Chapter 6 Injured
Victoria quickly rolled down the car window and whispered urgently, "Dad, what are you doing here? Go back!"
David's gaze went past Victoria's head and fixed on Nathaniel. "Young man, you better treat Victoria well. She's been pampered since she was a child."
Seeing Victoria get into a luxury car had made David's heart swell with joy, prompting him to rush over and "remind" Nathaniel.
Victoria, worried that David might anger Nathaniel, continued to urge him, "Stop talking and go back!"
Nathaniel's cold stare made David's back shiver. The sheer intimidation forced him to step aside awkwardly and wave goodbye.
The window rolled up, and the car slowly drove away.
"Mr. Cross, I'm so sorry! My dad doesn't understand our relationship," Victoria apologized frantically.
Seeing Nathaniel remain silent, she continued to assure him, "I promise this won't happen again."
"Don't let it happen again," Nathaniel replied, his expression unreadable.
Victoria couldn't tell if he was angry or not.
But with a man like him, it was better to be cautious.
Meanwhile, Victoria's phone buzzed incessantly with messages from David on WhatsApp. She didn't need to look to know he was asking all sorts of questions.
Afraid the buzzing would annoy Nathaniel, she quickly put her phone on silent.
The car fell into a tense silence. Victoria didn't dare to make a sound.
Just when she thought the icy atmosphere would freeze her to death, Sam, sitting in the passenger seat, spoke up.
"Mr. Cross, the target has surfaced."
"Then take care of it," Nathaniel replied.
Victoria listened to their cryptic conversation, not daring to guess or ask questions.
She figured Nathaniel had some business nearby and whimsically decided to invite her for breakfast.
To him, she was just a plaything, something to toy with.
The car stopped in front of an unassuming breakfast diner.
As soon as they entered, the smell of food filled the air, softening Nathaniel's cold demeanor a bit.
Once the food was served, Nathaniel began eating without a word.
It was still early, and Victoria's stomach wasn't quite awake yet. She sipped her hot milk slowly.
"Not hungry?" Nathaniel asked.
"I'm okay."
"You eating makes the food look more appetizing."
Victoria understood what Nathaniel meant. Reluctantly, she picked up a piece of pancake and started eating it in big bites.
Maybe last time she was so hungry that her eating had made Nathaniel feel like eating too?
The quirks of powerful men were truly baffling.
As Nathaniel was finishing his meal, Sam went to pay the bill.
Victoria had suspected there was another purpose to this outing, but as breakfast neared its end and everything seemed calm, she began to doubt her judgment.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Ah... help!"
Suddenly, sounds of a fight and screams came from the kitchen.
The next moment, the kitchen curtain was pulled aside, and Sam emerged, dragging a man like a dead dog.
Sam brought the man to Nathaniel, forcing him to show his face by grabbing his hair.
"Mr. Cross, we got him."
The other customers were terrified and quickly fled.
The owner, too scared to even collect the bill, hid in the kitchen.
"Not running anymore?" Nathaniel asked, leaning back in his chair and picking his teeth with a toothpick, looking completely at ease.
Victoria had never seen such a scene before and was scared out of her wits.
She wanted to hide like the other customers... but she didn't have the guts! Without Nathaniel's permission, she didn't dare move.
The man, bruised and bleeding, was kicked in the back of the knees by Sam and fell to his knees in front of Nathaniel's table.
"Tell me who you're working for, and I'll spare your family," Nathaniel said, his voice lazy after his meal but carrying an undeniable authority.
The man spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted defiantly, "I'm not working for anyone!"
Nathaniel's face darkened instantly, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.
He waved at Sam. "Take care of him."
"But..." Sam began, only to be cut off by Nathaniel.
"It's fine. He'll slip up eventually."
Victoria's heart pounded as she listened to their conversation.
They say knowing too much shortens your life. She didn't understand their cryptic talk now, but who knows about the future?
She wished she were deaf and blind, knowing nothing and seeing nothing!
Would staying by Nathaniel's side eventually get her killed?
Victoria silently pleaded, 'Nathaniel, my sugar daddy! Please, let's just stick to our arrangement. Don't drag me into your dangerous world! I still want to live a few more years!'
"Yes, sir." Sam's hand flashed, revealing a short knife.
The man on his knees trembled and screamed hysterically, "Tiger! If you don't act now, I'm dead!"
Before Victoria could figure out who "Tiger" was, a sharp gunshot rang out!
Almost simultaneously, the screech of tires pierced the air. Several black vans roared up, surrounding the small diner.
The van doors were yanked open, and a group of men armed with steel pipes and machetes stormed out, looking fierce and menacing.
Leading them was a burly bald man with a menacing tiger tattoo on his neck that extended to his cheek.
Victoria was so scared she nearly fainted!
Nathaniel glanced at the pale Victoria and signaled to Sam.
Sam moved to her side and whispered, "Miss Chase, don't be afraid. I'll protect you."
Victoria's voice trembled, "O-okay."
But her real thoughts were, 'Don't be afraid? That's ridiculous! Nathaniel's side only has five or six people, while the other side has two vanloads!'
The enemy outnumbered them two to one!
She watched as Nathaniel slowly stood up, his tall frame exuding an overwhelming presence in the small diner.
He looked at the bald man and smirked coldly.
"Tiger, is it really worth all this trouble for a small fry?"
Victoria vaguely remembered now. Tiger's real name was Ralph Cook, the top enforcer for Phantom Nexus... known for his ruthless and lecherous ways!
To survive under Nathaniel, she had done her homework thoroughly, fearing a slip of the tongue could cost her life.
Ralph toyed with a knife, his eyes cold. "I'm not here for the small fry. I'm here for the contact list he has."
Nathaniel chuckled. "He wouldn't dare give it to you."
The man on the ground, seeing a glimmer of hope, shouted at Ralph, "Tiger! If you save my life, I'll tell you everything!"
Nathaniel's face turned icy, and he sneered at the man.
"He can't save your life!"
Ralph didn't waste words and signaled his men. "Take them down!"
Another gunshot rang out, this time aimed at Nathaniel's side.
Sam reacted swiftly, flipping a table to shield Nathaniel and drawing his gun to return fire.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Gunfire erupted, mingling with the sound of steel pipes smashing into tables and chairs and the screams of the wounded.
Victoria's mind went blank, and she stood there, frozen.
In the chaos, Nathaniel grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him.
Nathaniel's hand was large and strong, radiating a familiar warmth.
"Don't be afraid," he said softly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Pressed against his back, Victoria could feel the tension in his muscles.
Bullets whizzed past, hitting the walls and sending dust flying. A table was hit, splintering into pieces.
Sam moved like a swift predator, taking down two men with precise shots, each one lethal.
"Move!" Nathaniel commanded, pulling Victoria toward the back door with fluid ease, as if he was used to such situations.
Just as they reached the door, Nathaniel aimed his gun at the man crawling in the diner.
"I told you, he can't save your life!"
With that, he fired, and the man fell lifeless.
Suddenly, someone burst from the side alley, gun aimed directly at Victoria!
"Watch out!"
Before Victoria could scream, Nathaniel yanked her into his arms.
The sound of a bullet hitting flesh was unmistakable.
Nathaniel grunted, blood blooming on his arm, quickly soaking his sleeve and dripping onto the floor.
Victoria's heart stopped, and she screamed in terror!
"Mr. Cross!"