Chapter 4
The club was dimly lit, the air thick with smoke and music. I tilted my head back, swallowing my third glass of whiskey. The burn of the alcohol couldn't drown the suffocating frustration in my chest.
I danced in the crowd, my red dress spinning with every step, but my eyes remained fixed on Carter by the VIP table.
He was supposed to be my bodyguard, but instead, he stood unwavering by Emma's side. She leaned close to his ear, her lips brushing his earlobe, and I saw something I never thought I'd see—his ears tinged pink, betraying a softness that was never meant for me.
A bitter laugh escaped me, and as I turned, I was surrounded by a group of young men.
“Mia, come have a drink with us?”
“Let’s follow each other on Instagram.”
“I’ve wanted to meet you for so long—your face is even more stunning in person.”
They cornered me, getting closer and closer. One of them even placed a hand on my waist.
Unable to bear it any longer, I snapped, “Carter!”
Only then did he seem to realize my predicament. He frowned and made his way through the crowd to my side.
His arms, sharp and defined beneath his black suit, effortlessly cleared the men away with just one cold glance.
“For people who don’t know us,” I sneered, “that it seems like she’s the one you’re supposed to protect?” I raised my hand and wiped off the whiskey stain on my collarbone.
Carter lowered his gaze. “Sorry, I didn’t see that.”
“Didn’t see?” I leaned in, my red lips nearly brushing his jaw. “Or… you just didn’t want to see?”
My breath was hot against his skin, and I saw him swallow hard. He instinctively took a step back. “You’ve had too much to drink.”
“Don’t worry. Once I’m married off, you’ll get to protect Emma every day—”
I was cut off by a sudden scream from the stage. A staff member pushed forward an iron cage, and two adult cheetahs began pacing restlessly inside.
“Tonight’s special event!” The announcer shouted with excitement. “Khan vs. Mystic—bets are open!”
I frowned. The Nightshade Club often hosted these brutal animal fights, and I despised them. I was about to leave when suddenly, the cage let out a loud screech—the lock had come undone.
The change happened in an instant. The largest cheetah slammed into the cage door, knocking it open and leaping toward the nearest crowd.
Screams erupted. I watched as Carter didn’t hesitate. He turned and instinctively rushed toward Emma, wrapping her tightly in his arms and pushing her toward the safety exit.
And there I stood, right in the cheetah’s path. I could see its fangs dripping with saliva, smell the rank scent of blood on its fur.
Pain exploded through me in an instant. The cheetah’s sharp teeth sank into my calf, and I heard the fabric of my dress tear, followed by the sickening sound of flesh being ripped. A chunk of my flesh was torn away, and blood sprayed out in a gushing torrent. I collapsed to the floor, watching in horror as the animal lunged toward me again—
“Bang!”
The gunshot rang in my ears, and the cheetah fell to the ground, lifeless.
The last thing I saw was Carter holding the gun, keeping Emma shielded behind him, his back turned toward me as the lights above flickered and dimmed.
...
The scent of antiseptic burned my nostrils, making me gag. I opened my eyes through the agony, only to see a sterile white ceiling above me. My leg felt like it had been branded with a hot iron, each breath tugging at the wound, sending shockwaves of pain through my body.
I struggled to turn my head. The scene by the door of the hospital room froze me in place, my muddled mind going completely blank.
Emma was buried in Carter’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Carter, you’re Mia’s bodyguard. How could you protect me first... It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have come...”
His long, graceful hand patted her back gently, his voice soft and unfamiliar to me. “Don’t blame yourself.”
“Even if I had to do it a hundred times,” he whispered, his fingers gently wiping the tears from her face, his words sinking deep into my ears, “I would still choose to protect you first.”
“Why?” Emma looked up at him, her face streaked with tears.
Carter’s gaze, the one I had once longed for, stared deeply into her eyes. Those deep eyes, which had once held my hopes, were now full of emotions I’d never known. “Because... I like—”
The rest of his words faded, a dull hum filling my ears as my head spun with pain. The only thing I could hear clearly was the agony from my wound and the unbearable, cold silence in my chest, deeper than any wound I had.
