Chapter 29
Chapter 29
Patrick glanced at his watch, calculating the time, Juliette should be here soon, and he needed to finish these guys off before
she arrived.
Without wasting a second, Patrick moved swiftly and decisively.
In less than five minutes, the eight burly men lay sprawled across the ground, completely defeated.
Patrick’s long, powerful leg pressed against one man’s face, forcing it into the dirt. The man’s features were distorted under the pressure, and his strained breaths hinted that he was moments away from suffocating.
“Who sent you?” Patrick asked, his voice low and threatening-
Tonight was supposed to be quiet–a peaceful evening waiting with Louis for Juliette to arrive. But that peace had been. shattered by these intruders, and Patrick was far from pleased.
“Do what you want–beat us, kill us–but don’t expect us to tell you anything!” one of the men spat, his tone defiant.
“And you,” the man sneered, “as the top actor in the country, always have reporters watching your every move. If you go too far, do you think you can keep your reputation intact?”
That was their leverage. They assumed Patrick, an actor, wouldn’t dare go to extremes. Any scandalous behavior could ruin his image.
Patrick’s face turned to stone as he glanced up at the moonlight. His tone was chilling as he said, “It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it? But you’ve ruined my mood. Do you know what I like to do when I’m upset?”
The man writhed beneath Patrick’s foot, but he didn’t respond.
“What could an actor possibly do when he’s upset? Throw a tantrum? Make a scene? Surely not something drastic, the man thought.
Patrick’s eyes flicked toward the bike parked nearby, where the rider sat motionless under the dim light. They were wearing a helmet, their faces obscured, but their silhouette was clear.
Unmoved by the scene, Patrick couldn’t help but find their composure intriguing.
Slowly, Patrick’s icy voice broke the silence. “When I’m upset, I like to see blood.”
The quiet menace in his words sent a chill down the man’s spine.
Then Patrick shifted his foot, pressing down on the man’s hand and grinding it into the ground.
“Ahhh!” The man’s scream tore through the stillness of the night
Patrick picked up a brick and shoved it into the man’s mouth. “Quiet down. If you scare my kid, I’ll be even more upset.”
The man froze, drenched in cold sweat, while his accomplices squirmed on the ground, desperately trying to crawl away.
At that moment. Patrick’s icy voice rang out again. “No one wants to tell me who sent you?”
Patrick flexed his fingers, the sharp cracks of his knuckles breaking the silence.
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“My next project has a lot of fight scenes. I’ve been looking for sparring partners, and my garage is pretty spacious, Patrick added.
The ones attempting to crawl away stopped immediately, beads of sweat running down their faces.
One of them, a rookie, broke under the pressure, collapsing in tears.
“It–it was Mr. Reed!” the rookie stammered, his words tumbling out in a panic. “He said his woman got into a fight with your woman and ended up in the hospital. He wanted revenge!”
The words came faster now, spilling out in a terrified rush. “He told us to take care of you and your kid tonight.
“Later, he said he’d make sure your kid got kicked out of preschool and couldn’t go to school anywhere in Hawthorn.”
Patrick’s eyes narrowed slightly. He knew exactly who it was.
Withdrawing his foot, Patrick cast a glacial look over the group. His commanding presence radiated power and ruthlessness, making the men shudder where they lay.
“Get out of here. And clean up the blood,” Patrick ordered coldly
The men scrambled to their feet, their relief palpable.
And they used their sleeves to frantically wipe away the bloodstains on the ground, even shining their phone flashlights to ensure nothing was left behind.
Finally, one of them said timidly, “Mr. Clarke, we’ve cleaned everything.”
Patrick’s tall figure stood under the moonlight, his lips parting just enough to utter. “Leave.”
Within seconds, the courtyard fell silent. Only the moonlight remained, casting its soft glow over the scene.
Soon, Patrick turned his attention to the parked motorcycle, surprised to see the rider hadn’t left.
“You planning to handle this yourself?” Patrick asked, his cold tone laced with mockery.
This “leader” has a bit of nerve. Mr. Reed’s hired help isn’t all useless, it seems, Patrick muttered.
But the rider, Juliette, bit her lip, remaining silent. Shrouded in shadows near the trees, with the streetlights far away, she knew Patrick hadn’t recognized her yet.
Juliette’s expression was complicated, to say the least. If she hadn’t figured out by now that Patrick had tricked her into coming here, she’d be a fool.
But as annoyed as she was, Juliette hesitated. Should I leave quietly or confront him by removing my helmet and letting him know his lies are exposed?’ she thought.
In the end, Juliette decided against it. No matter what, Patrick was still Louis’s father. She’d let him save face.
With that thought, Juliette started her bike, the roar of the engine breaking the silence. She had made up her mind to leave.
What Juliette didn’t expect was for Patrick to leap onto the back of the bike, his arms wrapping around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. The faint scent of cedar filled the air around her.
Trying to leave now? Too late, Patrick said, his movements swin and seamless.
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Chapter 29
The moment his hands encircled her waist, Patrick froze. “This is a woman?”
Juliette’s waist was slender and soft, as though the slightest pressure from Patrick’s hand could snap it in two.
Patrick hadn’t actually planned on fighting this person. It was just that their constant, detached observation from the sidelines felt like a challenge to him.
And more importantly, a potential threat to Louis.
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In that split second, Patrick had decided to send a clear message to this “leader,” making it abundantly obvious that neither he nor Louis could be trifled with.
Yes, Patrick wanted to put this person in their place, ensuring there would be no future attempts at trouble.
But when Patrick realized it was a woman, his brows furrowed sharply, and he hesitated, intending to step back and end things without further confrontation.
However, before he could retreat, Juliette seized his hand with a grip that was shockingly strong–like a small iron vice, precise and unyielding, despite its size.
Instantly, Patrick recognized this as a counterattack. The challenge wasn’t over, and so, right there on the motorcycle, he found himself engaging with her.
Juliette was furious. Being tricked into coming here was bad enough, but she’d decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. In reality, Juliette hadn’t intended to call him out on his lie. And yet, here Patrick was, making the first move against her
Juliette didn’t want to reveal too much about her abilities, especially since she knew Patrick would back off the moment he realized who she was.
So instead of escalating, Juliette chose to hold back.
Taking advantage of this, Patrick made a decisive move, pinning her against the body of the motorcycle with a swift, forceful push.
Her back was pressed firmly against the bike, and his chest nearly flushed with hers.
Moreover, the space between them vanished–no, scratch that, there was no space left at all.
Under the dim light, Juliette caught sight of his cold, piercing gale
Then Juliette reached up to remove her helmet, but so did Patrick. Both of them were intent on the same goal.
In a single moment, the helmet was off.
The faint light illuminated her face–stunning and icy, with an undeniable anger simmering beneath the surface. Patrick froze, staring at Juliette.
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