Chapter 145
Chapter 145:
For reasons Brayden couldn’t name, unease coiled in his chest. Clive glanced at him from the driver’s seat. “Mr. Stanley, still thinking about Ms. Douglas? Charlie already went over there p>
“Yeah.” Brayden rubbed his temples, his voice rough with exhaustion.
A few minutes earlier, Charlie had called to report that Lia had gone to an investor’s dinner.
The man hosting it had a filthy reputation in the industry—lecherous, predatory, the kind who used every underhanded trick to corner women.
The moment Sonia alerted Charlie, he’d passed the warning straight to Brayden and sped off to handle it himself.
Brayden wasn’t truly worried for Lia’s safety. What unsettled him was the memory of Gracie’s detached expression earlier, cold enough to pierce right through him.
His wife appeared utterly unmoved by anything concerning his private life.
When the car pulled up, Brayden climbed out in one smooth motion, his stride long and purposeful. His expression had hardened into ice as he made for the private suite upstairs.
Two bodyguards flanked the entrance.
“Mr. Stanley.” One of them stepped forward quickly. “Ms. Douglas and Mr. Willis are already inside p>
Brayden pushed the door open without a word. Inside, a greasy middle-aged man huddled in the corner, his face a mess of bruises. Charlie stood over him, a baseball bat in hand, his expression dark with restrained fury.
Lia sat trembling in the far corner, a blanket draped over her shoulders, her hair tangled and her face pale.
Brayden strode toward her and dropped into a crouch. The moment his hand brushed her shoulder, Lia let out a piercing scream.
LⱯtєѕτ cнαρτєrs ιn g𝒶l𝑛ovєlѕ.𝒸𝑜𝑚
“Lia, it’s me,” he said quietly, his tone steady but urgent.
Her tear-streaked face lifted, eyes wide with shock. “Brayden…” She suddenly clung to his hand, trembling, her smeared makeup blurring into a mess. “Brayden, he… he tried to…” Her voice broke, the rest swallowed by a shaky breath. “If Charlie hadn’t come when he did p>
Her lips quivered, her voice breaking before she could form a full sentence.
A dark chill settled over Brayden’s face as his eyes cut toward the middle-aged man.
“Mr. Stanley…” the man stammered, scrambling upright and half-crawling to Brayden’s feet. “You’ve got it wrong—she called me! She… she came on to me first p>
He still couldn’t comprehend how Lia, who had flirted with him moments ago, was now trembling in a corner, screaming like a victim the instant Charlie appeared.
If he hadn’t been there himself, even he might’ve believed she’d been forced.
The sheer injustice of it made his chest tighten with frustration.
Brayden’s expression froze, disbelief flickering in his eyes. “You think you’re worthy of Lia’s attention p>