The Seven Sisters and Their Hidden King-Chapter 333 The Stakes Are High

He paused, his gaze hardening. "If John Lopez offends the Will Family, he might die—but he could be protected by the Flaherty Family. But us? The Long Family? Once we make a mistake, who's going to protect us?"

He leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. "John Lopez can't even protect himself."

Sophia shook her head in disagreement. "That's your opinion. I believe right is right, and wrong is wrong."

Brooke let out a frustrated sigh. "Why are you so stubborn?" he muttered under his breath. Knowing he couldn't change her mind, he turned his attention to Arno Long, who had been unusually quiet. Arno's face was drawn and tense, and his silence only deepened the unease in the room.

"Father, why didn't you let us keep an eye on John Lopez back at the restaurant?" Brooke asked, frustration evident in his voice. "What if he really tried to escape?"

The rest of the Long Family members looked at Arno, equally perplexed. After all, John Lopez had made it clear that if he fled, there would be consequences—and logically, the Long Family should have taken every precaution to prevent his escape.

But instead, after John's scolding, Arno had simply walked away, not showing any signs of concern. It didn't make sense.

Arno was lost in thought, not fully processing the question until Brooke's voice snapped him back to reality. He slowly parted his lips, his voice dry. "Mr. Lopez is not an average man."

The weight of his words hung in the air.

Meanwhile, across town, in the Dean's office at the Houston Martial Arts School, Alexandra Flaherty sat in a tense silence. Her slender fingers gripped the edge of her desk, knuckles white from the strain. Her usually composed face was marred by the subtle lines of frustration that had begun to creep in—tiny crow's-feet marking the corners of her eyes.

She had heard about the latest developments with John Lopez. The entire city was buzzing with the news. It was impossible not to hear about it—one of the brightest rising stars in the martial arts world was now tangled up in a high-stakes game with Bruce Will. On top of that, there was the added intrigue of John's relationship with Master Bertha, a fact that had caught everyone's attention. Who was this man who could win over the legendary martial artist? The gossip was inescapable.

Yet none of that concerned Alexandra right now. What truly bothered her was the gamble of life and death John was undertaking. She couldn't believe he was being so reckless, especially when it involved something as trivial as a woman.

In an effort to regain some control, Alexandra dialed Bertha Carter's number. When the call was answered, her voice was cold and sharp. "Do you know what's going on with John?"

"Yes, I found out not long ago," Bertha's voice came through, calm yet filled with a hint of concern. She had returned to the Central US Martial Arts League, and the news had only just reached her. John had called her to explain the situation, but Bertha had known it wouldn't be easy to stop him.

"Damn it!" Alexandra muttered, the anger in her voice palpable. "Now that you know what's happening, why didn't you do something to stop him?"

Bertha sighed on the other end. "You know how he is. Once he makes up his mind, it's impossible to change it. All I can do is let him make his own decisions."

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"Let him go?" Alexandra's voice was tinged with disbelief. "Do you know what the consequences could be? He'll die, and even I won't be able to protect him!"

She snorted, clearly upset. She had heard about the fight with Bruce, and now that she understood it was because of a woman, her frustration only grew. "What a pathetic excuse! You're letting him play with his life like it's nothing."

Alexandra didn't trust John's reasoning. She suspected that his actions were more about showing off for his brother-in-law than any real sense of duty. "I think this is all a game for him. A way to make a scene, and drag everyone else into it."

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