutching their arms and legs in pain.

The intruders seemed invincible.

Some of the party guests ran for the door. Others crouched down, afraid of being hit in the chaos. They looked at Alex to see how he would respond to the attack. It was a major test for the new president during his first day on the job.

Ash and Ferdinand, along with Caroline and Joe, watched in excitement. They knew that if Alex made the wrong move, his reputation would take a hit, and they eagerly waited for him to crash and burn.

"You scumbags are ruining our reception," Jessop said, stepping forward and surveying the scene. "Do you have a death wish?"

He was one of the most important leaders of the Baltimore Martial Arts Association. In recent years, his family had recruited fighters and increased their strength.

The intruders' bold disrespect for the association angered him. He clapped his hands once, and several disciples gathered before him.

Leading them was Bart Baldwin, a well-known and respected fighter in the martial arts world. A few members of the Clifton family began to slowly stand up from their seats, preparing to join the fight.

Alex was moved by their support but raised his hand to stop them from coming forward. It was a big night for him, and he didn't want to fight, nor did he want his guests to get hurt.

He rested his hands on his hips and addressed the new arrivals.

"I'm Alex Ambrose, president of the Baltimore Martial Arts Association. Please tell me who you are."

"My name is Marie Walton," the woman in black said. "And this is my brother, Drew. We're disciples of Jacob Randolph, the leader of the Ghosts.

"You killed our brother, Jonah. We're here to avenge him." Marie spoke in a businesslike manner. Her beautiful face revealed no trace of emotion.

"Mr. Ambrose, we don't want to fight you at this party," Drew said. "We're here to take you back to California with us to meet with our master, who'll decide your fate. But if you resist us, I can't guarantee that we won't kill you right here.

"And we have no problem killing anyone else who resists us," he continued, looking toward Jessop's fighters who still stood their ground, ready for action. "Nobody who messes with the Ghosts gets off lightly."

Drew gave a slight nod to the three Ghosts behind him. In just a few moves, they knocked a dozen Clifton fighters to the ground.

As soon as he heard the intruders were Ghosts, Jessop turned pale. The long-established group had a gruesome track record in California, and he knew that they would put up a tough fight.

"You may be here to avenge your brother," Alex said, "but you're the ones who'll have to pay for interrupting our party. You can't just bully the Association like this."

Security guards quickly closed the doors and covered each exit to prevent the Ghosts from escaping.

"I'm going to tell you this one last time," Marie said, sneering as she wrapped her fingers around a dagger by her side. "Come with us to California, or you and everyone in this room will die."

Alex couldn't believe how arrogant the Ghosts were. The Clifton fighters were skilled, yet this small party of Ghosts stood fearlessly among the crowd. He could see that his guests were truly afraid. Even the best fighters seemed to shrink in the Ghosts' presence, and some of them had backed down entirely.

Those in the crowd who knew about the Ghosts knew that they were a feared global organization, and Jacob's disciples in particular were infamously dangerous. The Ghosts saw the Baltimore Martial Arts Association as just a small fry compared to them.

Ferdinand watched with clenched fists, hoping the Ghosts would teach Alex a lesson, and Caroline also watched the scene closely.

Alex remained unshaken by the Ghosts' threats. "I'm not going anywhere," he said. "It's time for you to go home to Jacob so you can all have a good little think about your future."

Marie's face turned cold.

"Brave words, Mr. Ambrose," she said. "Don't you know I can break both your arms in two seconds?"

"You're not worthy of fighting me," Alex said, laughing.

Marie's face turned red, and she scrunched her eyes.

"You don't seem to know who you're messing with," she said. "It's time to die."

With lightning speed, she pulled the dagger from her belt. But before she could plant it in Alex's flesh, he dealt a blow to her face.

The crowd screamed and gasped. "Be careful, Alex," one of the martial artists muttered.

Alex smiled faintly and waved away their concern.

Marie clasped her face. She could feel her cheek swelling up, and her head throbbed. The dagger fell from her hand.