As Thomas raised his fist, cursing under his breath, Petra arrived Just in time to grab his wrist.
Her face was cold as she snapped, “You’ve got a death wish,” and twisted his arm sharply.
Crack.
Thomas let out a scream. His face instantly turned pale.
Without hesitation, Petra kicked him hard, sending him crashing to the floor.
The ground was slick, and he ended up sliding forward, slamming his forehead onto the floor right in front of Charlotte with a loud thud.
Petra looked down at him with icy disdain, like he was beneath her
She had only stepped away to use the restroom for a few minutes. How had some idiot already managed to stir up trouble for her boss?
“You want me to cripple him or finish him off?” she asked coolly, turning to Charlotte with a deadly gleam in her eyes.
Charlotte sighed. “Calm down. Deep breaths. We live in a society governed by laws. It’s broad daylight. Let’s keep it civilized and call the police.”
After all, that slap she gave was more than justified.
Back in the store, the couple had already been provoking her nonstop. She had ignored them because she was in a hurry, but they had the nerve to follow her out and escalate things.
The man had even hurled a disgusting insult at her.
Legally speaking, that counted as harassment and public provocation.
Her slap was completely warranted.
And when he tried to retaliate, Petra’s response clearly self–defense.
Even if the police got involved, Charlotte was confident she would come out clean.
The entire mall was covered in security cameras, and the sales associate had witnessed the whole thing. She wasn’t afraid to report it.
Thomas staggered to his feet, still cursing foully.
His language was vile.
A small crowd began to gather.
Petra remained stone–faced and, following Charlotte’s instructions, called the police.
They arrived quickly–within ten minutes.
With the sales associate’s testimony and the mall’s surveillance footage, Thomas was confirmed to have been the instigator. The police detained him on charges of public disturbance.
Carmen, while she hadn’t laid a hand on anyone, had clearly been stirring things up and verbally harassing Charlotte. She was taken in as well.
By the time everything was settled, over thirty minutes had passed
Charlotte finally arrived at the boutique. In the VIP lounge, Lena was already waiting, practically wilting from the wait.
Lena gave her a wry smile. “There you are, Lottie. What kind of dress takes that long to pick?”
Charlotte walked over, dropped onto the couch, and handed her the shopping bag. “Here. This is the one.”
Lena pulled the dress out and gave it a look. “It’s gorgeous. Did you try on a bunch before settling on this one?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Nope. I picked it the moment I saw it.”
“Then why did it take you so long? Didn’t you get to the mall before me?”
“Ran into some trouble. Someone tried to start something.”
“What happened?”
“It’s fine. Handled.”
Lena frowned. “Who was it?”
“No idea. Judging by their accent, they’re probably from Sterling City.”
Lena’s eyes filled with concern. “You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m fine. Petra was with me. They didn’t stand a chance.‘
“Good.”
The staff, knowing Charlotte loved tea, brought out a pot of premium tea.
They also served a platter of fresh fruit and delicate desserts.
Then they brought over the handbag. Charlotte gave it a quick check, and once she was satisfied, asked them to wrap it up and set it aside.
In the comfort of the VIP lounge, Charlotte and Lena relaxed and chatted over tea.
