She had just pressed the three digits, 9-1-1, but before she could hit dial, a large, rough hand clamped down on her wrist.

Sophie Shaw jumped, startled. The hand’s owner yanked her violently to the side. The next second, her phone was snatched away, and the man’s arm was wrapped around her neck.

"Boss, this woman was trying to call for backup."

Sophie’s body went rigid, and her eyes instinctively darted toward Alaric Blackwood.

He was already surrounded by four men; his situation was no better than hers.

"Are you men or not? If you are, then don’t touch a woman. If you’ve got guts, fight me. Let’s take this outside." Alaric Blackwood’s brows were tightly knitted, the earlier relaxed expression gone from his face.

"Fine, we’ll settle this outside," said the crew-cut man they called "Boss," spitting a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the ground. He’d just taken a punch.

He gave a signal, and his men immediately surrounded Alaric Blackwood, heading out of the barbecue restaurant together.

Evan Ford left a business card with the restaurant owner. "Contact me. We’ll cover all the damages, double the cost."

With that, Evan grabbed Jaden’s arm and dragged the drunkard out after them.

Sophie was also dragged outside the restaurant. The man holding her hostage still had his arm looped around her neck. She struggled, only to have the man behind her tighten his hold viciously, nearly making her pass out from lack of air.

"Let her go first."

Alaric Blackwood pointed a finger at the man holding her. "Right now."

The man didn’t move, still holding Sophie hostage, but the pressure on her neck eased slightly, allowing her to take a few breaths.

After that forceful choke, the rims of her eyes had already turned red, a watery mist filling them.

Alaric Blackwood stared at her eyes, which were as red as a rabbit’s. His brow was furrowed so tightly you could crush a fly in it. "I told you to let her go. Are you deaf?"

The man was arrogant. "If you have what it takes to knock out my bros, then we can talk about this broad."

"Broad?"

Alaric Blackwood laughed in anger.

He knew what that word meant, but this was the first time he’d heard someone in real life, outside of a movie, say it to his face—and about his legally wedded wife, no less.

The man’s behavior was so vile, so utterly infuriating, that Alaric wanted to march right over and kick him to Mars.

He forced himself to look patiently at Sophie, his voice softening as he comforted her, "Don’t be scared, baby. Just give me a few minutes."

After speaking, he scanned the four men surrounding him, then lifted his chin, gesturing toward the alley next to the restaurant.

He had already scouted it out. The lighting inside was dim, and there were no security cameras.

’The perfect place for a beatdown.’

"You dare follow me in?"

Before the four crew-cut men could react, panic was already rising in Sophie’s heart.

’She thought Alaric Blackwood had lost his mind.’

’How could he possibly take on four men by himself? If he got seriously hurt, there’d be no security footage as evidence. They’d have no one to turn to for justice.’

"Alaric Blackwood, don’t try to be a hero!"

The man was already striding into the alley. Hearing her voice, he paused and turned back.

Seeing the worry that filled her eyes, the corner of his lip curled up into a feral grin. "I’ll be quick. You just wait for me, okay?"

"Don’t do anything reckless!"

Their wedding was in just a few days; she didn’t want to see Alaric Blackwood show up covered in bruises.

However, she was being held hostage and could do nothing.

Evan Ford had dragged the drunken Jaden out and was standing by the roadside, keeping the drunk in check, but showed no intention of following to help.

’Sophie felt like it was all over.’

She could only watch as Alaric Blackwood walked into the deep alley, his figure gradually blurring into the darkness. The four crew-cut men followed him in. She closed her eyes in despair, her heart clenching as she listened to the sounds of fists and feet landing.

A wail of pain echoed from the alley.

Sophie’s eyes flew open. Unsure if it was Alaric’s voice, she turned anxiously to Evan and Jaden. "Aren’t you going to help?"

Evan draped Jaden’s arm over his own shoulder, his expression unchanged and perfectly relaxed. "There’s no need."

’Listen to him. Is that something a human being would say?’

"Aren’t you his friends?"

"We are."

"Then why..."

"AAAHH—" A bloodcurdling scream cut Sophie off.

The scream sent a jolt through Sophie, and her body trembled involuntarily.

The man holding her recognized the howl as his boss’s, and the arm around her neck tightened.

She felt herself suffocating, unable to breathe.

"Let me go! This is a fight between you men, what are you doing dragging a woman into it? If you’ve got guts, go fight in the alley!"

She grabbed the man’s arm, her nails digging into his flesh.

Hurt by her scratching, the man cursed and viciously grabbed her hair with his other hand. "You bitch, you looking to die?"

Cursing, the man raised his arm to slap her across the face.

She slipped off one of her high heels, ready to strike back with it, when a tall figure shot out of the alley in her peripheral vision. A flying kick sent the man who was about to hit her tumbling to the ground.

Alaric Blackwood had put his full force into that kick. The man hit the ground and rolled over twice.

The man had been holding Sophie’s hair, so when he was kicked away, she almost fell with him. Luckily, he let go in a spasm of pain.

Alaric moved swiftly, catching her by her slender waist and pulling her securely into his arms.

Looking at her slightly disheveled hair, he reached out to smooth it. "Are you hurt?"

"No. What about you?"

Still shaken, Sophie sized him up, looking him over from head to toe several times. She found only one injury on him: a small cut on the corner of his lip from where Jaden had punched him.

’He actually took down all five of them by himself?’

She looked in disbelief at the man on the ground, who had rolled over twice and still hadn’t gotten up, then her gaze slowly shifted to Evan Ford.

The man’s face was calm. "I told you he didn’t need any help."

"..."

The only moment Evan Ford had considered stepping in was when the man had grabbed Sophie’s hair. But before he could make a move, Alaric Blackwood had already shot out of the alley.

As for saving the damsel in distress, he naturally had to let his bro have the honor.

"Fight’s over? Then let’s continue!"

Jaden, his face flushed red, could barely stand and was leaning entirely on Evan Ford for support.

He tried to break free from Evan and stumble toward Alaric Blackwood, but Evan held him back forcefully.

"Haven’t you made enough of a scene?"

Jaden was exasperated. "Am *I* the one making a scene?"

"Aren’t you?"

Alaric Blackwood had originally intended to leave with Sophie, but Jaden, emboldened by alcohol, had chased after them, grabbed Alaric by the collar, and said something that left Alaric with no choice but to punch him.

He was engaged to Nina Halloway, but he’d been hitting on a young intern at his law firm—a blatant act of cheating.

Alaric Blackwood had put up with him for long enough.

"What, you still want to fight me?" Alaric’s eyes were full of disdain.

Not to be outdone, Jaden retorted, "You threw the first punch."

"If you want a fight, I’ll be happy to oblige."

Alaric Blackwood steadied Sophie, then crouched in front of her. He took the high heel from her hand, lifted her bare foot with his large hand, and personally put the shoe back on for her.

Standing on one leg, she was a bit unsteady and instinctively placed her hands on his shoulders for balance.

"Don’t fight."

She applied a little pressure with her hands, pressing lightly on the man’s shoulders. "The wedding is almost here. Do you want to show up covered in bruises?"