Chapter 5

Arabella’s POV In the hotel room. I weakly twisted my body, struggling in vain, unable to stop Maximus from tearing my clothes off, one piece at a time. I widened my eyes, desperate tears sliding down my lashes, my expression one of despair and tragedy. Is this really happening? Am I really going to be violated by this disgusting, overweight man...? No, I don’t want this... Maximus’s body pressed closer to mine, his greasy skin repulsing me, almost driving me to the point of wishing for death. I closed my eyes in painful despair. Bang! The hotel room door was violently kicked open at that very moment. A familiar tall figure, covered in blood, rushed in. I opened my eyes wide, staring at the figure, my dull gaze flickering with a glimmer of hope. Jasper... Jasper quickly strode over, and with one strong kick, sent the fat man on top of me sprawling to the floor. “Jasper…” I cried out his name. Jasper’s pupils flickered, and he hurriedly pulled me into his arms, his voice full of regret. “I’m sorry, I’m late…” I clutched at his shirt, shaking my head as I sobbed, unable to speak. That he had come was already beyond my expectations. Before I saw him, I had never dared to hope for such a thing, because this man hated me so much that I thought, even if I died in front of him, he wouldn’t bat an eye. But he came. He came. With all my strength, I burrowed into Jasper’s embrace, like a frightened little animal, seeking the warmth and safety I so desperately craved. Jasper’s eyes were filled with tenderness, his arms tightening around my waist as he rested his chin on the top of my head, his heart repeating over and over how sorry he was. He had promised her he would protect her for life, but he had failed to keep that promise. “You f*cking bastard, who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any idea who I am?” The sharp, venomous voice interrupted the rare tenderness between us. I flinched, my shoulders trembling as I buried my face tightly into Jasper’s chest. Jasper patted my back, soothing me, his gaze turning cold and lethal as it locked onto Maximus. His mere stare made Maximus’s heart seize, a chill running down his spine. “I’m Jasper Hawthorne. This is my wife. And you dare lay a hand on her?” Jasper spoke slowly, each word dripping with cold venom. Jasper Hawthorne. That name struck Maximus like a falling boulder. His face turned ashen, his heart sank—he knew he was done for. In all of Astonia City, there wasn’t a soul who didn’t know about the powerful Titan Global Holdings. With just a flick of a finger, they could crush anyone beneath their heel. “I… I…” Maximus stammered, struggling to find an excuse. “I heard you and she were already divorced. If not, why would I dare lay a finger on your woman?” Jasper’s brow furrowed slightly, his presence growing even more imposing. “Who told you that I’m divorced?” Maximus’s heart skipped a beat. Could Charlotte, that vile woman, have lied to him? “Mr. Jasper, I was wrong!” Maximus, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately dropped to his knees, bowing and kowtowing repeatedly. “I didn’t know you weren’t divorced! It’s all a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!” Jasper’s face remained expressionless as he gently lifted me into his arms, standing tall, his white shirt and suit soaked with bright red blood, making him look like a demon from hell. His aura was sharp and terrifying as he looked down at the man kneeling before him. His words were cold as knives. “There are no misunderstandings here. You lay hands on my woman, and you will pay the price.” With that, he strode out of the room, leaving behind a weak and trembling Maximus, who collapsed to the floor, wailing and crying. He howled for a while, frustration boiling in his chest. Unable to swallow his anger and too afraid to confront Jasper, he directed all his fury at Charlotte. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and issued a string of commands to his subordinates, vowing to make that wretched woman pay. Then, without even bothering to pack his bags, he rushed to the airport, panicked, desperate to flee before Jasper could retaliate. However, as he drove, just as he reached the airport expressway entrance, an unfamiliar car suddenly blocked his path. The door swung open, and two burly men stepped out. Without a word, they threw a burlap sack over Maximus’s head and dragged him away as if he were a lifeless animal... Meanwhile, I leaned against Jasper, breathing in his familiar, reassuring scent. Already drugged, my consciousness was growing fainter, and before I knew it, I drifted into a deep sleep. Jasper glanced at me with soft eyes. His arm, still marked by the deep gash from the car accident, was dripping with blood, but he seemed oblivious to the pain. His movements were tender as he gently placed me into the car that James had arranged, quietly instructing, “Take her to the hospital.” Seeing the blood, James wasted no time, speeding through the streets to get them both to the hospital. “BOSS, we’re here,” James called back, only to find Jasper slumped in the back seat, unconscious from blood loss. Panic seized him as he rushed out of the car, urgently calling for a doctor. Both of them were swiftly taken into the emergency room. The dark night gradually receded, and the first rays of the morning sun began to rise. I slowly opened my eyes, awakening from a haze of painful dreams. I scanned the unfamiliar hospital room, and as the memories of the previous night flooded back, my face paled again. I instinctively wrapped my arms around myself. My eyes, still filled with shock, searched for that reassuring figure, but there was nothing—no trace of him. Jasper wasn’t here. Biting my lip, I decided to find him. I pushed open the hospital door just as Jasper's secretary walked in, carrying a thermos. When she saw me, she offered a polite smile. "Miss Arabella, you're awake." I nodded faintly, hesitating for a moment before asking, "Where’s Jasper?" The secretary replied, "The boss is in the room next door. He’s out of surgery, but he hasn’t woken up yet." "Surgery?" My voice faltered as panic surged in my chest. "What happened to him?" Unaware of the events from the night before, the secretary calmly explained, "Last night, the boss was in a car accident. He got hurt by shattered glass, a couple of deep cuts on his arm—over twenty stitches." A car accident? For a moment, my mind went blank. Then, it hit me—when he came to rescue me last night, he had been covered in blood. I had been too frantic and disoriented to notice. So, he came to save me, even though he was injured from the accident! My heart clenched with a mix of warmth and tenderness, and my eyes stung with unshed tears. Without thinking, I hurried toward the room where Jasper was. If he’d endured all that pain just to save me, it meant he still cared about me. All the past grievances and misunderstandings felt irrelevant now. I just wanted to be with Jasper. I wanted to face the future with him. Overcome with emotion, I rushed to open the door to his room. But as my gaze fell on him, I froze in shock.