Dark Lord Seduction System: Taming Wives, Daughters, Aunts, and CEOs novel Chapter 156

Chapter 156: Terrific

"That wasn’t the same kid," Jack muttered for the fourth time. "That wasn’t the Peter Carter I used to mess with. Did you see what he did to Holloway? I’ve never—" He cut himself off, shaking his head like words couldn’t do it justice.

"Dude’s been hiding some serious rage," Tyler Hayes said, trying for casual but landing somewhere closer to nervous. "We all knew he was smart, but nobody thought he had... whatever that was."

"Yeah," one of their friends muttered. "Smart people don’t usually flip desks like they’re made of Legos."

Sofia Delgado stood nearby with Lea Martinez, the two girls watching the police lights flicker across the street. Sofia’s face was a mix of shock and a reluctant, almost dangerous admiration. Lea, on the other hand, looked like she’d swallowed a lemon and it was still fighting back.

"I can’t believe Peter did that," Sofia said, shaking her head in disbelief. "I mean... good for him if Holloway was doing something to Emma, but Jesus. That’s... a lot."

Lea didn’t miss a beat, her voice dripping with venom. "Of course Peter Carter thinks he can solve everything with violence. Typical toxic masculinity bullshit."

Sofia’s head snapped toward her. "Are you serious right now? He was protecting his sister, Lea. What would you have done—write Holloway a sternly worded email?"

Connor Hayes was already in full performance mode, phone out, live-streaming like the apocalypse had finally given him his big break. "Guys, this is insane! Peter Carter—yeah, the quiet nerd—just beat the shit out of our vice principal! I’m hearing Holloway’s face is completely destroyed. This is going viral. Like, cancel-your-plans viral."

Near Madison’s Range Rover, the commotion drew Mia and Ashley Kim, sprinting from the library where they’d been pretending to study.

"Madison!" Ashley called, gasping for breath. "What the hell happened? Someone said Peter got arrested?"

"And that Emma’s involved?" Mia added, taking in the tear tracks streaking Emma’s face, the hollow, stunned look in her eyes.

Before Madison could respond, Mia’s phone buzzed violently in her hand—Tommy Chen flashing on the screen with half a dozen missed calls already logged.

She answered on the first ring. "Tommy—"

"What the fuck is happening?" Tommy’s voice blasted through the speaker, loud enough to make a few nearby students glance over. "I’m getting texts that Peter beat up Holloway and got arrested. And he’s not picking up. Tell me this is some kind of messed-up prank."

"It’s not a joke," Mia said, her voice low but steady as another police cruiser rolled into the lot. The flashing lights painted her expression in alternating bands of red and blue. "Tommy, I can’t explain everything right now, but Peter’s okay. He’s—"

"I’m coming to the school," Tommy cut in, no room for argument. "Right now. My mom’s driving me."

Sarah hung up her own call with their mother and faced the small crowd at the Range Rover. "Mom’s on her way to the police station," she said, voice trembling but eyes hard.

Ashley and Mia exchanged a look—one of those silent friend-conversations that spoke volumes. Then Ashley stepped forward. "Madison, you should go with him."

Madison frowned. "What?"

"Peter’s going to need someone there who actually cares about him," Mia said plainly. "Someone who’s not family. Emma needs to stay here until she calms down, and Sarah’s gotta handle the family side. But Peter..." She let the sentence hang, heavy with implication. "He shouldn’t be alone in there."

Emma’s voice was raw, frayed to threads. "Maddie, please go. I’m okay now. I’m safe. But Peter... he did this for me. He can’t sit in a cell thinking nobody’s on his side. Go to my brother."

Ashley put a steadying hand on Emma’s shoulder. "We’ve got her. And Sarah. You go deal with your boyfriend before he starts thinking he’s the bad guy in this story."

Madison’s chest tightened with gratitude that threatened to spill over. These girls didn’t need a speech to understand what Peter had sacrificed—they already knew. "Thank you," she said quickly, hugging them both in turn.

"Go," Sarah ordered, the way someone gives permission for something that doesn’t actually need it.

Madison broke into a run toward the police cars, only to be stopped by an officer’s sharp, "Family only in the vehicle!"

"I’m his girlfriend," she said breathlessly, yanking out her phone and pulling up photos—Peter’s arm around her, blurry grins, the kind of pictures that didn’t lie. "Please. He doesn’t have anyone else right now."

The officer’s gaze flicked from her designer coat to the gleaming Range Rover she’d just abandoned, to the raw panic still written across her face. Something softened in his expression like any dad would do.

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