Chapter 65Â
For a moment, Marnie forgot where she was. She screamed into the phone, her voice shrill with rage. “Skyler, how disgusting can you be–stooping so low you’d even sleep with a saleswoman like Marceline?”Â
On the other end of the line, silence fell.Â
Instantly, Marceline nearly burst into tears. “Mrs. Woodward, please, let me explain.”Â
But Marnie’s fury boiled over. She raised the phone and smashed it straight into Marceline’sÂ
face.Â
Caught off guard, Marceline let out a howl, clutching her nose. “Help! Call an ambulance! She broke my nose!”Â
But no one dared move.Â
Marnie was past reason. She lunged, seizing Marceline by the hair, and slapped her across the face with both hands, left and right. The sharp cracks of palm against skin echoed through theÂ
shop.Â
Within seconds, Marceline’s face was bloodied. Sensing her life might truly be in danger, Marceline fought back, and the two women soon clawed and thrashed in a vicious brawl.Â
The spectacle drew an even larger crowd, pressing into the jewelry store until it was packedÂ
wall to wall.Â
Eventually, security rushed in at last and dragged them apart.Â
Marnie and Marceline were a wreck–their hair tangled and makeup smeared, with jewelry and handbags scattered across the floor.Â
Marceline had it the worst. Her blouse hung in tatters, and her underwear was exposed, leaving her nearly bare in front of dozens of gawking onlookers.Â
Marnie didn’t fare much better. Deep scratches marred her face, stripping away any trace of the glamorous starlet she tried to be.Â
The chaos finally ended when security stepped in and broke up the scene.Â
While the crowd’s attention was fixed on the two shrieking combatants, Valerie had already slipped into the background. She had seen enough of the free ‘show, so it was time to leave.Â
But as she walked away, she became aware of footsteps trailing after her. There were two setsÂ
of them.Â
The instant a hand reached for her shoulder, Valerie shifted aside without even turning herÂ
Chapter 65Â
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head and struck back at once. She seized the arm in a brutal grip and drove her knee upward toward her attacker’s most vulnerable spot.Â
The move was so fast that Noah, who had only meant to call out a greeting, froze, unable toÂ
react.Â
Jonah, fearing Noah would be hurt, stepped in to block the blow. He reached to catch Valerie’s wrist, but she had already read the intent. In a blur, her pen snapped up against his throat as she slammed him hard into the wall.Â
The entire exchange had taken no more than three seconds.Â
Noah was the first to recover. “Ms. Collins, don’t you remember me? I’m Noah Jensen. We met two days ago.”Â
Valerie flicked her gaze toward him. Yes, he was someone she had met before.Â
The man pinned beneath her pen, Jonah, had eyes as dark and fathomless as deep water. Young and handsome, yes, but with a presence that couldn’t be ignored.Â
She pulled the pen away and brushed at the nonexistent dust on his shirt. “I didn’t hurt you, did I, mister?”Â
Jonah held her gaze, studying her with a look that lingered. Even with a mask hiding half her face, he could tell she was striking. But what caught his attention was her eyes–dark as midnight, yet vast and unfathomable, like staring into a boundless sea of stars.Â
He and Noah had grown up in military compounds, trained in combat since childhood. Few fighters could ever match them. Yet together, they had both been outmaneuvered by this ladyÂ
in seconds.Â
Just how dangerous was she, really?Â
Noah finally gave voice to the question hanging in the air. “Ms. Collins, did you train in martial arts?”Â
His eyesÂ
flicked to the pen still in her hand–that strange, customized pen she never seemedÂ
to let go of.Â