World Traveler Villain-Chapter 227: CH: 224 Lackey

{Chapter: 224 Lackey}

"Tony..." Pepper cried out, her voice trembling as her eyes locked onto the smoking ruins of the once-grand villa.

The sleek car's roof slid open with a mechanical hiss. A shadow dropped from the sky—William landed smoothly in the passenger seat, a smug grin on his face. "Easy now, sweetheart. No need to get all emotional."

Pepper's hands clenched in fury as she leaned forward from the back seat. "William, you will regret this. Someone out there will stop you. They'll rip you apart and scatter your pieces like ashes in the wind!"

William casually picked at his ear, utterly unbothered. "You know, I've heard that kind of promise a lot over the years. You'd be amazed how often men say things like that. Funny thing is, they're all buried six feet under now. As for the women..."

"You r@p£d them," White Queen interjected with a smirk, her tone dry as desert heat.

Alice and Ada exchanged uneasy glances, both coughing lightly—neither willing to meet the other's eyes. They had their own history with William, and not all of it was easy to swallow, they were both victims. freeweɓnøvel.com

"Oops, my bad," White Queen added with an unapologetic chuckle. "Old habits die hard."

William raised one hand solemnly, his expression mock-serious. "Listen, I swear—no more of that. Not this time. I've matured. F*rc¡ng women? There will be no more r@p£s this time. That's primitive, traumatic... an unforgivable offense to both body and soul."

"You have zero credibility when you say that," Ada replied flatly, rolling her eyes.

Pepper fixed William with a steely glare. "Why Tony? Why are you doing all this? What's your endgame?"

William turned in his seat, his smile darkening. "Because who else is worth my attention? Stark's famous. Powerful. Loved. I want to shatter all of that. As for my endgame? I don't want to just exist—I want to become a living myth. A legend that never dies."

"You already are," Pepper said coldly. "Your infamy will echo through history. As one of the most notorious monsters the world has ever seen."

William gave a soft chuckle. "History? Please. That's written by fools with pens. Reputation is meaningless. But your eyes, Pepper... you'll live to see Stark Industries crumble into dust. And I'll make sure it happens one step at a time."

"Don't even dream about it! Tony will stop you. He always does."

"I'm counting on him trying," William said, his voice calm and assured.

Pepper ground her teeth. "You're insane."

---

Elsewhere—Hammer Industries Headquarters

Hammer Industries, a major American arms manufacturer, had always existed in the shadow of Stark Industries. Its CEO, Justin Hammer, carried a deep, festering resentment toward Tony Stark—a man he viewed as arrogant, spoiled, and undeserving of success.

Inside a luxurious office adorned with modern art and military models, Justin Hammer sat behind his glass desk, laughing with wild abandon. "Hahaha! This is divine intervention! The universe has finally thrown me a bone! What a glorious day!"

His assistant, a well-groomed man in a tight-fitting suit, stepped in, brows raised in curiosity. "Mr. Hammer, what's gotten you so excited?"

Hammer wiped away a tear of joy. "Tony Stark's mansion—it's been reduced to rubble! They say William did it himself. I've been waiting for something like this for years, and now it's actually happened! William crashed Stark's precious Expo, humiliated him in front of the entire world, and now? He's erased Stark from the map—literally!"

The assistant smiled politely, sensing an opportunity to earn some praise. "That's incredible news, sir. Seems like Tony Stark is no longer a threat to our business."

"Exactly!" Hammer slammed his hand down on the desk triumphantly. "The world is starting to doubt him. Even the Pentagon is reconsidering its contracts. And when they realize they need weapons—reliable, powerful weapons—they'll have no choice but to turn to us. Hammer Industries will be their only option. The orders are going to pour in like a tsunami. William... that lunatic may be a menace to the world, but to me? He's a godsend!"

As he cackled once more, a cold voice echoed through the office.

"Oh? So you're grateful to me, then?"

The laughter stopped instantly. Hammer's eyes darted around the room. "Who said that? Who's there?!"

A blur of movement crossed the room. In the blink of an eye, a figure stood before him—tall, imposing, and unmistakably dangerous.

The assistant's face turned ghostly pale. "W-W-Wi... William..."

"'Wi' your mother," William snapped coldly. Before the assistant could react, William grabbed him by the collar and twisted hard—there was a sickening crack. The assistant slumped to the floor like a discarded puppet, his life snuffed out in an instant.

Hammer stumbled backward, trembling. The nightmare had walked into his office.

Justin stared at William in horror. His lips trembled as he stammered, "You... you're... Wi-William..."

"That's right," William replied with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "I could feel your gratitude toward me from miles away, so I thought I'd drop in and pay you a visit."

Justin's heart dropped into his stomach. He was face-to-face with the most dangerous man on the planet—a living nightmare. He wanted to slap himself for ever laughing just moments ago. In a voice that bordered on sobbing, he asked, "W-William, Mr. William... may I ask why you've come here?"

"I need a small favor," William said casually, as if he were asking to borrow a pen.

Justin blinked, trying to comprehend the situation. "A... favor? Anything. Just say the word." His voice cracked. The man standing before him had a kill count higher than most wars. Dying in a freak accident might've been preferable to this.

"It's nothing major," William said with an easy smile. "I just want to stay here at your company headquarters for a few days. I like the energy. Cozy."

Justin's face turned ghostly pale. "Y-You're joking, right?"

William tilted his head. "Do I look like I'm joking? That's disappointing. Your building is still standing, isn't it? That means I'm in a good mood."

Justin forced a crooked smile onto his face. "Of course, of course, it's a great honor—an enormous privilege, really—that you've chosen this place. I couldn't be more delighted."

In his heart, Justin was cursing his luck. Of all the people in the world, why did he have to be visited by the devil himself?

"You made the right choice," William said, patting Justin lightly on the shoulder. "A few seconds of hesitation and... well, your company, your reputation, and your life would've all been gone. Poof."

Justin's knees buckled. He broke into a cold sweat as the reality of how close to death he had just come washed over him. It was so close... so damn close!

"Why would I hesitate?" Justin forced a nervous chuckle. "You're my idol! I'd be honored to serve you. I've always admired your...um...decisiveness."

William narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of amusement playing on his face. "Don't flatter me. I know you've probably fantasized about killing me a hundred times. But if word about my whereabouts leaks—" he paused, his voice turning ice cold, "—you won't live long enough to regret it."

Justin raised both hands in panic, waving them back and forth. "No! Absolutely not! I know better than to mess with you. I wouldn't dream of betraying you. I value my life—and my company."

"Good," William said. "Killing you and destroying every shred of what you've built would be nothing more than an afterthought for me. From this moment on, you're my official lackey. Understood?"

Justin forced another smile, the corners of his lips twitching. "Yes, yes! Of course. I'm your henchman now. You tell me to jump, and I'll ask how high. You want me to bark? I'll ask which breed."

William laughed quietly, then asked, "I heard there's an international Grand Prix in Monaco coming up soon?"

"Yes, yes!" Justin nodded quickly. "I've been invited to attend. If you'd like to go, I'll handle all the arrangements—VIP suite, top security, anything you need."

"Perfect. I'll be counting on you," William said with a satisfied nod.

"It's my honor. I promise, I'll make sure everything is flawless," Justin said, nodding like a bobblehead doll.

William turned to leave, pausing only briefly. "Oh, and I'm taking the top-floor penthouse. I like the design, and the view's decent."

"Of course, of course! Make yourself at home!" Justin called out.

Once William disappeared from sight, Justin collapsed onto his plush leather sofa, his legs giving out completely. He fumbled for a tissue and wiped the sweat pouring down his forehead. His hands were still shaking uncontrollably.

"I can't believe it... I actually came face to face with that devil and lived," he muttered to himself, still pale. "This is the worst day of my life."

*****

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