Chapter 24
As Aiden stepped closer, Zoey caught a whiff of a nauseating stench coming off him. She instinctively stepped back, only to nearly bump into the two hulking men blocking her path behind her. “Well, little bitch,” one of them sneered. “Trying to throw yourself at us, huh?”
“I wouldn’t touch a woman with a ten–foot pole. Who knows how many men you’ve been with.” The other jeered.
Aiden licked his lips in a disgusting way. “Buddies, don’t be so picky. She’s not bad–looking. We could have a bit of fun with her.”
More importantly, Aiden thought this girl bore a resemblance to Ellie. Deep down, Aiden thought Zoey was even prettier than Ellie, but Ellie was the daughter of the Cooper family, while Zoey was just some poor girl from the countryside. A good face without the right family background meant nothing.
After chasing Ellie for so long and getting nothing in return, he figured using Zoey as a stand–in might not be such a bad consolation prize.
“Yeah, dude, you’re right. Look at her body–bet she’s a wild one in bed,” Aiden’s man said. “I wonder how she stacks up against those models we’ve had. She sure looks the part.”
Hearing their vile words, Zoey’s fear spiked, and her heart was pounding in panic. “Don’t come any closer! What you’re doing is illegal,” Zoey shouted at them. She hoped that might give them pause and make them think twice.
“Illegal?” One of them laughed like it was the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “Listen to her, talking about the law to us, huh? You really think a slut like you is gonna report us? Go ahead. We’ll just say you were the one coming on to us.”
“Yeah, your sugar daddy wasn’t enough, so you came looking for a few more, huh?” another guy chimed in.
Aiden and his two thugs walked toward Zoey with an evil grin. Before they could get her, Zoey dodged their hands and bolted toward the exit of the alley.
“Hey, Aiden, she’s getting away,” one of the men shouted.
“What’s the rush? She’s blind. How far do you think she’ll get?” Aiden replied calmly.
Sure enough, Zoey didn’t make it far before tripping over a raised stone. She crashed hard onto the ground, instinctively throwing her hands out to break the fall.
A sharp pain shot through her palms as they scraped against the jagged rocks beneath her. She could feel the sting–her skin was probably torn. She couldn’t help but let out a moan.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she fought through the pain, struggling to push herself off the ground. However, she was in the darkness, and her vision was a blurry void. She couldn’t see a thing, and her cane had been lost in the fall.
The three men loomed over her and reached out to her. “Come with us…”
Despair washed over her as tears streamed down her face. Just when she thought there was no escape, a deep male voice sliced through the night, bringing a glimmer of hope. “Zozo.”
Zoey’s heart skipped a beat. She turned toward the voice and saw only a hazy but familiar tall figure rushing toward her. “Mr. Horton?” she replied. ‘Is this real?‘ she thought, ‘Am I imagining him at a time like this?‘
Levi took in the scene before him, his eyes turning cold, his entire demeanor radiating a deadly vibe. Without needing a word from him, his bodyguards sprang into action and seized Aiden and his men before they could react.
Aiden shrieked, his voice shrill. “Who are you? What are you doing? This is between us and that little bi- Before he could finish his vile sentence, one of the bodyguards twisted his arm and snapped it with a sickening crack. “Ah-” A scream from Aiden then tore through the night.
Levi’s bodyguards had served him for years, and they were anything but merciful. To insult their boss’s wife was a crime in their eyes, and breaking only an arm was not even enough.
Under the faint moonlight, Aiden finally caught sight of Levi’s sharp features and the murderous air surrounding him.
Aiden remembered that he’d seen this man once at one of the elite gatherings. Even Aiden’s father didn’t have the privilege of brushing shoulders with Levi. And now, this terrifying man was standing here.
“You…You’re Mr Before Aiden could finish saying Levi’s name, a bodyguard’s fist smashed into his face, silencing him for good. Aiden’s face swelled up, his mouth tasting of blood, his arm and face throbbing with pain. But none of that compared to the shock of what he was about to witness
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Chapter 24
The untouchable heir to Brandor’s wealthiest family, Levi Gordon, was standing in front of that blind girl, bending down, and reaching out to her with unmistakable tenderness.
“Zozo, I’m here,” Levi said in a gentle tone, and with those words, the fear in Zoey’s heart finally melted away.
Zoey burst into tears and threw herself into Levi’s arms. The familiar scent of cedar and cold spice surrounded her, wrapping her in the warmth that seeped through her skin and settled deep in her heart.
Levi stiffened for a moment but didn’t push her away. His warm hand rested on her back and gently patted her to soothe her. “There, there, I’m here. You’re safe now.”
Levi had never comforted anyone, so his movements were awkward and unsure. But in Zoey’s eyes, even if he did nothing but just stay by her side, she could be at ease.
Zoey’s voice trembled as she said, “Mr. Horton, I thought I’d…” She didn’t finish the sentence. Just the thought of the nightmare that was about to unfold left her cold all over.
“That won’t happen. As long as I’m here, no one will lay a finger on you,” said Levi. He held the trembling girl tighter, his broad chest solid and secure, enveloping her in a protective cocoon.
Zoey cried in his arms for a while. Eventually, the tears and the fear wore her out, and she fell asleep.
She wasn’t brave enough to face it all, but her body, overwhelmed by terror, had triggered a protective response, forcing her into sleep to recover. As she dozed off, Levi glanced back at Aiden and his two lackeys, his expression as cold as ice.
With one look from him, the three men were shaking like leaves. “M–Mr. Gordon, we didn’t know she was with you…”
If they had known she was connected to Levi, they wouldn’t have dared touch her. Aiden was now realizing the full weight of his mistake. Crossing the Gordon family was a death sentence. Not even the entire Cooper family could save him, let alone Ellie.
Aiden cursed Ellie for pushing him into this mess and passed all the buck to Ellie.
Levi’s gaze was colder than death itself. He gave the command in a cold tone. “Make it clear who they are. Bankrupt their business and kick them…”
He didn’t need to finish. His men knew exactly what he meant. Everyone knew that messing with Levi’s family was asking for death. Aiden had crossed the line, and now he would pay.
With the Gordon family’s power and resources, bankrupting Aiden’s family would be as easy as snapping fingers. But Levi wasn’t stopping there. He planned not only to ruin Aiden but also to exile his entire family from Brandor, leaving them with no place in high society.
It was clear–Levi was furious this time. Aiden, pale and desperate, begged for mercy, “Mr. Gordon, we are really sorry. Please, I’m begging you, let me go. If I had known she was your woman, I never would’ve dared to go against you.”
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