Chapter 94
Herman sighed deeply, his footsteps heavy as he ascended to the second floor of the villa.
Rooney shot Lauren a sharp, mocking glance. “Just you wait, Lauren. I’ll ruin your family’s reputation within the next two days,” she spat, her voice dripping with malice. With that, she turned on her heel and led her daughter back to their rooms to rest.
Harrison’s lips curled into a brief smile, but it quickly faded into a grimace as the pain from his injury reminded him of the fight.
Maria, ever the diligent one, grabbed a broom and began sweeping the mess. Her voice was soft but firm as she smiled. “You two have important matters to attend to tomorrow. Go back to your rooms and get some rest.”
Lauren walked toward her room in silence, her face devoid of emotion. Harrison limped behind her, his hand resting on his waist to support himself.
Once inside their room, Lauren sank into the chair by the dressing table, her thoughts clouded with frustration.
“Don’t be upset,” Harrison said gently, trying to offer comfort. “We held our heads high today, didn’t we?”
For the first time in his life, he’d dared to go up against his older brother. He had never felt so liberated.
Lauren frowned, her thoughts still lingering on Rooney’s threat. “Did you hear what Rooney said? She’s going to discredit us.”
Harrison straightened his posture, his tone more resolute. “We’ll deal with it. I’m not afraid of them anymore.”
She sighed deeply, the weight of the situation pressing on her. “Hera’s birthday is coming up, and I’m sure they’ll try something then.”
Meanwhile, in Rex District, Zakariah received a call from his granddaughter, and without hesitation, he gathered a team of experts from the Martial Arts Association and rushed to pick her up. Nash, having just dropped Skadi off outside the district, caught Zakariah’s eye as the old man saw him personally see her off.
Zakariah’s face paled with concern. “Skadi, how could you let Mr. Calcraft send you off himself?”
He placed a hand over his chest, clearly shaken as he addressed Nash. “Mr. Calcraft, it’s really no trouble. You don’t need to bother.”
Skadi raised an eyebrow. “Grandpa, what’s the issue? Why can’t Mr. Calcraft see me off?”
Zakariah’s expression darkened, but before he could speak, Nash cut in with a smirk. “There’s no problem at all. Skadi is Hera’s friend, so she’s my friend as well. Isn’t it normal for me to see her off? Besides, I’m hardly some important figure.”
Zakariah hesitated, then smiled weakly. “I just meant it’s already late, and I didn’t want to trouble Mr. Calcraft.”
Skadi waved him off with a grin. “It’s only past ten. How is that late? We young folks are up until midnight!”
She turned to Nash and, with a teasing wink, added, “Take care of Hera, but remember—no funny business. If you try anything, I’ll have Grandpa break your legs.”
Zakariah trembled at her words, clearly startled, and shot an apologetic glance at Nash.
Nash, understanding the light-hearted nature of the threat, just chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’ll behave.”
Skadi got into the car, and Zakariah, still recovering from the shock, quickly boarded as well. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and, facing Nash, said, “We’ll be leaving now, Mr. Calcraft.”
Nash nodded, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.
As the car drove off, Zakariah muttered to himself, “You really have no idea how complex things are, girl.”
He kept Nash’s secret for a reason, not wanting Skadi to learn the truth of who he really was.
Back at the apartment, Nash sat down on the bed, gently cradling Hera’s head in his arms. His fingers worked expertly on her neck, massaging the misaligned bones. The sound of bones clicking back into place filled the room, a subtle yet reassuring sound.
Suddenly, the glow from Hera’s phone caught his attention. It had lit up with a message from Hunter on WhatsApp.
Nash grimaced. Not this guy again.
He unlocked the phone and glanced at the message.
Hunter had sent a kissing emoji followed by a message:
“Hera, I heard something happened to Skadi. Don’t worry, I’ll be here for you in the future! I had a few drinks tonight, and I was wondering if you’d mind sending me some photos of your legs?”
Nash’s grip tightened on the phone.
He turned to Hera, his jaw clenched. This man doesn’t know when to back off.