Mistaken Match: Marrying the Enigmatic CEO by Ruby Fennimore

“Kill him! Kill him!” Fro’s orders ripped through the air, spurring the thugs into action. He might be powerful, but he was only one person, so why should they be afraid of him? A dozen men charged toward Emmanuel in the following second, clutching various weapons in their hands. Sheldon froze at the unfolding scene, becoming aware of a strange tingling sensation at the top of his head. Milani took advantage of the chaos to flee in her car. This is none of my business! The car suddenly screeched to a halt some distance away, and she bolted out of the car, shocked by what she saw in the rearview mirror. Emmanuel was fighting more than ten guys and seemed to be winning! “Are you kidding me?” A shudder crept down her spine as one burly man after another collapsed on the ground. Sheldon staggered to his feet after sitting on the ground, his legs still like jelly. Then, he knelt toward Emmanuel in reverence. This man is too d*mn incredible and ruthless! Emmanuel’s savagery made fear crawl icily up their spines. Emmanuel spat out a mouthful of blood and grabbed Fro by the collar, coldly asking, “Will you tell me where Mr. Webber is now?” He, too, was wounded and bleeding after taking down approximately ten guys, radiating a malevolent air that filled everyone with dread. “I-I’ll tell you!” It was obvious he had taken lives. Otherwise, he wouldn’t exude such a violent aura. Fro swallowed audibly. “I’m not sure about Mr. Webber’s itinerary, and I couldn’t contact him. He recently has the hots for the head girl at The Paradise and will often frequent the establishment for pleasure.” The Paradise? As a citizen of Yeringham, of course, Emmanuel had heard of its palatial area and hidden nooks and crannies. It wouldn’t be easy to locate someone inside, but he would do it to complete the task given by Mackenzie. Emmanuel flung Fro away and turned to leave. Shocked to his core, Sheldon closed his gaping mouth with effort and gave chase. “Emmanuel… I mean, Mr. Lowe, are you really going to look for Mr. Webber?” Milani’s gaze shifted to Emmanuel after Sheldon posed the question, her heart hammering. “Yes, and I need to get rid of all these people for Cloud Construction to complete the project on time.” Sheldon, and especially Milani, was taken aback by his reply. Is he out of his mind? He’s even more insane than I am for money! Emmanuel paid them no heed, immediately returning to Yociam Residence to clean his wounds and rest for a few days. Mackenzie was still in a meeting in Terence Group after working hours, discussing the company’s strategic warehouse project and how if it weren’t utilized by the beginning of next month, Terence Group would lose out on a large number of business deals and nearly one billion in profit. The shareholders were feeling the pressure, and in turn, Mackenzie felt her stress mounting. At that moment, she thought of Emmanuel. A day has passed, and he hasn’t updated me. How unreliable! “Lexi, check on the progress of Cloud Construction’s project and update me immediately!” “Yes, Ms. Quillen!” she quickly replied. Lexi Summerton was Mackenzie’s secretary, and her biggest responsibility was to keep Mackenzie updated on any and all progress. A few minutes later, she approached Mackenzie and gave a detailed report. “Ms. Quillen, the Cloud Construction project is still on hold and will not be completed by the end of the month. Representatives from Terence Group went to the site today and got into a brawl with the thugs there.” “What?” Lexi was startled by Mackenzie’s vehement response. Beatrix, who was seated beside Mackenzie, was shocked at her animated expression. Mackenzie had always been an ice queen for as long as she could remember. “What happened to our representatives?” Mackenzie asked nervously. Is Emmanuel dumb, or what? Those thugs have nothing to do with Terence Group. Even if a fight broke out, Cloud Construction should be the one to break it up. Why did he intervene? “Ms. Quillen, it seems like he left after the fight. I’m not sure of the situation.” Lexi was still unaware that Emmanuel was Mackenzie’s husband. She was bewildered by Mackenzie’s unusual manner and her display of concern for him. “Dismissed!” Mackenzie rose to her feet and left the conference room. The senior management of Terence Group exchanged puzzled looks at the sudden shift in her attitude. “Lexi, who sent out representatives from Terence Group?” Beatrix inquired, still aghast. “It’s Emmanuel, Ms. Beatrix. He had direct orders from Ms. Quillen.” “Oh, I see.” Realization dawned on Beatrix, and she bit her lip to stifle a smile. Only she noticed that the switch in Mackenzie seemed to be precipitated by that man. Mackenzie returned to Yociam Residence to bloody bandages strewn across the floor as soon as she opened the front door while Emmanuel was dressing his wounds. Her brows drew together, and she said coldly, “Do you have a death wish? To go up against them alone?” Emmanuel raised his head and met her gaze, continuing his ministrations wordlessly. “What a jerk…” Mackenzie bristled with anger. She had never been ignored, no matter what the circumstances or people. He really has a death wish. She took in the injuries covering his entire body and the gashes still oozing blood from his back and approached him to tend to his wounds. Whatever he did, he did it either for money or to bring her home. Emmanuel stilled when he felt her touch on his back. Color me surprised! Am I mistaken? Is this proud woman tending to my wounds? He reflexively pulled away from her, worried that his sweat and blood would dirty the hands of this germaphobe of a woman. “Don’t move!” Mackenzie barked, and it was as if her voice held a sorcery that rendered Emmanuel immobile. Then, she applied the remaining antiseptic on his back mercilessly, like she was kneading dough. Emmanuel yelled and jumped in pain, snarling, “Are you trying to kill me?” Mackenzie wore an impassive expression. “Oh, you’re afraid of pain? I thought you were invincible when you decided to fight with the thugs!” His anger rose at her words, and although he wanted to yell, I did all that so you could accomplish your goal, the words were stuck in his throat. She could tell what he was thinking by the unconcealed expression on his face, even if he didn’t say a word. “Sit back down!” Mackenzie ordered sternly. Emmanuel frowned. It serves me right that I can’t reach the wounds on my back. I have no choice but to sit back down. To his surprise, her touch gentled, and everyone in Terence Group, especially Beatrix, would have a mental breakdown if they witnessed this scene, wondering why a distinguished female CEO would minister to a man. “If Cloud Construction’s engineering team can’t get on site to start work tomorrow, the project will almost certainly not be completed by the end of the month. Can you get rid of those people?” Mackenzie asked after a moment passed. In reality, there was nothing she could do to drive away those thugs without hurting anyone. Emmanuel looked her square in the eye and gritted his teeth. “I’ll give you an answer by tonight.” A tremor ran through Mackenzie’s body as her beautiful eyes took in the bloodied man in front of her, and she was suddenly acutely aware of a wave of attraction that rode over her senses.