Chapter 10: We're Family From Here On Out

"Why the hell should I? I played your human shield, and I don't get a damn thing out of it?!" Desmond Cole snapped. He lunged up, yanked Adriana Hauk by the wrist, and shoved his other hand toward her collar. Adriana fought like her life depended on it. She worked out all the time, but it didn't matter. She couldn't overpower a man's brute strength. She screamed, raw with terror. Joy Lashbrook rushed in and clamped both hands around Desmond's arm. "Stop!" "Get off me!" Desmond shoved her hard. Joy's head slammed into the edge of the coffee table. Stars burst across her vision, and she crumpled, dizzy and stunned, unable to push herself up. "Playing all high and mighty, are you?" Desmond's face twisted as he seized Adriana's chin. "Your grandpa would rather marry you off to some hillbilly than let me touch you?" Before the last word left his mouth, he howled. "Ah! You bit me?!" Smack! A sharp slap cracked through the room. Adriana stumbled and fell back onto the sofa. She snatched a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest like a shield, her eyes wide and shaking. "Help-!" "Grandpa… Grandpa, save me…" Desmond had lost whatever sanity he had left. Only feverish desire remained in his eyes as he pounced on Adriana like a wild animal. Bang! The door flew open under a brutal kick. A figure shot in like lightning, grabbed Desmond by the back of the collar, and hurled him away like trash. Crash! Desmond's bulky body smashed into the wardrobe, making the whole thing shudder. "You laid a hand on my wife? You're dead!" Terrance Lyson's eyes burned, fury nearly spilling out of him. He took in Joy sprawled on the floor, then Adriana on the bed, trembling and clutching the blanket. The easygoing grin he always wore was gone. In its place was a killing intent that froze the air. He advanced on Desmond, who was scrambling to rise. Each step felt like it landed on Desmond's heartbeat. "You hillbilly, you think you can touch me? Do you even know who my dad is-ah!" Terrance's fist crashed into his face before he could finish. Blood burst from Desmond's nostrils. Two front teeth flew out. "I don't give a damn who your daddy is!" Terrance clamped a hand around his throat, his voice cold as ice. "You touch my woman, and even the King of Hell won't save you!" He looked like a lion in full rage, pressure rolling off him so thick it felt like the room dropped several degrees. Desmond finally realized he had picked the wrong person to mess with. Joy, Anson Hauk, and Adriana stared in shock. None of them had expected this seemingly careless young man to be so ruthless once he moved. Desmond's face went paper-white. His voice shook as he tried to pull rank. "I… I'm from the Cole family in Jendon-ah!" Crack! A crisp snap rang out. Desmond's left leg twisted at an unnatural angle. Terrance didn't slow. He fisted Desmond's collar and drew back his right hand again. If that punch landed cleanly, Desmond would spend the rest of his life in a wheelchair. "Stop! Stop, please!" Anson rushed in and grabbed Terrance's arm with both hands, clinging to his fist. "Miracle Doctor, he's the Cole family's second young master. You can't hit him!" Cold light flickered in Terrance's eyes. "I don't care who he is! He touched my woman. Even if the King of Hell shows up, I'll still beat him!" Anson was sweating buckets. "I know you're angry. I want to beat him too. But you already broke his leg. If this turns into a death…" He lowered his voice. "You just came to Tenos. You don't have deep roots yet. The Cole family is powerful. We can't afford to provoke them!" That finally cooled Terrance's rage, just a fraction. He turned toward Joy and Adriana. The two girls had gone from terror to stunned disbelief, while Desmond lay on the floor, shivering. A dark wet patch spread across his crotch. "Count yourself lucky." Terrance loosened his fist, his tone icy. "If I see you anywhere near them again, it won't be just a leg… Get out!" Desmond looked like he'd been granted a pardon. He crawled and stumbled out, not even daring to spit out a threat. Only then did Anson let out a long breath and wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. Terrance turned to check on Joy, but the moment she saw him approach, she retreated two steps, guarded and wary. "Let me take a look at your injury," Terrance said gently. Joy glanced at Anson, who was calming Adriana down, and pressed her lips together without answering. Terrance carefully brushed aside the loose strands of hair on her forehead. A faint, elegant fragrance drifted up, and he couldn't help breathing in a little deeper. "Pervert!" Joy flushed and tried to shove him away, only to find he didn't budge, solid as a mountain. Terrance grinned. "You're fine. Just a little scrape." He stepped back on his own, leaving a safe distance. Anson guided Adriana over, still shaken. "Miracle Doctor, thank you. Adriana, hurry and thank the Miracle Doctor." Adriana kept her head down, her voice barely a whisper. "Th-thank you…" Joy remained silent. Desmond's crazed outburst only deepened their disgust toward men. Terrance sighed to himself. *Well. Straightening them out just got a whole lot harder.* His thoughts snapped back. He waved a hand like it was nothing. "Protecting my wife is only natural, isn't it?" "Shut up." Adriana's face turned cold in an instant. "You saved us, but we're still strangers. Name your price. I'll pay." "Adriana, talking money hurts the feelings." Terrance put on that shameless grin again. "Besides, we're family from here on out. My money is your money, isn't it?" He pulled out his phone and gave it a little shake. "If you really want to thank me, add me on WeChat. Just promise you won't delete me." Adriana looked disgusted, but he had saved her. In the end, she agreed, grudgingly. Terrance tucked his phone away, satisfied, then looked at Joy. "What about you?" "Not a chance." Joy's refusal was sharp and final. "It's fine." Terrance didn't get annoyed at all. "You two are joined at the hip. Adding either one is the same." Then his expression sobered. "Listen. Something's going to happen soon. The Peace Talisman I gave you has to stay on you." With that, he turned to leave. Joy unconsciously touched the talisman paper in her pocket. If her cousin Nora Scurr and her father hadn't repeatedly stressed how formidable Old Guan was, she would've tossed the thing long ago. Anson hurried after him. "Miracle Doctor, I'll arrange the clinic as soon as possible. Where are you headed?" "Which hospital was that woman who gave birth at yesterday? I need to check on her." "Tenos Hospital." Anson's eyes lit up. "Perfect timing. Adriana's heading to the hospital for work anyway. Have her give you a ride." He turned to his granddaughter. "Adriana, aren't you going to the hospital? Give the Miracle Doctor a lift on the way." Adriana pressed her lips together, silent for a moment. In the end, she didn't refuse. She had always hated men, but she drew a clear line between debts and grudges. She couldn't deny her savior such a small request. Terrance slid into the passenger seat without the slightest hesitation. He studied Adriana as she drove, focused and tight-lipped. "Your arm definition is impressive. You must train a lot. So how did that trash pin you down?" Adriana gripped the steering wheel and didn't answer. "That's what I'm saying." Terrance kept talking like he was alone. "Women still need men to protect them. With me backing you, let's see who's blind enough to bully you. I'll beat him so bad his own mother won't recognize him!" Screeeech- Adriana stomped the gas, and the car surged forward. She rolled her eyes. "You beat Desmond Cole today. You just kicked a hornet's nest. They call him the Mad Dog of Jendon. He's going to come after you like a lunatic." Her voice turned even colder. "Don't expect me to help you. At most… after you get chopped into pieces, I might consider collecting your body."