Chapter 7

Carter dragged Alexia into a room on the second floor. He turned to the men in suits who had followed them and ordered, "Stand guard outside." "Yes, sir." As soon as the door closed, Carter pulled her toward the bed. Alexia's heart was pounding, her face pale with fear. Fighting to stay calm, she dodged his foul-smelling breath. "What's the rush? Why don't you take a shower first? I'll wait for you." Carter looked annoyed. "Why the hell would I need to shower? I've been waiting long enough. Let's get to it." Alexia forced herself to stay steady. "It'll only take ten minutes. And I have a surprise waiting for you." Carter's curiosity was instantly piqued. "Fine, fine. You get the surprise ready, I'll go shower," he grinned. With that, he headed to the bathroom. As soon as the door closed behind him, Alexia rushed over to the bedroom door. Immediately, the seven or eight guards stationed outside turned to look at her in unison. Alexia's hand shook, and she quickly shut the door again. There was no way out with the guards there. If she wanted to escape, she'd have to find another way from inside the room. Just then, Carter's voice came from the bathroom. "Baby, I'm ready… Come on over…" Panic rose in Alexia's chest. She hadn't expected Carter to finish so quickly! After a moment, she forced a steady voice. "What's the rush? I'm still getting the surprise ready. Go lie down on the bed…" "Look at you, with all these tricks," Carter chuckled, his eyes narrowing with excitement. He obediently lay down on the bed. Alexia walked over, pulled the leather belt out of his suit pants, and tied Carter's hands behind his head, securing him to the bedpost. Carter looked thrilled, his face flushed with anticipation. Then Alexia moved to the window and glanced down. It was about ten or 12 feet to the ground. If she jumped from this height, she'd probably break something—or worse. She hesitated, then reluctantly turned back. By now, Carter had started to sense that something was wrong. He struggled against the belt and quickly threw it off, letting it drop to the floor. Alexia's face went white. Before she could react, Carter was off the bed, stalking toward her, one slow step at a time. Alexia backed away until she felt the edge of a table press into her back, forcing her to stop. Carter lunged at her! Alexia struggled with all her strength, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't push him off. Desperate, she bent down just enough to grab a nearby chair. In the brief moment when Carter was distracted, trying to pull down her pants, she swung the chair with all her might, smashing it against his head. "Argh!" Carter let out a pained grunt and collapsed to the floor, rolling in agony. Shaking, Alexia pulled her dress back up, then lifted the chair again and slammed it down twice into his most sensitive area for good measure. Then she dashed out of the room, shouting, "Quick, call a doctor! Your boss isn't feeling well—he passed out!" The guards outside the door didn't question her for a second and immediately called for help. Taking advantage of the chaos, Alexia slipped into the elevator. As soon as she exited the elevator and started running, she heard footsteps and Carter's furious voice shouting from behind. "That's her! Stop her! Beat her to a pulp!" "Yes, sir!" Heart pounding, Alexia spotted a nearby private room and scrambled inside, desperate. Inside, Daniel was bent over, his butt in the air, picking up darts from the floor. Startled by her sudden entrance, he was knocked forward, landing on his knees. "Who the hell dares to sneak an attack at me?" he shouted, spinning around angrily. But when he saw Alexia's pale face, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You?" Hearing this, Calvin looked up. Alexia froze. Her heart skipped a beat. It was Calvin—her new husband! Her eyes lit up as she clutched at this lifeline. "Can I stay here? And leave with you guys when you go?" Calvin looked at her coldly. Just then, Daniel got up from the floor, narrowing his mischievous eyes. "No can do." Alexia's chest rose and fell as she said, "I wasn't asking you. I'm asking him." "Guess I was overestimating my own importance," Daniel said with a shrug, glancing over at Calvin. Calvin gave her an icy smile. "Get out." Alexia pressed her lips together, refusing to move. She couldn't go out there. She wouldn't go out there! At that moment, loud banging and pounding on the door echoed through the room. "You filthy woman, get out here! If I have to come in there, you're dead! What are you waiting for? Break the door down! Money's no object!" Alexia panicked, and her heart was racing. Calvin stared at her, his voice cold. "Didn't you hear me?" "Ms. Vega, please," Daniel added, making it clear she was unwelcome. The color drained from Alexia's face as her nails dug into her palms. Crash— Suddenly, the door to the private room fell to the ground with a deafening thud. Carter stood there, blood on his face, holding a chainsaw that roared as it buzzed. "Is this a scene from a horror movie?" Daniel quipped, pointing at the still-whirring chainsaw. Carter tossed the chainsaw aside and stormed into the room, grabbing Alexia by the shoulders and yanking her toward the door. Desperately, Alexia looked back at Calvin, her voice raw and pleading. "Can you help me? Please?" The room fell silent. Calvin's expression remained blank, his gaze cold and unfeeling. Seeing his indifference, Alexia's shoulders trembled slightly. It was a marriage of convenience, but they were still legally husband and wife. Could he really be so heartless? Unable to hold back her frustration, her eyes reddened. "You're just going to watch your wife be dragged away like this? Are you even a man?" "What did you say?" Calvin looked at her as if he hadn't heard her correctly. Alexia met his gaze head-on, her chest heaving. "We're legally married. You're my husband in name, at least. If your wife is in trouble, isn't it your duty as a husband to help her?" Calvin stayed silent, his cold eyes boring into hers. A woman who'd go around getting herself into trouble, then expect her husband to save her? The arrogance was almost laughable. Meanwhile, Carter caught on to the word "husband". Releasing Alexia, he walked up to Calvin and spat, "So, you're the pretty boy who stole my fiancée!" Calvin sat there, perfectly composed, ignoring Carter's outburst. His gaze drifted back to Alexia, filled with disdain. So, this was the man she'd been planning to marry on their wedding day. From the look of him, Carter was old enough to be her father. How desperate and shameless could she be?