Violet giggled, absorbed in the scene.
But then—loud footsteps echoed.
Violet froze. Her gaze shifted toward the stairs.
Magnus appeared at the top, his expression grim. Several men followed behind him, moving silently as they flanked him on both sides.
Arthur stepped out right after. He glanced at Magnus, then followed his line of sight, his eyes landing on Joseph, Curtis, and Violet.
Violet was so startled that her phone nearly slipped from her hand. She quickly shoved it behind her back, trying to hide it but Magnus had already seen it.
“Joseph? What is going on? What are you all doing here?” Arthur called out, but Magnus ignored him. He stormed straight toward Violet.
In the next second, he grabbed her shoulder roughly and pushed her aside. Violet fell hard onto the ground with a loud thud, sliding across the floor. Joseph rushed to her side, helping her back up.
Magnus didn’t pause. He stormed into the room.
As soon as he entered, he saw Sophia pinned under the man, struggling to fight him off. Magnus charged over to the bed. The sound of commotion made the man pause; he looked toward the door.
Magnus moved like a storm unleashed.
He seized the man by the back of his neck and tore him off the bed. The man cried out as Magnus flung him to the floor with brutal force.
Chapter 2 Family
A second later, Magnus’s polished shoe crashed into the man’s chest.
Once.
Twice.
The sound of the blows echoed through the room. The man curled up, coughing, but Magnus looked ready to kill.
“Take care of this trash,” he barked, his voice vibrating with fury as he shoved the man toward the guards. His eyes didn’t even spare him another glance. Magnus had already turned back to Sophia.
She was struggling to sit up, trembling, trying to pull her dress back over her shoulder with weak, unsteady hands. The torn fabric barely covered her. Her hair was a mess, her breathing uneven, panic still clouding her eyes.
Magnus’s chest tightened violently at the sight.
Without hesitation, he shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her. His movements were fast but unbelievably careful, like she might break if he touched her too hard. He pulled the coat closed around her shoulders, shielding her from every gaze in the room.
“I’ve got you,” he muttered under his breath.
Sophia slid off the bed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, her knees gave way. She would have fallen if Magnus hadn’t caught her instantly.
She crashed into his chest.
His arms locked around her at once. One hand came up to cup her face, his thumb brushing her cheek as he tilted her head up to look at him.
“Are you hurt anywhere?” he asked.
His voice still carried the echo of his rage, yet beneath it was something raw, something almost desperate. Fear. Concern. A softness that only existed for her.
Sophia sniffled, her lips trembling as she shook her head. “I’m fine… thank you for coming,” she whispered, but the words were fragile, barely holding together.
The moment she finished, she broke.
She buried her face in his chest, her body stiff, shivering uncontrollably. Her fingers twisted into his suit, sliding around his waist as she gripped his shirt like a lifeline.
