The bald man had run out of his patience. He let out a furious shout at them. “Shut the fuck up, you all! This is not the marketplace! I’m here to rob, not to haggle!” he snapped.
Kyler hurried to answer, fearing he would piss this man off, “I get it, dude. I’ll take Ivy, and you can keep her daughter, alright?”
At this, the bald man erupted into a laugh, flashing a grin that revealed a few jagged yellow teeth.
He pointed at the little Vivian and barked at Kyler, “Don’t waste my time. Take her and get the hell out of here!”
Kyler thought he’d misheard and quickly corrected, “Dude, you’ve got it all wrong! I want Ivy! This little girl is of no use to me.”
His words instantly revealed his true intentions. A flash of anger ignited in Ivy’s eyes as she shot Kyler a fierce glare. Vivian was her everything. She had never married though she was now twenty-eight, because she worried her future husband might treat Vivian badly.
After spending these days together, she finally believed Kyler was a reliable man and was thinking about starting a relationship. Yet, his unexpected words crushed every favorable view she held of him.
Aware that he had let slip his true thoughts, Kyler hastily explained, “Ivy, trust me! I will definitely…”
Smack! Before he could finish, the bald man slapped him hard across the face.
This slap was so forceful that it knocked the blood from Kyler’s nose, making him stumble backward and nearly fall to the ground.
Kyler covered his face and lifted his head to glare at the bald man. This was one of the few times he had been hit-and to be slapped in the face. This was unbearable! He’s Kyler Clarkson, the young master of the prestigious Clarkson family in Inassea. How could they treat him like this? It was infuriating!
But he had no bravery to voice his anger and confront them directly. He could only curse them silently in his mind.
The bald man stared at Kyler and sneered, “Are you dumb or something? Can’t you see I’ve got my eye on this chick? You think you can just pick whoever you want? Honestly, I’m not letting her go no matter how much money you offer me-unless I’ve tasted her enough.”
The bald head’s eyes started to dart around in a sleazy manner once more.
The moment those words escaped his lips, they sent a jolt of fear through Ivy! The little Vivian was so frightened that she started to cry.
The bald man cast a contemptuous glance at Kyler and said, “Alright, you can fuck off now!”
After that, his greedy gaze slithered back to Ivy like a serpent eyeing its next meal.
Kyler’s eyes widened in disbelief. He stepped forward, hand still covering his face, and shouted, “How can you do this-”
Bang! The scar-faced man slammed his knife down onto the hood of the Porsche, leaving a deep dent right away. If that blade had struck a person, it would have surely shattered bones!
“If you don’t fuck off right now, the next strike will go straight to your head,” the scar-faced man ground his teeth and growled.
Kyler’s gaze lingered between the dented engine hood and the cold blade. A chill swept over his heart.
Then he glanced back at Ivy. A wave of complicated feelings stirred within him.
As he watched the juicy opportunity slip away, frustration welled up inside him. Who wouldn’t feel this way in such a situation? But what could he do? With a resigned sigh, he glanced at the burly men surrounding him who were clearly not the friendly types. If he really pissed them off and got killed, it would be an act of sheer folly. He wasn’t about to throw away his life for a woman who was already married. Might as well give her up and consider it a way to secure his own safety!
With this thought, he looked at Ivy with a hint of regret and said, “I’m sorry, Ivy.”
“Get Vivian out of here!” Ivy pleaded with him.
But Kyler was not a fool; he knew what Ivy might face next, and she probably wouldn’t even make it out alive. If he took this little girl with him, she would only be a burden.
So, he shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t want to be a stepdad.”
With that, he hopped into his car and drove off in his Porsche, leaving without a backward glance.
Ivy felt her heart broke. Tears streamed down her face nonstop. The flicker of affection she had just kindled for Kyler extinguished entirely. He shattered all her hope. But then again, she couldn’t really blame him. They had only known each other for a few days, and she had no right to demand that he put his life on the line for her.
The bald man sidled up to Ivy wearing a smirk. His gaze was fixed on her with a dazed intensity as if he might drool any second. The sight was utterly repulsive.
“What are you doing? Don’t come any closer!” Ivy cried out helplessly, clutching Vivian tightly in her arms. Dread gripped her heart.
The bald man erupted into laughter again, flashing a mouthful of repulsive yellow teeth.
Suddenly, without a word, he lunged forward and seized her! As his hands made contact with Ivy’s soft body, he exclaimed, “Finally got to touch it! Oh my god, I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you! This feels so damn good!”
Ivy gasped in shock and hurriedly let go of Vivian. The little Vivian tumbled to the ground. She cried out in panic, “Mommy, mommy! Don’t hurt my mommy! Don’t hurt her!”
Clenching her tiny fists, she bravely attempted to punch the bald man.
The bald man was ripping the clothes off Ivy rudely. He shoved Vivian aside, sending her sprawling onto the ground.
Little Vivian cried out in desperation, “Daddy, Daddy, please come save me and Mommy! Where are you? Hurry! There are bad people hurting us!”
The sound of her sobs struck a chord in the hearts of onlookers. Many of them felt a pang of sympathy, yet they all stayed silent.
Rushing in could mean risking their own lives! Everyone feared death. There were eight or nine towering thugs here, each brandishing a knife! No one wanted to sacrifice their life for a fleeting sense of justice. They thought it was all that woman’s pretty face to blame.
At that moment, several women nearby felt a sense of relief wash over them. For the first time, they were grateful that they appeared ordinary!
Hearing her daughter’s desperate cries, Ivy felt her heart shatter into a thousand pieces. She sobbed, calling out for help. She wanted to fight back, but her stockings had been ripped to shreds. The brute strength of the bald man was overwhelming, and there was no chance she could stand against him.
It was all too brutal, too terrifying!
If only that man were here-the one Vivian called “Daddy.” Would he rush to her rescue?
Gosh, look at this place! How could he possibly be here? And even if he were, would he dare intervene?
Ivy, oh Ivy, how could you still be thinking of him at a time like this?
Despair washed over her like a heavy fog. Despite her frantic struggles, her heart sank into a deep abyss of hopelessness.
“Hey! Are you all just stalling for time? You’re not in a hurry, but I am!” Suddenly, a crisp male voice cut through the tension.
Wait, that voice! It felt so familiar to Ivy that it sounded so much like someone she knew.
Could it really be that man?