THE VENGEFUL ALLURE

CHAPTER 3: BIG BAD WOLF

Harmony's Pov

“Who the hell are you?” I snapped, yanking my arm back instinctively. “Why are you interfering in things that have nothing to do with you?”

My voice was sharp, cutting through the tension in the air, but the man didn’t even blink. He just stared at me—stone-faced—with cold fury simmering in his eyes.

I hated that kind of look. Like I wasn’t even worth a response.

Then, Terra moved behind him and clung to his arm.

“Brother, please don’t mind her.”

Brother?

I blinked. Brother?

Wait—was this Abel Jefferson?

The infamous Second Young Master of the Jefferson family?

Everything suddenly made sense. The arrogance, the grip, the aura of power that rolled off him like a storm about to hit. The name alone could shake up half of S City. One word from him and companies would kneel. The Bonely family wouldn’t have dared to marry off Terra to Paul if not for the force backing her.

And now, that force stood right in front of me.

“Why did you hit her?” he asked, his voice low and cold—like death itself had spoken.

I narrowed my eyes at him, unbothered. “Let go.”

He didn’t. His grip tightened slightly—not enough to bruise, but enough to show he wasn’t bluffing.

My wrist throbbed, but I didn’t flinch.

“Is this how the mighty Jefferson family operates now?” I said quietly. “Manhandling women in public? If the media gets wind of this, I wonder what they'll say.”

Something flickered in his eyes—surprise, maybe. Most people probably begged before they dared speak to him like that.

But I wasn’t most people.

“I saw how you moved earlier,” he said. “Don’t pretend to be helpless now.”

I gave a short laugh. “And I saw how your sister moved first. Or does that part not matter when you’re playing knight in shining armor?”

He leaned in, his face close—too close. The scent of tobacco and something sharper, colder, drifted past me. Familiar. Strangely so.

I froze for just a second.

Where have I smelled that before?

I stared at him, confused. Something about this man pulled at a memory I couldn’t quite reach.

“She hit me first,” I said calmly. “The first slap was to return the favor. But the second one?” I met his eyes dead-on. “That was for the years of betrayal she’s built up like a damn trophy shelf.”

Terra scoffed behind him. “She’s lying, brother. She planned all this!”

My jaw clenched.

I was done playing nice.

“You stole your best friend’s husband, Terra,” I said loudly, letting my voice rise over the murmurs starting to spread around us. “You schemed, you backstabbed, and now you want to cry victim?”

People turned. Heads swiveled. I could feel the eyes, the stares, the tension thick in the air.

Terra looked ready to explode.

“You b***h, I’ll—!”

She lunged at me, but her brother caught her arm mid-air and yanked her back.

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t even blink.

I’d already won.

I turned to leave. I was done with this circus. But before I could take a step, I felt his grip tighten again on my wrist.

I looked back at him slowly, teeth clenched.

“Let. Go.”

He didn’t.

I hated this. Hated him. Hated that scent still clinging to the edge of my thoughts.

They said the Jefferson family raised wolves.

If that were true, then I had just met the biggest one of them all.

"Second Brother, don’t let her go! The scandal about Paul and that model—it was her doing!"

Terra raised her voice, her eyes gleaming with malice.

Harmony stood still, her wrist still in Abel's firm grip. She could tell these siblings wanted to humiliate her together. Her fury simmered, but before she could snap back, two small voices called out from behind the crowd.

"Mom!"

Lucy’s high-pitched voice rang out first. Lan came right behind her, holding his sister’s hand as they pushed through the sea of gowns and suits.

They had tried to go to Aunt Pearl’s house, but no one was there. So they followed the trail back here—only to see their mother cornered by strangers.

Abel blinked in confusion as the two kids darted toward them. Lan stepped up without hesitation, pointed straight at Abel and shouted,

“Let go of our mom, you big bully!”

The crowd turned.

Lucy rushed to Harmony’s side and clutched her leg tightly.

“Mommy, are you okay?” she asked, her voice trembling.

Harmony crouched down and hugged her.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. You two shouldn’t be here.”

Lan didn’t stop there. He stepped in front of Abel and glared up at him.

“You think you're scary ‘cause you’re tall? We’re not afraid of you!”

Abel’s brows drew together. He looked down at the small boy who had just planted himself like a soldier at his feet.

Before he could speak, Lan reached for Lucy’s hand. Then, in one swift move, the two of them hugged one of Abel’s legs from either side.

“Bad man! Let go of our mom!” Lucy cried.

Their voices cracked, and tears ran down their faces. They looked heartbroken, and their act pulled everyone’s attention. The entire hall quieted down as murmurs swept the crowd.

“Whose kids are those?”

“They’re calling him ‘bad man’? Is that Abel Jefferson?”

“They look just like him… Could they be...?”

The press didn’t need more than that. A few cameras started flashing. A reporter stepped forward.

“Mr. Jefferson, are you the father of these two children? Is this your secret family?”

Abel’s face froze. He looked like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water on his head.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” he snapped. “I don’t even know them!”

But the kids held tighter, crying louder.

Harmony looked on, her lips twitching in amusement.

Terra’s jaw dropped. She tried to speak, but nothing came out.

Within minutes, chaos erupted. Journalists surged forward with questions. Bodyguards pushed them back, but the rumors were already flying. Abel tried to shake the kids off without hurting them, but they clung to him like gum on a shoe.

During the confusion, Harmony gathered her children and quietly slipped away through a side exit.

Outside, she let out a breath and hugged them both.

"You two did amazing," she said with a chuckle. "That was genius."

Lan grinned. “He looked like he saw a ghost.”

Lucy pouted. “Nobody bullies our mom. Not even someone that tall.”

Harmony kissed both their cheeks and walked off with them, her smile wide and proud.