Chapter 368 What, Are You a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
My heart sank, but I did not hesitate. I pushed my way through the crowd, stood by their side, and muscled them out of the mob. These people clung on stubbornly, hurling curses and insults every step of the way, however. Some of the middle–aged women even resorted to street curses. I ignored it all, got Madam Young safely into the car, and when someone tried to block our way, I did not stop to think. I shoved them aside, helped Emily into the car quickly, and slammed the door shut.
The guy reaching for the car door was a hefty dude, but he was totally caught off guard when I shoved him hard to the ground. He landed with a thud, and everyone around us froze for a second, just as shocked as he was. Nob*dy saw that coming.
Seconds later, the man scrambled to his feet, his eyes burning with fury. “You think you can push me around, you little brat? I will show you what pushing really is!” he bellowed.
He barreled toward me like a runaway truck. I stood no chance against this human bulldozer. I did not even see it coming before he slammed into me, sending me staggering. Luckily for me, my quick–thinking b*dyguard caught me and stepped in front, yanking the guy back by his shirt and shoving him away.
That was when all heck broke loose. The onlookers turned into a mob, swarming us and going after my b*dyguard. Before I knew what was happening, someone yanked my hair, dragging me a few painful feet. My scalp screamed, and I was kicked around like a soccer ball. Some creep even had the nerve to cop a feel.
Disgusted and in pain, I did not think twice. I clawed and bit at the hands around me like a wildcat.
The ordeal was over in seconds. Out of nowhere, my hand was pinned to the ground, my face grinding against the pavement. I could not move, pinned down by someone’s knee in my back.
I was sure I was about to get the beating of my life, feeling kicks and blows from all sides, the pain mixing with a burning humiliation.
Then, just as suddenly, the weight lifted. I heard grunts and screams, and then strong arms were pulling me up. Through the haze, I saw Idris’s face. It took a moment for my brain to catch up, and then a sharp pain shot through my chest.
As I stood there, a mess from the chaos, Idris’s gaze turned stormy, his eyes a mix of ice and steel. He reached out as if to brush my cheek, but I dodged his touch. Surrounded by the cops and b*dyguards he had brought along, my voice came out scratchy, “I’m okay.”
His lips tightened, and his hand fell back to his side. His eyes, sharp as daggers, swept over the onlookers before he addressed the police chief, “You’ve seen the whole thing. My family has been dragged into this mess. I’ll make it right with the tourists and anyone else caught up in this, but for the one who hurt someone dear to me, I expect you to make things right too.”
He then ushered me into the car, his face resembling a thundercloud.
The police rounded up the troublemakers, and Idris’s people whisked away Madam Young and Emily. I sat in the backseat, waiting for Idris to handle everything. Only then did he join me, signaling the driver to head straight for the hospital.
Inside the car, the scrapes on my skin started to throb, a delayed reaction to the adrenaline.
Chapter 358 What Are You a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
Keeping my head down, I did not dare to look at Idris, feeling the sting on my face and wondering, half in fear, if I would be scarred for life.
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Then, his hand enveloped mine. It was large, warm, and unexpectedly gentle. I did not pull back. The fear that had rooted itself deep inside me held my hand in place, and I let him hold
- on.
His voice, a low rumble tinged with regret, reached my ears. “I’m sorry, I…”
“I’m okay,” I cut in, my voice as steady as I could manage. “You don’t have to apologize.”
I did not look up at him as I spoke.
His face remained unseen by me.
Then, out of nowhere, he tilted my chin up, and I was suddenly staring into the depths of Idris’s shadowy eyes. “Yvette,” he said, his voice a controlled whisper, “look at me and tell me again, are you really okay?”
I bit my lip, feeling a lump in my throat and an uncomfortable sting in my nose. I turned away and started to say, “I….”
Idris cut me off with a hiss, not allowing me to finish. He leaned down and bit my lip hard. I winced in pain, shoved him back, and glared at him, my anger flaring. “Idris, what are you doing?”
His dark eyes held a sliver of anger as he stared back at me. “You’re going to say you’re fine, aren’t you? If it doesn’t hurt, why cry? Yvette, just how stubborn can you be? Would it kill you to admit you’re scared, that you’re hurting? Don’t silently suffer, trying to act strong. What are you, a Ninja Turtle?”
