âWeâre here to punish the thief who disrupted the banquet and committed theft,â the other bodyguard explained.
âA fortune in gold and silver jewelry vanished today at the event, and youâre our prime suspect.
â
As the words hung in the air, the bodyguard threw a heap of jewelry onto the floor before Nicole.
Miguelâs scheme to kill Nicole was meticulously planned, leaving no loopholes.
Nicole stared in disbelief at the scattered gold and silver before her.
âIt wasnât me! I didnât steal anything! Youâre framing me!â she exclaimed.
The bodyguards advanced step by step.
âWe have witnesses and evidence proving it was you.
Do you still deny it?â they challenged.
Programmed with Miguelâs instructions, the bodyguards were merely executing their orders.
By accusing Nicole, they justified their actions to commence the beating without fear of reprisal.
Cornered against a cold wall with nowhere to hide, Nicole watched the burly men raise their sticks.
Realizing the futility of pleading with Miguelâs men, loyal enforcers of the Watts family, Nicole braced for the inevitable.
She shut her eyes tight, anticipating the devastating strike.
âBang!â A loud crash echoed, yet no pain followed.
Instead, Nicole found herself enveloped in a sturdy, protective embrace.
Another stick swung down, but the person shielding her dodged, smashing it against the wall and shattering the wood.
The potential lethality of the blow was unmistakable.
It could have been fatal.
Before Nicole could process the shock, darkness clouded her vision, and a pungent, bloody odor filled her nostrils, the scent drenching her hand.
Another strike was aimed at her, but a figure burst in, deflecting it.
The stick clattered to the ground.
The newcomer, far from courteous, unleashed a flurry of kicks and punches on the bodyguards, swiftly overpowering them.
Even after the two bodyguards were down, the newcomer continued his assault relentlessly.
âDamn it! Are your eyes blind? How dare you hit Mr.
Schultz? Iâll teach you both a lesson you wonât forget for your entire lifetime!â he bellowed.
It was none other than Alec.
In the chaos, the bloodied man, having previously shielded Nicole from the impact, collapsed with a heavy thud.
âSir!â Alec rushed over to support.
Jarrod looked miserable, his white shirt soaked with blood.
He had been recovering from a car accident that had only recently stopped bleeding.
Now, his wound had reopened due to the blow he took to protect Nicole, causing him to bleed profusely once more.
His Lips were pale, and he appeared extremely weak.
Nicole, still in shock, was baffled about where Jarrod had come from.
Moments before, she had braced for the impact of the stick, but Jarrod had intervened, taking the blow for her.
Alec shot an angry glance at Nicole.
âItâs all your fault! Youâre a jinx!â he accused.
He stooped to lift Jarrod, who had fainted.
Yet, he alone couldnât possibly hoist Jarrod onto his back.
Alec looked at Nicole with fury.
âHelp me! Donât you have any conscience? Jarrod has saved you countless times, and you donât even care!â
Stunned, Nicole quickly moved to assist in supporting Jarrod.