Chapter 4
The club was covered in a haze of shifting lights. Elodie leaned her head back, finishing her third glass of whiskey in one go.
The alcohol burned its way down her throat, but it didn’t help take away the sadness that weighed on her chest.
She moved to the center of the dance floor, dancing wildly in her high heels, her red dress twirling around her legs. Out of the corner of her vision, she noticed Sebastian near the lounge seats.
He was supposed to protect her, but now he stood watch over Sophia instead.
Sophia said something she couldn’t hear. As she leaned in to speak, her lips came close to Sebastian’s ear. His ear, which always stayed cold and still when he was around Elodie, now had a hint of pink.
Elodie gave a cold chuckle and turned around, only to find herself surrounded by a group of young men.
“Ms. Elodie, care for a drink?”
“Can I add you on WhatsApp?”
“I’ve wanted to meet you for ages. You’re even more stunning in person.”
They cornered her, leaving her no space to slip away. Some even reached for her waist, and more of them pressed in around her.
“Sebastian!” she finally shouted, her patience running out.
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He looked over, as if just realizing she was in trouble, then frowned and stepped through the crowd. His black suit stretched over strong arms, and just one stern glare from him made the group scatter, clearly annoyed.
“If someone didn’t know better, they’d think you’re Sophia’s
bodyguard,” Elodie said dryly, brushing spilled wine from her collarbone.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t notice,” Sebastian said, his gaze dropping.
“Didn’t notice?” she whispered, stepping in closer, her red lips nearly touching his jaw. “Or did you just not care?”
Her warm breath hit his skin. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he took a step back. “Ms. Elodie, you’ve had too much to drink.”
“Don’t worry. When I get married, you’ll have all the time to protect Sophia-”
She didn’t get to finish. Shouts from the stage suddenly drowned out
her voice.
Several workers rolled out a steel cage with two full–grown Tibetan Mastiffs pacing restlessly inside.
The host shouted, “Tonight’s main event! Black Whirlwind versus Red Flame! Place your bets now!”
Elodie’s eyebrows drew together.
These kinds of violent animal fights and gambling shows were common in places like this, but she had always found them disgusting.
Just as she turned to go, the steel bars of the cage made a loud screeching noise as if they couldn’t hold any longer.
Chapter 4
The latch had loosened.
Everything happened in an instant.
The bigger Tibetan Mastiff burst through the cage and charged at a nearby crowd.
As people screamed and ran, Elodie spotted Sebastian turn around without any hesitation. He rushed to Sophia, grabbed her, and shoved her toward an exit, shielding her with his body.
But Elodie was the one closest to the escaped dog. She could even see the saliva dripping from its fangs.
“Ahh!”
A sharp, terrible pain shot through her leg.
The dog’s teeth sank into her leg. She could faintly hear the awful rip of skin and cloth. Blood sprayed out as part of her leg was torn open. She dropped to the floor, watching the animal prepare to attack her again.
Bang!
A loud gunshot rang out, making her ears ring, and the Tibetan Mastiff collapsed.
The last image she caught before everything blurred was Sebastian standing with the gun, shielding Sophia, while the ceiling above her began to spin.
The sharp scent of disinfectant filled the air.
When Elodie finally woke from the pain, the first thing she saw was the plain white ceiling. Her leg felt as if it’d been branded by a
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scorching iron, and even breathing seemed to pull at the wound.
She slowly turned her head, and what she saw near the door of the hospital room hit her like a brick, shaking her already foggy mind.
Sophia was crying into Sebastian’s chest. “Sebastian, you’re Elodie’s bodyguard. How did you end up protecting me? It’s my fault. I never should have come…”
Sebastian gently patted her back with his slender fingers. His voice was so soft, it didn’t sound like him at all. “Ms. Sophia, please don’t blame yourself.”
He paused, then carefully wiped the tears from her cheeks. He said quietly, “Even if I had to do it all over again, a hundred times, I’d still choose to protect you first.”
“Why?” Sophia asked, eyes wet with tears as he looked up.
Sebastian gazed back, his voice soft and eyes filled with feeling. “Because I like…”
Chapter 5
