Chapter 9

Faith's face turned as pale as a sheet. She looked at Kyle, shaking her head desperately, trying to explain something. But no matter what Faith had to say, it wasn't Margaret's place to insult her. "Before I lose my patience, you should leave. Belle and I are divorced. We have no connection to each other anymore," Kyle said firmly. "If you've got a problem with me, come at me. But don't you dare go after my friends. I won't hold back next time. Now, leave." Kyle had always been known for his calm demeanor. For love, he could tolerate anything. But that didn't mean he was without limits. When pushed too far, no one could stop him. Margaret, however, was never one to listen to reason. The moment Kyle raised his voice at her, she flew into a rage. "Oh, you're threatening me now? Do you think you're so tough? Go ahead! Hit me! Come on, hit me!" she shouted, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Kyle's eyes darkened. "Get out." "Oh, so now you're too scared to do anything? What a joke. And Faith?" Margaret sneered, turning her venom on her. "Do you think I'm afraid of you? Everyone knows the Curtis family is hanging by a thread, just waiting for you to marry into the Russo family so they can clean up their mess." Margaret jabbed a finger in Faith's direction, her lips curling in disdain. "You think you can stand up for Kyle? Don't make me laugh. Once you marry that spoiled brat Peter Russo, you'll be nothing but a servant. Do you really think you can protect him?" She leaned closer, her voice dripping with malice. "When Mr. Cole finds out about your little dinner date, he won't just come after you. Your whole family will pay. And Kyle? He'll regret this so much he won't even see it coming." Faith's lips trembled, her eyes filling with tears of shame and helplessness. She wouldn't have to endure this humiliation if it weren't for her family's desperate situation. "You're pathetic," Margaret spat, her tone sharp as a blade. "Throwing yourself at an ex-con? Have some self-respect." Before she could finish, Kyle snapped. His hand flew out, delivering a sharp slap to Margaret's face. "Keep talking, and you'll lose more than your dignity," Kyle said coldly. His voice was low, but the anger in it was unmistakable. Margaret was stunned, clutching her cheek as the sting of his slap registered. She stared at Kyle in disbelief, her composure crumbling. For a moment, she looked like she might retaliate, but Kyle's glare stopped her cold. "Touch me again, and I won't stop," Kyle warned, his tone ice-cold. "I've been polite out of respect for the past, but you're testing my patience. Leave. Now." The second slap made Margaret stagger, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She stumbled backward, her haughty demeanor shattered. Margaret's rage turned into fear as she saw the fire in Kyle's eyes. She'd never seen him like this before—unyielding, dangerous, and utterly unafraid. She knew if she stayed any longer, he might actually follow through on his threat. "You two deserve each other," Margaret spat. "You're both going to pay for this." She stormed out, her voice trailing off in empty threats as she disappeared into the night. Kyle turned to Faith, who was trembling, her face pale. Her lips pressed together, trying to hold back her sobs. "I'm sorry," Kyle said gently. "I didn't want things to get out of hand. I thought she'd leave if I let her say her piece, but she crossed the line." "It's not your fault," Faith whispered, shaking her head. She wiped her tears with trembling hands. "I shouldn't have come here. I've caused you so much trouble." If Margaret hadn't caught them today, things might not have gotten so out of hand. But now that she had, there was no doubt she would spread the news. It didn't matter what kind of torment she herself would face—what she couldn't bear was dragging Kyle into it. Right now, Kyle was no match for Peter. Given Peter's brutal nature, it was entirely possible he would cripple Kyle without a second thought. After all, this wasn't the first time Peter had done something like that. Kyle sighed. "Faith, you came here to check on me. That's not wrong. But you're clearly going through something yourself. I've known something was off since you got here. You can tell me the truth. What's going on with this engagement to Peter Russo? Are you being forced into it? "If you were, tell me—I can help you." At those words, Faith couldn't hide it any longer. She turned around, ran to the couch, and buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She knew she couldn't change her fate and had to force herself to appear strong, gritting her teeth to accept a future that felt like hell. But she was just a fragile woman. She could feel pain, and she could feel sadness. Watching Faith break down, Kyle felt helpless. He could only pull out some tissues and offer them to her. "Faith, don't force yourself to marry him if this isn't something you want. You should marry someone because you love him, not for any other reason. "I don't know much about this Peter guy, but from what I can see, he doesn't seem like someone who'll treat you well. If he loved and cherished you, I'd feel it, but he doesn't seem like that kind of person. So why would you suffer for him?" Kyle exhaled softly. "When I married Belle back then, it was because we loved each other. Things only changed later. What I'm trying to say is, you don't have to sacrifice yourself for anyone. If you don't want this, then don't go through with it." Those words brought Faith a long-lost sense of warmth. Everyone else had been pressuring her to marry Peter for the sake of her family. Only Kyle encouraged her to respect herself. Though it didn't change anything, Faith managed to stop crying. She forced herself to calm down and even smiled faintly. "Thank you. I'll handle this on my own. I'm sorry you had to see me like this." She paused, then added, "Take this money and leave Kerdonia for a while. I'll only bring trouble to you. Think of it as a break. Don't make me sad, okay? Please." Her expression was filled with fear. She was terrified that Kyle, who had nothing now, might get hurt because of her. Belle wouldn't be able to forgive herself if that happened. Before Kyle could reply, Faith suddenly threw herself into his arms, holding him tightly. "Don't let go. Just hold me, please, just this once." The softness of her body brought Kyle a sense of warmth, but it also made him realize just how much Faith had been enduring—so much pressure, so many injustices. And yet, she remained kind, never changing the way she treated him. She gave selflessly without regret. Seeing her heading toward ruin, Kyle truly couldn't bear it. "I'll keep the card," Kyle said softly. "Think of it as an investment. I'll pay you back soon enough. "As for your happiness, I'll take care of it. Trust me." Hearing those words, Belle broke into tears again, sobbing harder this time. It seemed that only in Kyle's arms could she feel safe, only here could she experience warmth. After a few minutes, she finally calmed down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shown you this side of me. Just knowing you care about me is enough. "My problems, I'll deal with them. But you... You hit Matthew and Belle's mother. They won't let you off easily. Belle isn't the same person she used to be. "Matthew isn't the same either, he's working with Mr. Clements now, one of the biggest figures in Kerdonia's underworld. You can't take them on." Hearing this, Kyle simply nodded, saying nothing more. To everyone else, he was just an ex-convict. Even Belle saw him that way. Explaining himself wouldn't change anything, so what was the point? "Fine, I promise you I'll protect myself. Don't worry about me." "But let me tell you this—no matter who this Peter is, I'm not afraid of him. And as for Mr. Clements, there's nothing to worry about. He still owes me a favor. Don't believe me? I can call him right now." Seeing Kyle reaching for his phone, Faith quickly stopped him. She assumed Kyle was bluffing to save face, so she didn't press the matter. As long as he agreed to leave, that was enough. "Fine, fine, you're the best. As long as you're willing to take a break and clear your head, I'll be at ease. "I know you'll accomplish big things. To me, you've always been the best." Looking at the spilled food on the floor, Faith sighed. "I didn't get to eat with you after all. Maybe it was fate. But seeing you—that's enough."