Chapter 4 Marked by Fear

Somewhere far away,

Ethan lay restless in his sleep, haunted by her face -

as if she were still in his arms.

The scent of her hair, the warmth of her skin,

the softness of her body lingered in his breath,

wrapping around him like a memory he couldn't escape.

He opened his eyes slowly,

his mind chasing the ghost of the night before -

her tear-streaked face,

the trembling of her voice as she cried.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he ran a hand through his hair,

then reached for his phone, checking if she had gone to university or not.

He began replaying the security footage,

watching every second from the moment he left her house until dawn.

And then - he froze.

On the screen before him,

his little one was being struck -

blow after merciless blow from her stepmother,

while she cried, clutching the keychain he had accidentally left behind.

His jaw tightened; his entire body went still.

He searched his belongings frantically, but the keychain was gone.

For the first time, he had left evidence of his presence -

an unforgivable mistake.

He grabbed his phone again, his tone low and sharp.

"Find her. Within an hour.

Don't let her out of your sight - ever."

⸻

Across the city,

in a quiet little house of two stories,

Emma stood before her mirror, brushing a hint of makeup onto her cheeks

when the sound of the doorbell echoed through the hall.

She opened the door - and froze.

Amelia stood there, trembling,

her face pale and bruised, her eyes swollen from crying.

Emma gasped and rushed to her, pulling her into her arms.

"Amelia! What happened to you?!"

Amelia's lips quivered as she tried to speak.

Tears spilled down her cheeks,

and between sobs, she told her everything -

the shouting, the pain, the humiliation.

At that moment, Michael - Emma's older brother - walked in.

His eyes scanned Amelia with bold, unashamed curiosity.

A sly grin curved his lips as he said,

"Who dared to hurt such a beautiful girl?"

Amelia lowered her gaze, clutching her bag tightly.

Without meeting his eyes, she turned to her friend and whispered softly,

"Let's go. We're late for class."

⸻

They went to the university together.

The day dragged endlessly for Amelia -

every lecture, every voice around her

felt like background noise to the ache in her heart.

When classes finally ended, she sat quietly near the gate,

staring at her phone in silence.

She waited for her father's call -

just to hear his voice,

just to know she wasn't completely forgotten.

But the phone remained silent.

Emma nudged her shoulder with a forced smile.

"Enough sadness! You're coming home with me tonight - no excuses."

Amelia hesitated, shaking her head quickly.

She hated going there - hated the way Michael's eyes followed her.

But with nowhere else to go, she finally agreed.

They spent some time together,

talking, laughing faintly, trying to forget.

Then, exhaustion overtook Amelia.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she drifted into a deep sleep on the couch.

An hour passed.

Then, something stirred her awake -

a breath against her skin...

a hand sliding where it shouldn't.

Her body froze.

Her eyes snapped open in terror -

and there he was.

Michael.

Her body tensed, trembling beneath the force of his grip.

Amelia tried to break free, but his hands were unyielding - holding her in place, denying her even the smallest chance to escape.

A muffled cry escaped her throat as she pressed her lips together, desperate not to scream.

Tears streamed down her face as his hand slid lower, invading the fragile space she had fought so hard to protect.

And then - without warning - everything stopped.

A sharp thud echoed through the room.

The man's body hit the floor, motionless, blood pooling from the side of his head.

Amelia froze, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

From the shadows, a man stepped forward - tall, broad-shouldered, his very presence thickening the air around him.

He was the kind of man one could never mistake - powerful, commanding, dangerous.

Every muscle on his body seemed carved from stone, and his piercing gaze cut through the darkness like a blade.

She swallowed hard, her heartbeat thundering in her chest.

Could it be him?

The stranger from that night?

The man whose scent still lingered on her skin -

the one who had left the keychain behind?

Before she could speak, a low voice broke the silence.

One of Ethan's men - the one who had arrived just in time - bowed his head and said quietly:

"I'm Michael's friend. I was outside and heard strange noises... I came to check. I'm sorry for the intrusion, miss."

Amelia's lips trembled as she gave a faint nod, unable to find her voice.

She didn't fully understand what had happened - only that she was safe... for now.

Clutching her bag tightly, she turned and ran out into the night,

her breath coming in ragged gasps,

her heart still echoing the rhythm of fear.

The man watched her disappear into the darkness,

then pulled out his phone and dialed a number -

a number he knew all too well.

"Sir," he said tensely,

"There's been an incident..."

Silence hung for a moment on the other end -

then a crash. Glass shattering.

Miles away, Ethan stood in his office,

fury radiating from him like fire.

His desk was overturned, papers scattered,

his jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.

His hand gripped the phone, his voice turning to steel.

"Where is she now?"

The bodyguard hesitated.

"I thought she was outside, sir... but I can't find her. She's gone."

Ethan's tone dropped lower - cold, dangerous -

the calm before the storm.

"If you value your life," he said slowly, each word sharp as a blade,

"bring her back.

I don't care how - she comes home. Tonight."

He ended the call and stood there for a long moment,

his reflection flickering in the dark glass behind him,

a single thought blazing in his mind -

He had saved her once.

He would never let anyone touch her again.