James froze when Amanda called him "hubby."
Before he could process it, Amanda slipped her arm around his, pressing her soft, warm body against his side.
The unexpected intimacy sent a slight shiver through him.
He wasn't sure what had just happened, but judging by the bald man's fearful expression and Amanda's sudden change in attitude, something had clearly gone down.
Leaning into Amanda's act, James wrapped his arm around her waist and asked,
"Wife, what happened?"
The boldness of his move made Amanda's lashes tremble slightly. A flicker of panic flashed in her eyes.
She knew James wasn't trying to take advantage of her; he was just stepping in to protect her and stand up for her.
It had been a long time since Amanda felt the comfort of being shielded by a man.
Unconsciously, she glanced up at him, only to meet his concerned, gentle gaze. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked down, forcing herself to appear calm.
"It's nothing," she replied softly. "He was just trying to hit on me."
James frowned, turning his gaze toward the bald man.
It wasn't unusual for a beautiful woman to attract unwanted attention. That was normal.
But for his woman to be hit on? That was something he couldn't let slide.
"And who the hell are you?" James asked coldly.
Delwen Dowlin, the balding man, flinched at James's sharp tone. Seeing that Amanda's "husband" had arrivedâwith a bodyguard, no lessâhe immediately panicked.
Not just anyone could afford to hire a bodyguard.
Only someone with serious wealth and status would bother spending money like that.
Judging by James's demeanor, he was clearly not someone to mess with. And with a wife as stunning as Amanda, it was obvious he wasn't some ordinary guy.
Delwen cursed himself internally. What the hell was I thinking, trying to hit on someone so far out of my league?
He forced an apologetic smile and said nervously,
"Big brother, I'm so sorry. I saw your wife alone and thought she was single, so I just made some small talk. I swear, I didn't say anything inappropriate."
His groveling apology did nothing to improve James's mood.
After all, Amanda was carrying six million dollars on her right now.
She was this close to triggering the cashback reward that would make him a VIP player in the grand game of Earth Online.
Six million dollars in cold, hard cashâreal money.
At this critical juncture, anyone who got in his way deserved to be destroyed.
Not even Jesus himself could stop him right now.
This bald idiot had dared to harass Amanda. In all the novels James had read, that alone was a death sentence.
James's face darkened, and he contemplated asking Jay Johnson to teach this guy a lesson.
But before he could say anything, Delwen panicked even more. Backing up a couple of steps, he stammered,
"B-Big brother, big sister, I was wrong. I really know I was wrong. Please, I'm begging you, let me go!"
By now, the commotion had drawn the attention of several onlookers, their curious gazes fixed on the unfolding drama.
Amanda didn't want James to make a scene on her behalf, so she gently tugged on his arm and whispered,
"Let it go, little brother. He didn't actually say much."
James considered her words. Getting into a fight in public wasn't exactly classy, so he turned back to Delwen and asked,
"What's your name?"
Hearing this, Delwen's face went pale.
He thought James was asking for his name to track him down later and take revenge.
As a businessman, Delwen knew all too well how easy it was for someone with power to ruin his livelihood. If James really wanted to mess with him, his business would be finished.
Staring into James's cold, confident eyes, Delwen broke out into a cold sweat.
In desperation, he slapped himself hard across the face and begged,
"Big brother, I shouldn't have said anything! Please, you're a bigger person than meâdon't hold it against me!"
James blinked, momentarily taken aback.
There was something vaguely familiar about Delwen's face.
James couldn't quite place him, which was why he'd asked for his name in the first place. But Delwen's overreaction caught him off guard.
Amanda, too, was surprised. She hadn't expected this middle-aged man to be so submissive in front of her "little brother."
Could they know each other? she wondered.
At that moment, a sales associate from the store rushed over, apologizing profusely and urging everyone to calm down.
Amanda didn't want the situation to escalate further. Gently pulling on James's arm, she said softly,
"Let him go. I still want to look at some more clothes."
Seeing that Amanda didn't seem too upset, James decided not to push the issue. He turned back to Delwen and said coldly,
"Don't let me see you again."
Hearing those words, Delwen felt as though he'd been granted a royal pardon. Overwhelmed with relief, he bowed repeatedly, stammering,
"Thank you, big brother! Thank you, big brother!"
He was so eager to flee that he didn't even stop to check on his girlfriend, who was still in the fitting room. Delwen bolted out of the store, practically tripping over himself in his haste.
Listening to a man in his forties calling him "big brother" felt... odd to James.
But he didn't dwell on it. With the matter resolved, he turned his attention back to Amanda and accompanied her to look at more clothes.
The small crowd of onlookers that had gathered to watch the drama began to disperse, whispering among themselves as they left.
The general consensus was clear:
The prettier a woman was, the more trouble she attracted. Leave her alone for just a moment, and someone would try to swoop in.
If the man by her side wasn't capable, it would be all too easy for a beautiful girlfriend to be swept away.
As James and Amanda resumed their shopping, most people assumed the show was over.
But just as the crowd began to thin, a sharp voice rang out from nowhere:
"James! So this is the sugar mommy you dumped me for, huh?"
The voice belonged to a young woman who had suddenly appeared, her face flushed with anger as she stared at James and Amanda.