OLIVIA’S POV
My eyes shifted toward Adrian, his arms still clutching his stomach. Julian adjusted his collar, breathing heavily, and I realized just how silent the café had gotten. Every single person was staring -some with shock, others with fear at the heated exchange unraveling before them.
–
–
Adrian finally straightened up, his frame unbending slowly like a spring recoiling. I was still trying to process what just happened when I heard a sound. a low chuckle. At first, I thought it was someone else, but as I focused on it, I realized it was coming from Adrian himself.
He was laughing
.
He just took a brutal punch to the stomach, and he was… laughing?
Julian’s brows furrowed. “And what’s funny?”
“You hit like a girl,” Adrian replied, his voice carrying that usual arrogance, but now with a dangerous undertone.
Julian’s jaw clenched. “You think this is a joke? You think Olivia is some kind of toy your can beat whenever you feel like it?”
There was so much fury in Julian’s voice that it echoed throughout the room. I could see it in his eyes too–the rage, the protectiveness–but it was beginning to feel too reckless. He needed to calm down before someone really got hurt.
“Since you’re such a woman beater, let’s see how you do against a real man,” Julian said, stepping forward with determination.
I reached out instinctively. “Julian, please don’t…”
But my words dissolved into thin air. No one was listening. I had tried to stop them so many times now, but I feared this might escalate far beyond my control. All I could think about was the child inside me, the one that no one knew about yet.
What if someone struck me again? I don’t want what happened to me the last time Dora pushed me to repeat itself, I didn’t want to lose this child.
“Educate me, then,” Adrian sneered, his stance loose but confident.
Julian launched at him, his fist aimed directly at Adrian’s face. For a moment, I was sure the blow would land. I thought, at the very least, Adrian was about to walk away with a black eye.
But what happened next stunned me to the core
Successfully unlocked!
Adrian caught Julian’s fist in mid–an. Lessly. Then, with precision, he slammed his knuckles, into Julian’s throat–a clean, calculated hit to a vulnerable point.
Julian gasped and collapsed to one knee, coughing and wheezing as he struggled to
13
CHAPTER 057
breathe.
I instinctively stepped forward, ready to help Julian, but Adrian’s glare froze me in. place. The look in his eyes–it wasn’t just anger. It was control. Possessiveness. A warning.
He didn’t want me going anywhere near Julian.
So I froze, torn between my concern for Julian and the fear boiling inside me. Adrian turned his attention back to Julian, who was still gasping for air. He stared. down at him like he was a pest.
“This is the pathetic man Dan and his men lost to?” Adrian scoffed. “I really need to fire those fools.”
Julian, coughing violently, reached up and grabbed a part of Adrian’s trench coat in protest, but Adrian slapped his hand away with disgust.
“I warned you before–mind your business. Next time, I won’t stop at one strike. Next time, I’ll put you down permanently,” Adrian said coldly.
I stood there, trembling. I had always thought of Adrian as just a spoiled, rich coward who got by with wealth and intimidation. I’d seen what Julian did to those thugs back then–how easily he handled them. But now… Adrian had neutralized Julian with a single blow.
What was he hiding?
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps approached. Two of the café staff rushed toward the scene. One stood in front of Adrian protectively, while the other knelt beside Julian, assessing his condition.
“Hey man, that’s enough,” one of them said, speaking to Adrian. “If you two want to fight, do it outside. Not in here.”
Adrian let out a short, mocking laugh. “I don’t need to waste my time on this fool.”
Then he turned toward me. His voice dropped to a command. “Let’s go. Now.”
My heart pounded. The bruises from last night were still fresh on my skin. I didn’t need a mirror to know how bad they looked. And now, fear gripped me again–not just for myself, but for my unborn child. He didn’t know I was pregnant yet. I wasn’t ready to tell him.
I hesitated, but he turned sharply, walking out.
I let out a shaky breath and accepted my fate. I turned back one last time, my eyes. landing on Julian. The café staff were already helping him up. He still looked dazed, his chest heaving from the hit.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, the words barely leaving my lips. I didn’t know if he even heard
- me.
I turned and followed Adrian.
CHAPTER057.
We got into his car. His driver started the engine, and we drove off in silence. The tension inside the vehicle was suffocating. Adrian didn’t say a word, and I dared not speak first. I already knew what was waiting for me back home–and it wasn’t a warm welcome.
When we arrived, I stepped out of the car slowly, hoping he’d just head upstairs and leave me alone. But as I tried to walk toward the guest room, his voice cut through the air like a whip.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I froze. I turned slightly, about to respond, but he didn’t give me the chance.
“Upstairs. Now.”
I swallowed and nodded, obeying without protest. I couldn’t risk upsetting him again.
We got into the room. He shut the door behind us with force, the sound echoing in my chest.
“Explain yourself,” he said.
I
“I… uh… I went to the hospital to get an ointment for my bruises. Then I… I saw Julian. That’s all,” I stammered, my voice shaking.
His expression darkened.
It was clear on his face that he wasn’t happy about that at all.
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