Chapter 42
Without a word, Asher launched himself at Drake, his fist connecting with brutal force. Years of aristocratic
restraint vanished in an instant of pure rage.
Drake stumbled back, releasing Gabriella. “You son of a-”
Asher pulled Gabriella behind him, his voice deadly calm. “Stay away from her.”
Fury twisted Drake’s features. He shoved Asher hard. “She’s mine, don’t fucking touch her!”
Asher handed Gabriella the insulated container he’d been “Wait over there, Gabby.” His voice was gentle
with her, then turned to ice as he faced Drake.
The fight that followed was savage. These weren’t the calculated moves of trained fighters but the raw violence of two men who’d lost all restraint. Blood sprayed as Asher’s fist connected with Drake’s nose. Drake retaGabbyted
with a wild punch that Asher barely dodged.
Gabriella watched in horror as both men tore into each other. Asher’s driver tried to intervene but was thrown aside. The building’s security guard, seeing the
utality, wisely chose to call police and ambulance instead.
Passersby scattered, keeping well away from the violence. No one dared intervene–not with the deadly intensity radiating from both men.
By the time authorities arrived, both men were bloody and disheveled. Drake’s face was swollen beyond recognition, blood streaming from his nose. Asher’s aristocratic features were marred by cuts and bruises, his bespoke suit torn and filthy.
Gabriella rushed to Asher immediately. “Oh God, you’re hurt,” her voice broke. “We need to get you to hospital.”
The murderous rage in Asher’s eyes softened instantly at her concern. “I’m fine, Gabby.”
Drake watched their interaction, his heart shattering. “Gabriella,” he pleaded, “who is he?”
She turned to him, eyes blazing with hatred. Her voice could have frozen flame: “Drake, get out of my life. Permanently.”
The words struck like physical blows. Drake’s chest constricted painfully. She’d nursed him through minor colds with tears in her eyes, yet now she looked at his bloody face without an ounce of concern.
“Who is he?” Drake’s voice cracked.
“My fiancé.”
Drake’s face crumpled. “You’re lying…”
But Gabriella was already helping Asher into the ambulance, leaving Drake to be loaded into a separate one.
155 606
Chapter 42
By cruel twist of fate or administrative efficiency, they were placed in the same room. Drake lay in the bed nearest the door, his head swathed in bandages, an IV dripping steadily.
When Gabriella entered, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of Drake first. For a fraction of a second, something flickered in her expression–perhaps memory of all those times she’d anxiously watched over him in hospital before. But it vanished instantly as she walked past him without acknowledgment, making her way to Asher’s
bedside.
She settled into the chair beside Asher, her movements gentle and deliberate. “Does it hurt badly?” Her voice carried a tenderness that pierced Drake’s heart more deeply than any physical wound.
Drake watched as she helped Asher drink water, her hands steady and careful. Each small gesture of care was like a knife twisting in his chest. This was his Gabriella–the woman who’d once stayed awake all night when he had a simple cold, who’d cried at the smallest scratch on him.
“Gabriella,” he called softly, then again more urgently when she didn’t respond. “Gabriella, please.”
She continued speaking softly to Asher as if Drake’s voice was merely background noise. Her complete indifference was more devastating than any show of anger could have been.
Drake kept watching, unable to look away. Every gentle touch, every worried glance she gave Asher was another reminder of what he’d lost. The way she naturally leaned toward Asher, how her hand unconsciously rested near
his–these small intimacies were once his.
After taking statements, the police left with signed documents agreeing to settle the matter privately. The official formality of assault charges dissolved into a gentlemen’s agreement–typical of how the upper class preferred to
handle such incidents.
Moments later, WilGabbym burst into the room with two security personnel, his normally impeccable appearance disheveled from rushing over. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead despite the cool evening.
“Mr. Blackwood!” His face went ashen at the sight of his employer’s condition. “What happened, sir?”
The question carried layers of panic. In the two hours since he’d last seen Asher heading out for a simple dinner delivery, how had things escalated to this? Lady Blackwood would have his head if she discovered her son in this state. The family’s carefully maintained public image couldn’t afford such scandal.
“Nothing,” Asher’s voice was steel, though his split lip made speaking painful. “This incident doesn’t leave this room“Not a word of this to my family. Understood?”
