Chapter 9: Taking You Down With Me

Words : 1888 Updated : Feb 19th, 2025

Adonis didn't dodge the slap. He licked his gums, tasting a bit of bitterness, and then gave a self-mocking smile. "Looks like I was barking up the wrong tree. Since you don't appreciate it, treat me like a fool." With that, Adonis pulled the car to the side of the road and unbuckled his seatbelt. Imani hurriedly grabbed his wrist, her voice urgent. "Wait! If you leave like this, what about Brandon?" Adonis slowly freed his wrist. "Don't worry. I will take full responsibility for my actions. I hit Brandon, and I won't drag you into this." With those words, he slammed the door heavily and got out. Imani, realizing too late, rushed out barefoot and blocked his path with outstretched arms. "Do you have something else to say?" Adonis raised an eyebrow. Imani yelled, "You're not allowed to leave!" Adonis reluctantly looked away. "Are you afraid it'll be hard to explain if I run away? Fine, call Brandon. Rest assured, I'll wait here for him and won't leave." Imani bit her lip hard. Tears fell like a torrent. "You're such a bastard!" The next moment, she lost control, squatting down with her knees hugged to her chest, her shoulders trembling as she sobbed. Her frail silhouette aroused a deep sense of pity. The sudden events left Adonis flustered and inexperienced in dealing with such situations. "I'm not leaving, so why are you crying? Please stop crying, okay? I won't go." Seeing that Imani didn't respond, he instinctively removed his jacket and gently draped it over her shoulders. Maybe Adonis' comfort helped as Imani's sobbing gradually subsided. Her cheeks were buried in her knees, and her voice came out in broken fragments, "Tha...nk...you..." Adonis thought he misheard, asking, "What did you say?" Imani raised her head and shouted, "Are you deaf? I said, thank you!" Adonis was speechless. Why was she so unpredictable? He said helplessly, "Why thank me? Let's hear it while you're standing if you've got something to say." Imani grabbed the jacket sleeve and wiped her eyes before standing up. She then threw the jacket at Adonis. "What are you looking at?" Ignoring Adonis's bewildered gaze, she continued, "Thank you for helping me earlier, but you have no idea who you've offended. Brandon is the eldest grandson of the Quinny family, the chief heir of a billion-dollar empire. With Brandon's status, he wouldn't even need to lift a finger to destroy a small fry like you. A single legal notice could ruin you financially or even put you behind bars." "I don't understand. Even if you wanted to help me, there were countless ways to handle it. Why did you have to be so reckless? Do you think fighting for a woman is impressive? Childish! Let me tell you. You're not the first man to fight for me, nor will you be the last. But what you did today won't just harm yourself. It could drag down my entire family!" Imani snarled. Adonis remained undaunted. "Since I dared to make a move, I'm not afraid of his revenge." Imani scoffed, "You think you can intimidate the Quinny family with bravado? That shows your ignorance!" Seeing Adonis about to speak, Imani impatiently waved him off. "Forget it. I don't want to argue with you or hear your explanations. Ignorance isn't your fault, but at least as an adult, you should consider the consequences before acting. If something happens to you, what about your family? What about me? I'll be left with a guilty conscience forever!" Adonis felt as if he had been struck hard. "So, you were worried about me?" Imani glared at him, her laughter cold and mocking. "Ha! You're dreaming. You're just a chauffeur. Why would your life or death matter to me?" She pulled a bank card from her purse and tossed it to him as she spoke. Then she grabbed Adonis' hand and wrote a string of numbers on it with a pen. It took Adonis a moment to recover. "What does this mean?" Imani's emotions had stabilized. Her tone was commanding yet icy. "That's the bank card's password. There's a hundred thousand dollars in it. I never owe anyone. We're even now, and I want you out of Eastvale. I don't ever want to see you again!" Not giving Adonis a chance to respond, Imani turned and walked away. Adonis couldn't help but call after her, "Where are you going?" Imani didn't look back. "None of your business! Get lost!" Though her words were cold and distant, they seemed almost endearingly stubborn to Adonis. He stood stunned for a moment, then turned and got back into the car's passenger seat. Imani was dumbfounded. "You... why did you come back?" Adonis returned the bank card to her. "I'm not taking this card and won't leave Eastvale. You don't have to worry about me. Since I said I'd help you resolve this, I'll see it through." Imani didn't believe him, but at that moment, her phone rang. She gestured for Adonis to be silent before hesitantly answering. Before she could speak, Brandon's voice erupted from the other end, nearly hysterical. "You wretch! How dare you incite that man to attack me? I'm telling you, your brother is doomed! Don't expect me to plead for him! The Thubron family will all pay for this!" Imani's expression changed. "Brandon, let me explain..." Brandon interrupted with a sneer. "Explain? I'll give you half an hour to come to the Quinny residence. Make sure you clean yourself up before you come. If you can please me, maybe I'll pretend nothing happened. Otherwise, you'll face all the repercussions!" Imani, enduring his repeated insults, finally snapped. "Brandon, you better not push me! The Quinny family may be powerful, but I am not your toy! Although I'm nominally your fiancée, how many women have you slept with in the past two years? How many affairs have you had? I've heard about it even in Eastvale. Every time I go out, people gossip about us! Not to mention, Laura set me up. But even if I did it willingly, so what? Since you treat this engagement like a game, what right do you have to demand my fidelity?" "Let me tell you, Brandon, I am not lacking suitors. Countless men are chasing after me in Eastvale. I agreed to this marriage not out of vanity, nor because I covet your family's resources, but because my family finalized it without my consent. I have my dignity and my limits. Since it's a done deal, I accepted it. I'm not desperate to marry you, nor am I willing to settle. Push me, and you'll find out what I can do!"

Chapter 9: Taking You Down With Me

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