CHAPTER 13: TOP PRIORITY
1211 Words
CASSIUS'S POV
Right in front of me was a bastard trying to have his way with Daphne. He struggled to tear her clothes off. She tried to scream for help, but he gagged her with a piece of cloth, holding her hands tightly.
My jaw clenched, veins rising along my neck as rage surged through me. I closed the distance in two long strides, yanking him off her and slamming him hard against the wall.
I didn’t stop there.
My fist connected with his face, landing a brutal punch that sent a tooth flying. He groaned as I hit him again and again. Blood spilled from his mouth, trickling down his chin. His nose began bleeding.
“Please… stop… I’m sorry…” He cried, his voice breaking, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
All I could think about was killing him.
If I had been a minute late, he would have had his way with her. How dare he even try?
“This is for touching my wife,” I growled, driving my knee into his abdomen.
He cried out, folding in pain, but I wasn’t done.
“This is for—”
A soft whimper cut me off.
I turned sharply and saw Daphne crouched in the corner, clutching her stomach as she winced in pain.
My eyes widened, and my grip on the bastard’s clothes loosened. I shoved him aside. I rushed to her side and crouched in front of her.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my thoughts spinning.
She looked up at me. Her eyes were glassy with tears, her face tight with pain and discomfort. “I’m—” She bit her lip. “I’m fine… I think I just need to rest,” she muttered, looking away.
I didn't accept that. Something seemed off.
My patience thinned.
“Tell me what’s wrong with you,” I said, my voice firm, though still edged with frustration.
She flinched slightly and pressed her lips together. “It’s that time of the month… my stomach hurts so bad,” she stammered, her head bowed, her voice low with embarrassment.
For a moment, I just stared at her. Her words settled in slowly.
That time of the month.
I exhaled quietly, running my tongue along my teeth. Of all the things I expected to hear, it wasn’t that.
A part of me almost scoffed. Something so… normal. Something women dealt with every month. It shouldn’t matter to me.
And yet, the way she sat there—curled into herself, trying to act like she was fine when she clearly wasn’t—irritated me in a way I couldn’t explain. She looked like she was in pains. And I wanted to take them away.
My jaw tightened. Why didn’t she say something earlier?
I looked away for a second, my thoughts shifting roughly. This wasn’t my problem. It shouldn’t be. She was only playing a role in my life, nothing more.
But then—
The image of that bastard’s hands on her flashed in my mind.
My chest hardened instantly. No, whether this marriage was real or not, no one had the right to touch what was mine.
I clicked my tongue softly and looked back at her.
“Can you stand?” I asked, my tone flat.
She hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll try.”
She placed a hand on the wall and tried to push herself up, but the moment she straightened halfway, her face twisted in pain and she dropped back down with a soft gasp.
I watched her for a second, my expression unreadable. Then I bent down without another word and slid one arm behind her back and the other under her knees.
Before she could react, I lifted her into my arms.
She gasped softly, her hands instinctively clutching my jacket.
“Cassius—”
“Stop talking,” I muttered. “Your stomach might hurt more.”
She went quiet immediately.
I adjusted my hold on her, making sure she was secure before turning toward the bastard I had left on the floor.
He was still there, groaning weakly, blood all over his face.
My eyes darkened. For a second, I considered going back to finish what I started.
But I didn’t. Not now.
I shifted slightly and pulled out my phone with one hand.
“Security,” I said the moment the call connected, my voice cold. “Ladies restroom. There’s a criminal who needs to be put behind bars.”
I ended the call without waiting for a response.
Daphne shifted slightly in my arms, her face pressing against my chest now. Her arms slowly wrapped around my neck, holding on like she needed the support.
I glanced down at her briefly.
Her eyes were closed, her breathing uneven as she whimpered softly.
My grip tightened just a little.
Without wasting any more time, I turned and walked out of the restroom.
The moment I stepped into the hallway, a few people turned to look. Then more people turned.
By the time I reached the main hall, the attention was impossible to ignore. Whispers started immediately.
“Is that Daisy in his arms?”
“What happened?”
“Why is he carrying her like that?”
The paparazzi didn’t waste a second. Cameras flashed rapidly, capturing every angle. I ignored all of them.
Daphne’s face was buried in my chest now, completely hidden from their eyes. Her arms stayed wrapped around my neck, her body pressed close to mine.
Good. They didn’t need to see her like this.
I walked straight back to the table where Marcus and the others were seated.
The moment we approached, the conversations around the table died down.
Ethan looked up, his brows drawing together slightly as his eyes moved from me to Daphne in my arms.
“What’s the problem?” he asked, his tone calm but sharp.
I didn’t sit. Marcus's expression asked the same question so I faced him instead.
“Something came up,” I said simply. “We’re leaving.”
A few of the men exchanged glances, clearly confused.
Marcus’s gaze lingered on Daphne for a second longer before returning to me.
“And your speech?” he asked.
I didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, I adjusted Daphne slightly in my arms when I felt her shift again. Her fingers tightened faintly against my collar, and I could feel her breath against my chest. It wasn’t steady. I could feel how hard she was trying to endure the pain.
My jaw clenched.
Then I looked back at Marcus.
“It can wait, I have something more important to handle.” I muttered, tone urgent.
His eyes narrowed slightly, studying me.
The hall fell quiet.
Marcus leaned back slowly in his chair, a faint smile forming on his lips. It wasn’t mocking this time. It was knowing.
“Alright,” he said. “Go.”
I didn’t wait for anything else.
Without another word, I turned and walked away.
As I walked out with her in my arms, I could already feel it—
By tomorrow morning, the headlines wouldn’t just be about the business gala.
They would also be about me… and the woman I chose over an important speech.
- Writer
