Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Harriet’s POV
To them, my remaining seated in the presence of a so–called “prince” from Washington was a blatant show of disrespect, something they fully expected would get me punished.
I, however, didn’t move. Instead, I turned to Vernon and asked calmly, “Do I really need to stand?”
Vernon froze, his gaze narrowing as if studying me. He rubbed his eyes, then looked again, his expression shifting dramatically.
But before he could say something, Astrid beat him to it and sneered, “Vernon, this woman is my fiancé’s ex–girlfriend. To put it
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plainly, she’s just a pathetic lapdog. I kept her here as a bit of entertainment. You know I run a kennel, right? I was planning to toss her to the hounds later for fun.”
Damian‘ s face turned pale. Clenching his jaw, he hissed, “Astrid, what about your promise?”
“Oh, I promised not to make things hard for her–as long as you married me,” Astrid replied, her voice icy. “But she came here on her own and humiliated me. Why should I let her off the hook now?”
Her cold laughter filled the room.
Damian didn’t respond. Instead, he strode toward me, stopping just inches away. His bitter smile barely masked the concern in his
eyes.
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“You… When will you ever stop making me worry?” he murmured, a hint of
exasperation in his voice.
I stood, flashing him a radiant smile–the kind he always said he loved most.
“Don’t lecture me,” I said lightly. “What about you? When will you realize your woman is more capable than you think?”
Without warning, I grabbed his hand and threw myself into his arms.
In a low whisper, he said, “Harriet, I’m afraid I can’t protect you this time. If you want to get out of here alive, your only chance is to hold me hostage. Take the money I gave you and run–go as far as you can.
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I sighed, a faint smile tugging at my lips. He still didn’t believe in me.
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“You… When will you ever stop making me worry?” he murmured, a hint of
exasperation in his voice.
I stood, flashing him a radiant smile—the kind he always said he loved most.
“Don‘ t lecture me,” I said lightly. “What about you? When will you realize your woman is more capable than you think?”
Without warning, I grabbed his hand and threw myself into his arms.
In a low whisper, he said, “Harriet, I’m afraid I can’t protect you this time. If you want to get out of here alive, your only chance is to hold me hostage. Take the money I gave you and run–go as far as you can.
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sighed, a faint smile tugging at my lips. He still didn’t believe in me.
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Had I hidden my true self too well?
At that moment, the men in black suits started closing in.
But before they could reach us, the banquet hall’s service staff moved swiftly,
intercepting them.
The black suits resisted, but they were taken down almost instantly.
In the blink of an eye, every Holden family bodyguard in the room was neutralized. The sudden shift stunned the entire hall, gasps and murmurs filling the air.
Damian, equally bewildered, grabbed my hand. “We need to get out of here–now!”
“There’s no need to run.” I held him firmly, pressing him back down onto the sofa.
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Then I sat in front of him, leaning casually against the backrest. Crossing one leg over the other, my relaxed posture belied the power I exuded.
Damian stared at me, utterly dumbfounded, as if he were seeing me for the first time. To him, I’d always been the cheerful, gentle woman who stayed out of trouble.
He had never witnessed this side of me- sharp, commanding, and unapologetic. Astrid finally snapped out of her shock. Her face twisted with rage as she shouted, “You little witch! Are you tired of living? This is Denver–my territory!”
“Yeah, I figured,” I replied casually.
Her gaze darted to the staff surrounding me,
Chapter 5
and her lips curled into a sneer. “I see. Damian must’ve given you money, and you used it to hire these people to cause trouble. Am I right?” she believed, pointing at the
staff–turned–guards.
What she didn’t know was that my people had swapped places with the banquet staff an hour before the event.
After all, it was better to be safe than sorry. I wouldn’t have shown up here without being fully prepared.
Astrid turned to Vernon, her voice sharp.
“Vernon, lend me your bodyguards! I want that little witch dead!”
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
