The two burly men stepped forward, their eyes fixed on Sophia with a lustful gaze she couldn't quite decipher, but she could feel those lustful eyes on her body. She had always loved it when men looked at her with a lustful gaze, as it made her feel beautiful. She intentionally wore revealing clothes to tempt these creatures and then turn them down.
One of the men grabbed her left hand with force. As the man's grip tightened around Sophia's wrist, the other man's hands grasped at her dress, tearing the delicate fabric with ease. Sophia's eyes widened in horror as she felt the cool air on her skin, her dress hanging in tatters around her waist.
The men's hands roamed over her body, groping and fondling her as they sneered at her helplessly. Sophia struggled and kicked, but she was no match for their brute strength. She felt a wave of panic wash over her as she realized she was completely at their mercy.
Just as it seemed like they were about to overpower her completely, a low, authoritative voice cut through the air. "Enough." The voice was firm, commanding, and unmistakable.
The two men froze, retracting their hands from Sophia's body, but their eyes darted nervously towards the speaker. Sophia's head whipped around, her eyes scanning the room to see who had intervened.
That was when she saw him - a tall, imposing figure standing in the shadows, his eyes fixed intently on the scene before him. His eyes were filled with disgust as he stared at her. He walked over to her, squatted down, and roughly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
"You are average," he said in a low voice, dropping her chin. "People like you are not worthy of annoying her. As a matter of fact, no one is." He stood up and walked away from her.
"She's dirty," he spat, looking away from the lady sprawled on the floor. "Take her away." The man ordered, and immediately the two burly men dragged the half-naked Sophia away from the room.
As the men left, only two people were left in the room. The man from earlier, who had been bantering with Sophia, walked over to the man with a hand towel, helping him remove the hand glove he wore earlier when touching Sophia. He helped the man wipe his hands and then threw away the towel.
"Boss, should I instruct them to discard her body where her family could see it?" The man asked as they walked out of the room into the corridor, where the light allowed Ethan's face to be seen visibly, still laced with disgust.
"That would be unnecessary," Ethan said. "Send her back to her family. Have Mr. Grant pack up from Jamel Jewel Empire. Make sure he leaves with no dime. Freeze his account. Ensure that the pesky daughter leaves whatever industry she works for. Have her retired. Her face is too average to entice the audience."
Ethan said as they took a turn, pocketing his hands in his trouser pocket as his assistant took note of his instructions. When they took a third turn, a man approached them.
"I knew I'd find you here," Ryan said. "Just saw two ugly men dragging out a beauty. She was looking very damn terrified. I knew that was your work."
"Ryan," Ethan said, not bothering to stop, he kept walking while his assistant and Ryan followed.
"For someone who called me out last night, interrupting my work just so I can accompany a lady, you seem so ungrateful," Ryan said, clicking his tongue.
Ethan's expression remained neutral, but a hint of annoyance crept into his voice. "What are you whining about? I said take her home. I didn't say to accompany her. Since you did, it seems you had fun."
Ryan chuckled. "Undeniably, so... Why do you care about this lady as much as to have me send her home? You are a celibate... No, not celibate, aromantic asexual makes more sense. You dislike the opposite gender."
Ethan didn't react to Ryan's words. "She's someone close to my wife. She wouldn't want her hurt."
Ryan paused in his steps for a moment. "Wife...??" He ran to catch up with Ethan. "You are married? Is this some kind of joke? Is it a trending prank on Insta?"
He turned, looking at Ethan's assistant, who also had no expression on his face, just like Ethan. "Ian, tell me your boss is really joking."
Ian stared at Ryan coldly. "If you remember the last time the boss joked, then maybe this would be a joke too."
Ryan's eyes widened in surprise, and he let out a low whistle. "Whoa, I didn't see that coming. Ethan, the infamous Ethan, is married. This is a shocker."
Ethan's expression remained neutral. "Ryan, this is none of your concern. You seem to be less busy these days. Maybe I should call your father and tell him you are here with me."
Ryan's grin grew wider. "Come on, Ethan. It's not every day one gets to hear you are married. I'm shaking with excitement. I have to know more about your wife. What's she like? Is she as ruthless as you are?"
Ethan's eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a warning tone. "Ryan, I'm telling you for the last time, drop it. My wife is off-limits."
Ryan held up his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay, I get it. But just one question, Ethan. What's your wife's name?"
Ethan's expression remained stoic, but a hint of softness crept into his eyes for a brief moment before he looked away. "That should be the least of your problems, Ryan."
Just then, Ethan's phone rang. The caller ID was "Wife" with a rose emoji by the side. The caller's ID was clearly seen by Ryan.
"Hello," Ethan said, taking the call. His voice was now very gentle, no longer sounding harsh. His eyes also softened a bit.