Rage and Rescue

He moved closer to us, heaving in anger.

“I said, get your hands off her now!”

Moris quickly let go of me and took a few steps back. He looked at me, “You.. You didn't tell me you were married,” he stuttered, obviously intimidated by Aaron’s presence.

“You didn't ask,” I retorted.

“Get into your car and get out this minute,” Aaron said. His voice was low and full of authority.

The way Moris scrambled into his old Jeep hurriedly would have made me laugh if I were in a more sober condition and wasn't so shaken.

He drove away quickly.

“Let's go,” Aaron said coldly and started walking away.

I followed him, but my steps were still a bit unsteady. I wondered what he was doing at the club and how he had found me.

“What are you doing here, Aaron? How did you find me?” I asked as I tried to keep up with his pace.

We reached his car.

“Get into the car,” he ordered getting into the driver’s seat.

Yeah, right, I didn't expect him to open the door for me, seeing the state I was in. Aaron Knight was no gentleman.. At least not to me.

I managed to open the door and get in, heaving tiredly. My head was already banging a little from all that dragging with Moris, the predator.

He turned to me angrily, eyes blazing. “What were you thinking, going out with that guy?” he was angry. “I don't care who you mess with, but be sensible enough not to do it where people can see you! I'm pretty popular, and I wouldn't want people sending me pictures of my supposed wife flirting with a guy in the public space! Do not…”

He pointed his index finger at me, “Embarrass me again, Elizabeth.”

My eyes widened. Pictures?

He turned on the ignition.

“Pictures? What pictures?” I asked.

He reached for his phone and handed it to me. I stared at the screen, and there was a picture of me laughing with Moris. What?!

“Did you hire people to follow me around?”

I had to confirm. I would be so mad if he did.

He started driving now.

“You're not that special for me to do that,” he said with a scoff. The club owner is a business partner. And he was at the wedding. A married woman flirting with another guy is not exactly a normal thing to see.”

“I already told you I wasn't flirting with him,” I fired.

“That's your concern, it has nothing to do with me. Just don't do it in public spaces. Half of Manhattan knows we are married, and people don't exactly mind their business around here. Don't start up rumors that will alert the press and raise suspicions.”

He said. His angry tone had toned down a notch, he was getting calmer.

“I don't give a fuck about rumors. I didn't want this thing in the first place,” I said, a bit weakly.

“Neither did I,” he said in a very low voice, it was so low that I would have missed it if I weren't staring at him

I was curious now. I was emotionally blackmailed by my father because our company needed saving.

But he didn't have to. Their business was solid, his father's asking for a marriage was just a way of protecting himself and making sure my father wasn't going to pay him back for his betrayal years ago.

If I even understood the situation properly, Charles Vanderbilt didn't need to merge with Knight Corp, but he did. I'm guessing for him, it was more of a power play. So I wondered why Aaron had agreed to it.

I wanted to ask him, I didn't know if he was going to answer me, but I asked anyway. 

“Why did you agree to this marriage, Aaron?

I studied him. He didn't look at me, but he clenched his jaw and gripped the steering wheel tighter than before with his eyes still on the road. 

He paused first, then said:

“The same reason you agreed, I suppose.”

“I don't think so, I didn't have a choice in my case.”

“I wasn't given one either.” his eyes flickered with something, though I couldn't exactly place it.

I was even more curious now. I wanted to prolong this conversation to know where he was coming from.

“My father said our company needed saving. And your father said no marriage, no merger.”

He looked at me briefly. It was so brief that it was missable. His eyes were unreadable.

“Is that what your father told you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows, “Yes” 

He scoffed but said nothing.

Now that was suspicious. Did my dad not tell me the full story? Oh God, I hoped he did.

“Why did you accept this marriage?” I asked again. Hoping he would say more.

“There’s no need to talk about this. We are already married. Aren't we?”

I needed to know “just tell me…” I said “please”

His countenance shifted a little, probably a bit surprised I was pleading. But I feel like I needed to understand this situation completely.

He shrugged, “Your father was blackmailing mine. He had no choice.”

My tipsy eyes flew open. In shock. Blackmail?

Nah, that wasn't possible. That wasn't what Dad had told me.

Charles Vanderbilt might have lied to his son to make my dad look like a villain instead of him. Anything to manipulate his son into doing his bidding, the same way he manipulated his dad.

With each discovery I find, I can't help but wonder what type of man he was.

“Blackmail? Aaron, that's not true,” I said softly.

The car rolled into the gates now. We had arrived at the mansion.

“Feel free to ask your dad the full story, Elizabeth. I don't think he was completely honest with you,” he said, calmly turning off the ignition.

“I don't think yours was honest with you either.”

He shook his head slightly and came down from the car.

I opened my car door and got out. 

“Aaron,” I called as he was walking away. He stopped and turned.

I raised his cellphone, “Your phone.” 

I tried to move towards him, but my legs failed me. My wooziness, coupled with my high heels. I felt my body lean forward towards the ground. I closed my eyes, preparing for the fall.

But it never came. His arm caught me.

I sighed in relief. The fall would have been drastic.

“Thank you,” I managed to say. I felt so weak.

He took his phone from my hand and let me go.

I staggered again, and he caught me. Again.

But this time, his hand was wrapped around my waist, pulling me to him for support.

My body stiffened.

I could feel his warm breath fanning my face. We were that close.

“You must have had so much to drink,” he said. “Can you walk on your own?”

I couldn't speak. So I nodded instead.

This close contract was surprisingly doing something to me, I could feel my cheeks heating up. It had to be the alcohol.

Without warning, he lifted me into his arms.

I gasped.

He started walking.

I was shocked at his gesture. I thought he would have left me outside to manage my way into the house, regardless. A part of me wanted to scream ‘drop me’, but I knew getting into the house and climbing the stairs would be a herculean task. Hopefully, he'd even carry me up the stairs. I didn't know to what length this kindness would extend.

I also wanted to ask him why he was being nice all of a sudden.

But instead, I rested my head on his shoulder to properly support my neck.

“Thank you,” I murmured.

He didn't say anything. Just kept walking.