novelnext Chapter 23
Chapter 23
"Who wants to marry you?"
I spat the words through gritted teeth. I used all my strength to push Sonny out of the door.As soon as he got out of the house, I slammed the door shut with a loud bang.
Smack!
I delivered a sharp slap across Sonny's face. Caught off guard, his head snapped to the side, leaving a red imprint on his cheek."Sonny we're over," I declared coldly.
"If you can't end this peacefully, I'm more than ready to make it messy."I sneered, "Didn't you mortgage your house to the bank? How about I go and have a word with your mother?"Hearing that, Sonny's calm expression finally turned into resentment. It was as if he blamed me for all of his misfortunes and all the consequences of his own decisions.
He glared at me as if he wanted to eat me alive."Bella, how dare you bring my mother into this?" he spat and stepped closer then grabbed me roughly.He dragged me toward the building's entrance.
"I know where your parents live," he warned. "You said you have someone new, right? Is it Mark?""Did you break up with me just to get back together with him?" His accusations grew harsher and his grip tightened, hurting my wrist."Let go of me …" I pleaded.Before I could finish my words, the restraint on my arm vanished.
Startled, I looked up only to see Sonny sprawled on the ground. He had been kicked squarely in the chest by none other than Mark.
Mark had judged the situation carefully. Since Bellan hadn't asked for his help explicitly, he hadn't felt it was appropriate to follow her home. However, seeing her anxious, distressed demeanor had troubled him deeply, so he impulsively booked the same flight, just to be close if needed.Once he arrived in her parents' neighborhood, he waited outside. He had a friend pull some strings to find the address because he did not know Bella's parents' address. He never expected to witness this scene when Sonny dragged Bella out with force.
The sight of Sonny manhandling Bella and making her frown in pain was enough to send Mark into a rage. His mind blanked and without thinking, he rushed forward, yanked Sonny back and landed a solid kick on his chest.
His movement was so smooth and swift, that it was too fast for Bella to react.
Mark stood protectively in front of Bella. He then rolled up her sleeves to examine her wrist. It was red and bruised once again. All of that is because of Sonny."I'm fine…" Bella murmured and awkwardly pulled her hand back.Yet, my initial reaction to seeing Mark wasn't a surprise but a rush of relief and gratitude. During our car ride earlier, I had contemplated asking him to stay, but it had felt inappropriate at that time.
However, he had appeared here like a miracle. He shielded her from the ugliness of this moment. The gesture touched her deeply.Just then, Sonny groaned from the ground. "Mark, you bastard!"He stumbled to his feet, enraged and lunged at Mark. Bella tried to intervene, but Mark pulled her aside, keeping her out of harm's way.The last time they clashed, Mark had deliberately let Sonny land a punch because he hoped to evoke Bella's sympathy. However, today, he wasn't holding back. The two men wrestled fiercely, neither willing to yield.
I watched in dismay as Mark's expensive cashmere sweater was torn in the struggle. Frantically, I called for security and then hurried to pull Mark away. Without hesitation, I delivered another stinging slap to Sonny.
This time, the humiliation was different. If the previous slap had only fueled his defiance, this time, being slapped in front of Mark was a blow to his pride.Specially since this was Mark his former rival. The man he once considered a loser who had tried to pursue Bella for two long years, only to fail.