Following the sound, Ivy saw a lean figure standing in front of a bus. He was dressed simply in a shirt and jeans. His skin appeared pale and almost devoid of color. As he walked toward her, he exuded an undeniable authority that others couldn’t quite comprehend where it came from.
This… is way too familiar! Ivy’s gaze fixated on his face-it’s him! It truly is him! Only he could exude such extraordinary charm while wearing something so ordinary.
Overwhelmed, Ivy instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth. Every bit of her bottled-up sorrow and grievance spilled out as tears. This moment felt so surreal that she couldn’t believe her eyes. Just moments ago, she had wished for this man to come and save her, and now, here he was!
It was like a dream come true. It was such a huge surprise!
But did he really come here to save her?
That question flickered in her mind. Ivy swallowed hard, a lump forming in her throat. This was only their third meeting. Would he genuinely risk himself to help her at a time like this? Perhaps his showing up here was merely a coincidence!
There were so many towering thugs around, and each one was several times his size. How could he possibly defeat them? As she pondered this, the excitement and hope in her heart began to wane.
“Who are you? Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. I warn you!” The scar-faced man fixed his gaze on Kayden. Then he hefted his massive machete, swaggering forward with an air of arrogance.
As he advanced, behind him, his gang of thugs also moved in step.
“Daddy! Daddy!” All at once, the delighted voice of the little girl rang out, shattering the tense atmosphere. It’s Vivian. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted over to Kayden. The moment she rushed over, Kayden recognized her at once.
He recognized her as the adorable girl who had knocked on his door in the hillside villa area of Inassea. She was still just as cute and pretty, but the tears had dampened her eyelashes, making her appear a bit pitiable.
Little Vivian reached him and threw her arms around his thigh. The next moment, her eyes brimmed with tears of grievance, and she began to wail.
Seeing her in such distress, Kayden knelt down and scooped her up in his arms. Though she wasn’t his daughter, hearing her call him “Daddy” and seeing her crying still tugged at his heartstrings.
“Daddy, you have to stop the bad guys! They’re all bad! They’re bullying Mommy! Go beat them, Daddy beat them!” Her cries slowly ceased. Instead, she raised her hand to point at the group of burly men, shouting in her sweet, childish voice.
The bald man’s eyes narrowed as he assessed Kayden. Hearing the little girl call this woman “Mommy” and call Kayden “Daddy,” he realized that Kayden was probably the real husband of this woman.
But just look at him-he’s so ordinary. How could he possibly marry such a stunning wife? If that rich guy was her husband, that would make sense, but this loser? He didn’t stand a chance. With that thought in mind, the bald man frowned and asked Kayden, “Seriously, you’re her husband?”
Kayden turned a deaf ear to the bald man’s question. He merely repeated his earlier statement, “Stop wasting time! I don’t want to kill anyone today, so just get out of my face!”
The crowd disembarking from the bus all stared at Kayden with widened eyes. Did this guy really want to get himself killed? Sure, there are always those who fantasize about being superheroes saving the day. Perhaps he felt a sense of superiority in this moment! But that illusion was about to shatter in no time.
The bald man even doubted if he had misheard. He scrutinized Kayden again and then turned to Ivy, asking, “Is he your husband?”
Ivy didn’t answer. Instead, she silently gazed at Kayden, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Not hearing a response from Ivy, the bald man shifted his focus back to Kayden. He found this situation so amusing that he laughed heartily. “I see it now. Your wife must have eloped with that rich guy back there, which is why you followed her. No wonder that guy didn’t care about the little girl’s safety. She’s not even his daughter! Hey, you should be thanking me. If I hadn’t intervened, your wife might have already run away with her lover!”
Kayden gently set the little girl down and cast a long searching gaze over Ivy’s face. Her face was now streaked with tears, and her torn stockings made her look heartbreakingly vulnerable.
Ivy’s gaze remained fixed on Kayden, but as soon as their eyes met, she instinctively looked away. Yet, he still caught the glimmer of hope and some other subtle feelings in her eyes.
“You better get lost, brat! You know what’s good for you. Think about it, your wife is going to cheat on you anyway, so why not let me have a good taste of her? Just see it as a thank-you for stopping her from running away. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to punish her for her infidelity. After that, I’ll return her to you, and you can still have your way with her.” The bald man watched Kayden with a half-smirk, his eyes filled with mockery.
“No!” Ivy felt deeply insulted. Her voice turned hoarse as she shouted that word. Then she shook her head defiantly, “I’m not that kind of woman. Watch your mouth!”
Hearing this, the bald man laughed even more. His hands moved to knead her body again.
Kayden stared at the bald man and his gang. Their actions were no different from those of bandits, brazenly abducting people and trying to rape women. They were utterly lawless! In this territory Kayden swore to protect, he would not tolerate such crimes.
He took a step forward and boomed in an icy voice, “You’ve lost your chance to live.”
The scar-faced man erupted into a raucous laugh, swinging his machete menacingly as he taunted, “What do you mean? Are you trying to pick a fight with us?”
As soon as these words escaped his lips, all the machete-wielding thugs closed in around Kayden. The bald man still firmly gripped Ivy’s pants, unwilling to let go. The other eight men formed a tight circle around Kayden.
They brandished their blades, glaring and raising their eyebrows, each trying to put on a fierce look.
Ivy felt the escalating tension. She quickly interjected, “No! He’s not my husband! I don’t know him at all! We’ve only met twice, and this is the third. Hey! Who do you think you are, a superhero? Stop making a fool of yourself. I don’t even know you, so go away! Do you really think you’re in a position to save me?”
Ivy’s words were meant to provoke Kayden into leaving. There were too many enemies. He couldn’t possibly take them on, especially with their machetes in hand. If all eight of them charged at him, he’d be chopped into meat paste.
Kayden froze, clearly taken aback by her outburst. Then, he grinned wide, though it was a smile that carried no warmth. “You really think I’m here to rescue you? Don’t flatter yourself. I’m just not about to stand by and watch any crime happen in front of me.”