Hulk : The Thunderstrike

In the seventh-floor living room, the tension was palpable.

During Mathew's confession, he attempted to lunge violently at his stepdaughter, Stella, but Antonia intervened with lightning speed.

With a single, powerful strike, Mathew was slammed into the wall.

The impact left several of his ribs fractured, his limbs broken, and his ability to resist entirely destroyed.

Sam and the others, who had initially felt unease at the situation, now understood the full scope of Mathew's crimes. Any shred of sympathy they may have had evaporated.

Sam quickly reported the details to his superiors.

Stella, saved by Antonia's intervention, began to cry uncontrollably.

"I'm not his biological daughter," she said through her sobs.

"When I was young, my biological father died in a car accident. My mother and I depended on each other until she married Mathew."

Stella explained, her voice breaking, "I never imagined my stepfather would be so depraved. All these years… I've been deceived by him... I can't believe it...!"

According to Stella's account, Mathew entered her life when she was six years old. Using charm and manipulative words, he won over her mother and moved into their home—a home left to Stella by her late father.

Although Mathew and her mother never had children of their own, Stella worked hard to contribute to the family. After graduation, most of her earnings went to Mathew.

However, Mathew's descent into gambling addiction drove him into massive debt. Desperate, he set his sights on the house—a lifeline for Stella and her mother.

When his wife refused to sell, suspecting his intentions, Mathew's anger boiled over into homicidal rage. He turned into a monster, picking up the butcher's knife.

---

"Ha! Hahaha!" Mathew's unhinged laughter echoed through the room.

"That wretched woman didn't want me to live? Then I wouldn't let her live either!"

Mathew's voice grew more deranged with every word.

"That night, I gave her sleeping pills. Once she was unconscious, I… I cut her into pieces. Eight pieces. I boiled her flesh in a pot and flushed it down the toilet."

"The bones? I sawed them apart, smashed them with a hammer, and burned them on the gas stove. The small fragments went into the trash can. The larger ones—" he sneered, "I threw into the septic tank."

Mathew's face twisted into a grotesque grin as he spat his confession.

Though his body was broken and immobile, his voice carried venom as he turned to Stella.

"This is all because of you! You're nothing but a leech, a burden! If it weren't for you, your mother would've given me the money!"

"She wouldn't have refused to sell the house! Why does a girl like you even need a house when you'll get married and leave someday?"

Stella couldn't bear to listen any longer. Hearing those horrific details sent her running to the trash can, where she retched violently.

Even the two civilian officers turned pale, struggling to maintain their composure in the face of such inhumanity.

Sam, despite being a seasoned officer, couldn't help but shudder.

Only Antonia remained composed, though his face darkened, the weight of rage and disgust visible in his eyes.

The scum before him had gambled away his family's security, drowned in debt, and turned to unthinkable cruelty when his wife refused to give in.

And despite everything, Mathew saw Stella—a hardworking, loyal daughter—as nothing but a burden.

Was it a loss of morality? Or the distortion of human nature itself?

To Antonia, Mathew wasn't just a criminal—he was a midnight butcher.

---

Antonia clenched his fists, his body trembling with fury.

Scum like this didn't deserve to live.

It took every ounce of restraint not to deliver a fatal blow right then and there.

"Antonia!" Sam's voice broke through the tension as he grabbed Antonia's arm.

"Don't lose control. We're officers of the law. No matter how heinous the criminal, we have to act within the boundaries of justice."

Sam continued, his tone firm but understanding. "Criminals may be inhumane, but we can't be lawless. If we let our emotions dictate our actions, we're no different from them."

Sam's words were a lifeline, pulling Antonia back from the brink.

Antonia took a deep breath, his chest heaving. He wasn't reckless enough to throw a punch that would end Mathew's life—this time.

Instead, he delivered a sharp slap, knocking Mathew unconscious.

The room fell silent.

Sam let out a sigh of relief and turned to the two civilian officers.

The younger officers, understanding the gravity of the situation, pretended not to notice what had just occurred.

Sam nodded approvingly before turning back to Antonia.

"How did you figure it out, Antonia?" Sam asked, curiosity shining through his fatigue.

Though still visibly angry, Antonia took a moment to gather his thoughts before explaining.

As he recounted the sequence of events, Sam's expression turned to one of astonishment.

Antonia's methodical reasoning and sharp observational skills were extraordinary.

For Sam, this case solidified his belief in Antonia's unique talent.

---

Though the room still carried the weight of Mathew's crimes, the revelation of the truth marked the beginning of justice being served.

Mathew's gruesome deeds would not go unpunished.

For Antonia, it was one more monster brought to light—one less shadow lurking in Chicago's dark alleys.

And though he knew this wouldn't be the last heinous act he'd encounter, he vowed to meet each one head-on.

Justice was his mission, and for scum like Mathew, there would be no escape.

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