Chapter 2

“Carol!”

Seeing my state, a tempest of fury erupted in Matt’s gaze.

He rushed to my side and took off his suit jacket to cover my exposed body.

I was locked in his embrace. The anguish and care in his eyes were impossible to hide.

“Are you okay, Carol? It’s okay. I’m here!”

I felt the pinpricks behind my eyes as the tears I had been holding back finally fell.

Matt gently wiped the tears from my face. His face turned murderous as he looked at Sonya.

“You’re the one who hurt my sister! You’re dead!”

Sonya looked like she had heard the funniest joke ever. She threw her head back and laughed.

When her laughter finally subsided, she cast a dismissive glance at Matt. Her arrogance had no end in sight.

“Such arrogance! We’ll see if you’re still alive to talk in a minute! Men! Deal with him now! Show this fool who he’s really messing with!”

At her command, the bodyguards behind her lunged forward.

Matt’s men moved instantly. They formed a protective circle around us as they took down several of Sonya’s guards.

However, as more men emerged from behind Sonya, our family’s guards began to falter. They were overwhelmed by the sheer number.

I was concerned. “Matt, is this all the security you brought with you?”

Matt’s expression was grim, but he gave my hand a reassuring pat. “Don’t worry! Dad’s on his way with backup. Whoever hurt my sister is about to find out what that mistake costs.”

Watching her bodyguards fall one by one, a flicker of panic finally cracked Sonya’s arrogance.

She shot a venomous glare at us before fumbling for her phone.

“Just you wait! I’m calling my husband now! He’ll come here and finish you both!”

As soon as the call connected, she began to cry.

“Honey, there’s a guy named Matt here, and he’s trying to hurt me! He said I hurt his sister, and he’s going to make me pay! Help me!”

She put the phone on speaker on purpose.

As soon as she finished, the voice that crackled back was not one of soothing assurance but was laced with panic and frantic concern.

“Matt? Which Matt?! Where the hell are you?! Stay right there and wait for me!”

After seven years together, I could recognize Gerald’s voice clearly.

Even through the phone, I could hear the tremor hidden in every word he spoke.

I sneered and thought, ‘Great! Let him come.’

Sonya hung up with a triumphant sneer. Her shrill laughter was grating on the ears.

“Ha! My husband’s coming to finish you both! He said he doesn’t know any ‘Matt’! We’ll just pay to clean up this mess!”

She flicked her hand toward the guards beside her. “Do it! Whoever kills the two of them first gets a million.”

Hearing that, the guards’ eyes lit up instantly. Greed flashed across their faces.

One of them grabbed a fruit knife from the table and lunged straight at Matt and me.

“Carol, close your eyes!” Matt shouted.

He turned around to shield me with his body.

His warm hands covered my eyes.

Then, I heard a muffled groan. The air filled instantly with the stench of blood.

Dread surged within me. I clawed at the hand covering my eyes and cried frantically, “Matt, what’s wrong?”

When I finally managed to pry his hands away, I saw a vicious gash running across Matt’s forearm. Blood poured from the wound and splattered across the floor.

Before I could even react, someone kicked him on the side. The impact sent us both crashing to the floor.

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Matt!!!”

A scream tore from my throat in terror. My heart ached as if it might break.

I was unhurt, but Matt’s shirt was stained red.

Hatred and anger surged within me.

The next second, I lifted my tear-stained face and grabbed the heavy tailoring shears from the worktable. I lunged straight at Sonya, who was smiling smugly.

Thwack!

I drove the blade into her abdomen hard.