He turned his head back toward Sylvia.
She was walking away confidently, her white heels striking against the pavement. Without realizing it, a faint smile appeared on his face as he watched her retreating figure.
Then suddenly—
Her heel caught between the uneven pavement stones.
Her body lurched forward. The thin strap snapped. Her ankle twisted painfully, and she stumbled, her body tipping toward the ground.
Magnus’s expression changed instantly.
He rushed forward in long strides and reached her just in time. In the very next second, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist while the other slid beneath her legs. Before she could hit the ground, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
Sophia gasped.
Her heart, which had skipped in fear of falling, now pounded wildly for a completely different reason. She looked up in shock — only to see Magnus holding her.
At once, she began struggling.
“Mr. Graves, let go of me,” she insisted, trying to push against his chest.
But Magnus tightened his hold instead.
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” he said in a low voice. “Stay still.”
Brent, who had been standing near the car, quickly turned his back to them. A knowing smile briefly appeared on his face before he quietly stepped away, disappearing from sight.
Magnus carried Sophia to his car and gently placed her on the bonnet, making her sit.
She immediately braced her palms against the cold surface to steady herself.
Without hesitation, Magnus bent down on one knee in front of her.
He took her injured foot carefully into his hand.
Sophia stiffened.
His fingers were warm against her skin. The broken heel still hung loosely from her sandal.
He gently removed the damaged heel and set it aside on the ground. Then his hand returned to her ankle. His touch was surprisingly slow and careful as he massaged the area with soft strokes, pressing lightly along the bone. He rotated her footslightly, moving it in small circles, checking if anything was broken.
Sophia stiffened at the unexpected gentleness. Her fingers tightened against the cold surface of the car.
After a moment, Magnus lifted his head and met her eyes.
“It’s fine. Nothing serious,” he said quietly.
“I’m fine, Mr. Graves. Let go of me,” she snapped.
Before he could stop her, she forcefully pulled her foot out of his grasp. Even though he instinctively tried to steady her ankle again, she yanked it back stubbornly.
She slid down from the bonnet and stood up on her feet. Then she bent down, removed the other heel as well, grabbed both shoes in her hand, and started walking away.
She had barely taken three steps when strong arms wrapped around her from behind.
In one swift motion, Magnus lifted her off the ground again.
“What are you doing? Let go of me!” she demanded, struggling against his hold. Her hands pushed against his chest as she tried to free herself. “Magnus!” she hissed, glaring at him.
