Chapter 17
Theo hadn’t expected his plan to fail so spectacularly
As frustration bubbled over, he cursed nonstop, the profanity echoing until the police finally dragged him down the stairs.
His lackeys, who had been lurking behind him, were also rounded up and led away.
With the immediate danger gone, Amelia crumpled to the floor, completely spent
The sudden collapse aggravated her in
injuries, and the sharp metallic scent of blood filled the air around her.
Sharon burst in through the doorway and froze at the sight. Tears streamed down her face as she waited, “Theo’s a monstert He went way too far!?
Amelia wanted to comfort her, but the words wouldn’t come. She didn’t have the strength.
Her head drooped forward, and the world around her faded as she passed out.
Downstairs, a police car waited with its engine idling, but Theo stubbornly refused to get in
Like a defiant stray dog backed into a corner, he snapped at the officers, “Do you know who I am? Let me go right now! I’m calling your chief–just you wait!”
Meanwhile, upstairs, Sharon grew increasingly worried.
Amelia’s condition was dire, and she wasn’t sure the few officers present could manage Theo’s outburst
Desperate, she grabbed her phone and called Vince.
Vince was
still at the mall, not far away. He answered in his usual calm tone, but as Sharon explained the situation, his composure cracked.
Fury ignited within him, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
He raced to Amelia’s building, gripping the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned whre.
Within minutes, he arrived, his forehead slick with sweat.
Without hesitation, he headed inside and found Amelia.
Gently, but with urgency, he lifted her into his arms.
Her back was damp with sweat, her body limp and unresponsive, yet her arms instinctively looped around his neck.
Outsion, Theo’s cantrum continued. His shouts, peppered with grunts of anger and frustration, echoed into the night.
In the middle of his rant, he froze.
Every muscle in his body locked up, his breath caught in his throat as if a jolt of electricity had surged through him.
What he saw stunned him.
Standing in front of him was Vince, His sharp, resolute profile radiated a cold fury that seemed to cut through the air
In his
arms was Amelia, soft and fragile, like an injured little kitten.
Vince stepped forward, his movements deliberate, his eyes burning with restrained menace “If you ever touch her again, I won’t hold back,” he said, his voice low and chilling.
Not waiting for an
for a reply, Vince turned and carried Amelia toward the waiting ambulance.
The remained rooted to the spot, shivering as the icy wind bit through his clothes.
He barely knew Vince–just a few patung encounters–but an unexplainable fear clawed at him, primal and undeniable.
Inside him, emotions clashed in a violent storm: resentment, haired, confusion, fear, and loathing.
They churned and boiled, leaving him disoriented,
A second police car arrived, its sirens wailing in the distance.
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9:27 AM
Chapter 17
The officers moved quickly, forcing Theo into the backseat despite his ongoing protests.
nry threats and empty
At the hospital, Amelia’s clothes were soaked in a sticky mixture of sweat and blood, clinging to her skin.
As the nurses carefully worked to remove her top, she winced, beads of sweat dotting her forehead. The sharp pain jolted her fully awake
Her body trembled uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the shock and pain.
A nurse pressed her gently back against the bed. “Don’t move, or the wound could get infected.”
When the fabric was finally peeled away, gasps rippled through the room.
From her elbow to her back, countless cuts crisscrossed her skin in a gruesome pattern that even the most experienced staff couldn’t ignore.
As the initial sting began to fade and her thoughts grew clearer. Amelia gritted her teeth and addressed the doctor firmly. “Don’t treat the wounds yet. Take photos first. I need this documented–for an injury report. It’s evidence
The doctor sighed but complied with Amelia’s request, meticulously documenting each injury with a camera.
Vince stood off to the side, his heart pounding as he took in the horrific pattern of cuts and bruises on her body.
He couldn’t understand her
Amelia, bruised and bleeding, had still prioritized gathering evidence.
She knew the risks of confronting Karen and Theo, yet she’d walked straight into danger without hesitation
Vince let out a long, slow breath, his brows furrowing deeply. He couldn’t piece together her reasoning.
The harder he thought about it, the more the knot in his chest tightened, constricting his ability to think clearly-
Something about her stirred a strange emotion within him—an inexplicable mix of worry, confusion, and something he couldn’t quite name.
It lingered, stubbom and unrelenting, refusing to fade.
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