The crowd of reporters exchanged glances before quickly pasting on sycophantic smiles.
“Well, since Mr. Biggs has spoken, we’d be foolish not to comply.”
One by one, they dispersed. No one even dared to linger in the shadows for a photo.
Because everyone knew exactly what kind of man Carter was.
No one who ever stood against him managed to remain standing on this earth for long. 1
Once the reporters cleared out, the air grew heavy–dead silent and ice–cold.
Carter’s eyes settled on Sharon, still cradled in another man’s arms. His gaze darkened, a bitter chill radiating from him.
“Get down,” he ordered.
Sharon already felt uncomfortable being held by a stranger. Now that the scandal surrounding her had erupted in full force, the last thing she wanted was to drag Xavier into it.
“Please put me down,” she murmured softly.
But Xavier didn’t even glance at Carter’s thunderous expression. “No. Your ankle’s injured. You need to go to the hospital.” Carter’s eyes didn’t waver from Sharon’s face. The coldness in them was absolute, like something frozen solid.
“I said–get down,” he repeated, each word pronounced with the force of a clenched jaw.
Carter was known for hiding his emotions well. She could count on one hand the number of times she’d seen him show even a flicker of real feeling. But now, his expression was thick with something dark and turbulent. He stared at them like they were something filthy, beneath contempt. 1
Still, Sharon didn’t move.
That only made him more terrifying.
He walked forward, slow and deliberate. Reaching out, he tried to pull her away.
Xavier moved to block him, arm raised–but with Sharon in his grasp, he wasn’t quick enough. Carter yanked her down from his
arms.
Gripping her wrist tightly, he turned and began to walk away.
Her feet touched the ground. Pain flared instantly in her injured ankle, sharp enough to make her dizzy.
Then someone caught her other hand.
Carter stopped mid–step, turning his head.
Xavier’s hand was on her.
“Let go of her,” Carter growled, the words strained with disgust.
Xavier only smiled, casual and amused. “Funny. That’s exactly what I was about to say to you.”
Carter’s expression turned proud, mocking. “You think you’re qualified?” 1
Xavier gave a soft laugh. “Does it matter what you think? What really matters… is how Sharon feels.”
He turned his eyes to her, his voice gentler now.
“Babe, do you want to go with him?”
Chapter 30
Sharon knew he was calling her that on purpose–to irritate Carter to make a show of closeness.
+25 BONUS
Her eyes flicked toward Kelly, standing a few steps away. So that’s how it was–Carter and Kelly had just come out of the same restaurant. They’d probably just finished dinner. And now he’d come to inform her of Sharon’s little “detainment,” earning himself a charming, understanding smile in return.
Sharon’s expression went still. She didn’t even look at Carter. Instead, she turned to Xavier.
“My ankle’s twisted. Could I trouble you to take me to the hospital?”
Xavier’s smile deepened. “What trouble? There’s no ‘trouble‘ between us.”
Carter’s eyes flashed with disbelief. His voice was like ice on stone. “Sharon, don’t tell me you’re hooking up with this man.”
She flinched at the implication, frowning.
“You’re really something, Mr. Biggs,” she said, voice calm but cool “There’s no scandal, no entanglement. We just happened to have dinner. He saw I was in trouble and helped. But in your eyes… that means I’m hooking up with him?”
She glanced toward Kelly.
“So what–you think as long as I speak to a man, I must be doing something inappropriate with him? Or are you projecting your own way of thinking onto others, Mr. Biggs?”
