Shattered Longings

Chapter 28 I Bet You’ll Die

It was Leonard.

The troublemakers all stood up and began to close in on him. Seeing the situation take a turn for the worse, Bella rushed forward to stand in front of Leonard to block the group.

“Don’t do anything stupid!” she shouted. “I’ll pay you the money, but if you start a fight and someone gets hurt, you won’t be able to get away with it!”

Leonard didn’t even seem to care about the group of men. He was amused as he looked at Bella, who was clearly terrified but still trying to protect him.

“What are you doing?” he asked. “If I hadn’t called you because you were out so late, who knows if you’d still be alive tonight? Step aside, I’ll handle this.”

Bella thought Leonard had lost his mind. “There are so many of them! What are you planning to do? Don’t you know what they say about places like this? You can’t take them on!”

Leonard’s playful eyes narrowed slightly, giving her a half–smile. “Are you sure about that?”

Before Bella could understand what he meant, he suddenly pulled her behind him and, out of nowhere, took out two guns.

At that moment, the playful expression vanished from Leonard’s face, replaced by a look as fierce as a predator’s. He eyed the group of men like they were prey.

her mouth to stifle a scream. Who on

initially stunned, then quickly

dark barrels of the guns, stuttered as he tried to maintain his tough–guy act. “Y- You wouldn’t dare! That’s just a toy gun, right? Don’t try to fool me! I’ve been around here

I

bet? You think it’s a

too intimidating because, after weighing their options, the group. reluctantly spat a few threats before

legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor, pale

I was just trying to scare them. How

palms were sweaty, and she couldn’t bring herself to look directly at him. She had previously thought of him as just some rich playboy from the area, but

Leonard nervously scratched his head. “I’m not lying. Do you want

keep it to yourself.

had frightened her. It was also the way he had looked and acted; he seemed Tike

herself in her room. But she hadn’t eaten anything since the morning, and her stomach was growling, making

251 Set

kitchen to cook something. She tried to be as quiet as possible, but she still ended up

the kitchen doorway and asked lazily. “Didn’t you