Myra tried to grab onto the doorknob, but Thomas was already pulling her further from the door. Hot tears were streaming past her cheeks, but she gritted her teeth and kicked harshly at the door, even as she was being hauled away.
Meanwhile, he felt a rush of anger and frustration at the girl’s relentless struggle. He brought his hand up, but just as he was about to slap her hard across the face again, the door was kicked open from the outside.
Thomas was startled as the door slammed open with a violent ‘bang’. Almost instantly, a man with a thunderous expression strode through the entry and landed a harsh kick against Thomas’ sternum, sending him flying backward.
“Y-You…” His eyes widened when he took in the familiar face before him and he faltered as panic rose in him.
Thomas knew the man. He knew him so well that the recognition itself made his bones tremble with fear. This was the man who haunted the urban legends of Bradfort City—Tony Hart, the fourth son of the Hart family and younger brother to Deputy Mayor Hart.
Falling in step behind Tony were two other men whose faces were equally stormy. One was Deputy Mayor Hart himself and Thomas recognized the other as Young Master Elliot, the head of Zion Club.
Thomas winced as soon as he met Deputy Mayor Hart’s furious gaze. I’m as good as dead this time. The next moment, a fist was hurled toward Thomas and it landed hard on his chin. He could taste copper in his mouth and two of his front teeth were loosened.
Shawn reached out and restrained Tony. Then, he said in a low voice, “Let me handle this. Go and get Miss Stark out of here.”
Currently, Elliot was holding onto Myra as they stood to the side. She looked miserable. She was so relieved at having been saved that her legs caved in under her weight and she almost skidded on the floor. Before she could react, Tony threw a suit jacket over her before he carried her in his arms.
Zion Club was not an ordinary clubhouse and its patrons were prominent figures in Bradfort City. Any delay in bringing an end to this debacle would only increase the risk of others finding out about what happened and that would not be good for Myra’s reputation.
Tony gazed at her trembling body and he grew grim when he saw that one of her cheeks were swollen. He had come to pick Myra up from the club today, but upon his arrival, he heard that she was still engaged in a discussion with those from the Management Department. With some time to spare, he had decided to wait for her with his brother and Elliot in another private room.
It was only after the waiter, who had been keeping a close eye on the other private room, informed the three of them that there was something wrong that they rose from their seats and rushed over, thereupon catching Thomas in his attempt to assault Myra.
Tony tightened his grip on her and shot a cold, baleful look toward Thomas. He then said, “There’s no need to spare him.”
Even Elliot could not help but shudder at the murderous tone of those words. Meanwhile, Shawn clapped Tony on the shoulder—a silent assurance that he knew what to do.
Tony looked sullen, but knowing that his brother would take care of the rest, he turned to leave the room with Myra cradled in his arms. Myra’s slender frame was hidden under his suit jacket and half of her face was obscured as well. All that peeked out were her reddened eyes and she gazed up at him as the fear and resentment settled within her. She had heard their conversation and upon remembering something, she quickly glanced toward Shawn. “Tilly…”
Her throat felt dry, as though it was being sliced by a knife, but she swallowed and looked over at the dining table. “Tilly collapsed over there…”
Elliot stiffened before he hurried to the exquisitely-carved square table. Sure enough, there was a woman who lay unconscious behind it and he swiftly carried her from the ground. Upon seeing him holding Tilly, Myra let out a sigh of relief. She’ll be fine since Elliot’s with her.
At that moment, Tony held Myra closer to him and marched out of the room in a few long strides. After they made their way out of Zion Club and into the car, he bent and silently fastened her seatbelt. She reached out suddenly and clasped her fingers around his wrist. She bit her lip and said softly, “I’m okay.” Her voice was hoarse and her hands were shaking even as they held onto his wrist.
He lifted his gaze and she could see the dark fire that burned in his eyes. He looked like a panther who had been thoroughly provoked—dangerous and unpredictable. He looked far angrier than he had been in the club.
Nevertheless, Myra tightened her grip on Tony’s wrist, but in the next moment, she found herself being pulled into his arms. “Damn it! Damn it! Goddamnit!” he cursed under his breath, his voice rough and punctuated with rage. He had cursed thrice, she dimly noted. He was beside himself with fury. Her face was pressed to his chest and she could hear the steady staccato of his heartbeat. Only then did she fully realize that he had saved her.
“How are you okay?” he roared, tipping her chin up so that their eyes met. He might have saved her, but it did not seem like he would let her off the hook that easily either.
Myra knew that she had been careless this time, that her naivety got the better of her. She had fallen into a trap that was hidden in plain sight. She was afraid to imagine what could have happened if Tony and the others had not gotten to her in time. Her heart clenched at the thought of how terrible things could have turned out to be and her eyes rimmed red. Before long, the tears overwhelmed and the aftershock seized her like an icy claw. She broke down in front of him.
She did not cry much. She put up a brave front before others and she had forced back her tears even after she knew about Sean’s string of affairs. However, ever since she met Tony, she found that she could not keep her guard up in front of him. She had been scared witless, and her scalp and her arm were prickling with pain, but she could not hide any of these from him. It was as if the floodgates were open and the tears did not stop coming.
Myra gripped onto the chest area of Tony’s shirt, choking out the words, “I’m sorry. I didn’t stop to think… He was so polite—Tilly and I didn’t catch on.” It was no wonder that Thomas had deliberately asked if they drank wine. The wine must have been spiked before the waiter brought it into the room, she thought.
Tony’s heart wrenched as he saw the tears streak down her face. He softened as he held her close and his voice was raspy as he murmured, “You ought to bring a few more others with you the next time you have dinner appointments like this…” His eyes flashed with anger. How dare that man lay a hand on my woman!
Myra nodded as she hummed feebly in response, her tears soaking the front of his shirt. She clenched her fists, bunching the fabric of his shirt and resting her head on his shoulder. She felt a sharp stab of pain whenever she thought about what Thomas had said to her. Her tears streamed down furiously and with her hands still trembling, she added, “Mr. Hughes also said…”
Her words trailed off as she took a shaky breath. She felt her chest tighten painfully with the effort, but she forced down the ache and continued, “He said that… Cameron had promised him my hand in marriage, that he’d agreed to let him have his way with me tonight.”
The air around them grew cold as the fire in Tony’s eyes only burned darker at this. Cameron Stark… Very well played, indeed…
His arms wound tighter around Myra and he did not loosen his hold until he heard a soft gasp from her. He lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead, murmuring gently, “Don’t think about these anymore—leave them all to me. I’ll take care of everything.” His voice was a low rumble, the rage seemingly gone from it and replaced by an arctic edge that made a chill run down Myra’s spine.
Myra was completely drained from all the struggling and sobbing that she soon fell asleep after Tony had fastened her seatbelt for her.
