Chapter 262 Fury
Several men who had considered approaching Jennifer to offer comfort quickly backed down at the sight of the two imposing foreigners. They knew better than to invite trouble.
Lindwood City had seen an influx of foreigners recently, and many of them behaved with an air of entitlement, taking advantage of their outsider status. Locals knew that challenging them often led to more trouble than it was worth. Discretion, they'd learned, was the better part of valor.
Jack and Steve, sensing the apprehension around them, puffed up their chests, relishing the fear they inspired. They felt invincible, untouchable.
With smug grins plastered on their faces, they closed in on Jennifer, effectively trapping her.
"Hey there, sweetheart," Jack drawled, his voice dripping with condescension. "We're exchange students. I'm Jack, and this is Steve. You seem a little down. How about we grab some coffee and cheer you up?"
Their eyes raked over her body, their gazes brazen and objectifying.
Jennifer's beauty, even in her current state of distress, had captivated them. She was unlike any woman they'd encountered before, and they were determined to add her to their list of conquests.
They were so sure of themselves, so accustomed to getting what they wanted. In their eyes, no woman could resist their charms.
Jennifer, though emotionally numb, wasn't completely oblivious to her surroundings.
As she registered their predatory gazes and their entitled demeanor, a flicker of anger sparked within her.
"Go away," she said, her voice cold and flat.
The words hit their nerve and hung in the air. Jack and Steve's expressions shifted, their smiles replaced by sullen frowns.
"You should apologize for talking to us like that," Steve snarled, taking a menacing step closer.
Jennifer, already overwhelmed, couldn't muster the energy to argue. She attempted to sidestep them, to escape their suffocating presence.
But Jack and Steve were undeterred. They moved to block her path, their arrogance growing with each passing second.
"I said apologize," Jack repeated, his voice laced with a threat. "You don't want to make us angry."
Jennifer's patience, already worn thin, finally snapped. "Get lost!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the crowded mall.
Jack and Steve, their pride wounded, reacted instantly. They lunged towards her, their intentions unmistakable.
Fear, sharp and cold, shot through Jennifer. She tried to dodge, to break free from their grasp, but it was too late. Just as Jack's hand shot out to grab her, a figure materialized beside her, stepping between them with lightning speed.
It was James.
He'd been waiting for Jennifer outside the restroom, his worry growing with each passing minute. When he couldn't reach her on her phone, he knew something was wrong.
He'd questioned the cleaning staff, his anxiety escalating when they confirmed they hadn't seen her.
And then he'd spotted her, surrounded by a crowd, her face stained with tears, two leering foreigners closing in on her.
Rage, unlike anything he'd ever felt before, surged through him.
He reacted instinctively, moving with a speed and agility that belied his usual calm demeanor. He shoved Jack away from Jennifer, the force of the blow sending the larger man stumbling backward.
Before Steve could even register what was happening, James grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply.
Steve yelped in pain as he was thrown off balance, crashing to the floor with a sickening thud.
The crowd gasped, stunned into silence. No one had expected this outcome.
Jennifer stood frozen, her gaze locked on James's back, her eyes wide with a mixture of shock and relief. The familiar sight of him, standing protectively in front of her, sparked a flicker of warmth in her numbed heart.
But that warmth was quickly replaced by a fresh wave of pain. The sting of his betrayal hit her anew, and tears began to well in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
James, turning back to check on her, felt his heart clench at the sight of her tears. He'd never seen Jennifer cry like this, not in public, not with such raw, unbridled emotion.
His anger, already simmering, threatened to explode.
"Jennifer," he asked, his voice tight with concern, "did they hurt you?"
Jennifer, overcome with emotion, could only shake her head as her sobs deepened.
The sight of her distress and vulnerability pushed James over the edge. His eyes narrowed, his gaze turning into a steely resolve as he confronted the two men who had dared to touch his wife.
A low growl escaped his lips, a primal sound of raw fury.
Jack and Steve, recovering from their initial shock, erupted in a torrent of curses and threats. They were furious, their pride wounded.
Jack, his fists clenched, charged towards James, his anger lending him a deceptive strength.
The onlookers cringed, bracing themselves for the violence they were sure would follow. This foolish man, they thought, had just made a very dangerous enemy.
But what happened next left them speechless.
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