CHAPTER 37 – CALM EXTERIOR
Mackenzie followed the stairs, till she reached a hallway that looked too luxurious to be a public area of the building. It looked like some sort of VIP spot. She glanced back at the stairs, only to hear the sounds of someone loudly following her.
Her face drained.
Jeffrey had actually followed her! She thought he had been distracted with the waiters.
Panicking, she ran further into the hallway, trying to spot an escape route. But there was nothing. The doors on the opposite walls were closed, leaving her no choice but to hurry forward. After a moment of pure panic, she finally spotted a door that was slightly open, so she ran towards it like it was her life line.
She slipped through the space and hid behind the door, casting her frightened gaze across the room filled with low lighting and lots of shadows. Her eyes moved to the window, and spotted a tall, broad figure facing out of the window, with a glass of wine in his hand.
Mackenzie froze, and in her shock, took a step back. She accidentally slammed the door shut, and the sound echoed loudly through the room.
Her breath hitched in fear, watching the figure standing in the shadows for any threatening movements.
“Who knew you reporters would have the balls to sneak in here trying to create a scandal…” A dark, male voice came from the silhouette, but he remained facing the window. “You don’t understand boundaries, and I will have to sue one of you for invasion of privacy to teach the rest a ruthless lesson.”
He turned around to face her with a dangerous glare, but it immediately vanished when his eyes landed on her. He instantly placed his wine glass away and strode over to her.
“Mackenzie?”
She froze, finally recognizing the voice the moment he stepped close enough for her to see who it was.
Chase?
What? How in the world did she run into three people from her former life as an Axford in the same night? Especially this Axford, standing right in front of her in a semi-dark room, in a shirt that was not fully buttoned and flaunted his tan skin and mouth watering chest.
His jet black hair was tousled, making him look as dangerous as the darkness that surrounded them.
He was so damn sexy.
But Mackenzie was well aware of the other Axford prowling the hallway looking for her. Just thinking about Jeffrey made her entire body tremble with fright and terror.
His gaze raked over her body briefly, noting how damn erotic she looked in that tiny black dress and heels. He could not help but notice her allure, but his large hands held her arms, asking,
“What are you doing here, Mackenzie -”
“-Shh. I don’t want anyone to know I’m here. Please stop calling my name so loudly.” She whispered, pleadingly.
Chase arched an eyebrow. “What’s going on? Wait, are you drunk?”
She trembled, eyes widening when she felt the movements of somebody on the other side of the door. “Cover for me, Chase, please I beg of you. I’ll do whatever you want.”
He could smell the alcohol mixed with her feminine perfume, but most of all, he could see the genuine terror in her beautiful hazel eyes.
He stared at her with narrowed and questioning eyes, fiercely protective over her with how vulnerable she was in her frightened and drunken state.
Before he could say anything, someone violently pounded against the door. Repeatedly.
Chase protectively pulled Mackenzie away from the door and tucked her behind him. The sound of someone softly pleading joined the pounding.
“Sir, please stop making so much noise. This is a private suite and a VIP guest is inside right now. You cannot do this here sir, please!”
The pounding abruptly stopped and was instantly replaced by loud, sickening punches and groans of pain. It sounded like there was a scuffle and Jeffrey was beating the shit out of the poor waiter who was only trying to do his job.
Chase left Mackenzie and moved to pull the door open, pissed off at the mother fucker who had the audacity to pound of his door and start a fight on top of it. But when he spotted the person on the other side of the door, his anger went through the roof.
Jeffery.
Now he understood why Mackenzie was so terrified.
“What the fuck do you want?” His voice darkened, along with his expression.
Jeffrey looked away from the waiter groaning in pain at his feet, and gave Chase a nonchalant stare. “Oh, it’s you. Did anyone fucking walk in here?”
Chase hardened his jaw and stepped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him. He stood in front of Jeffrey, staring him down like he was nothing but a piece of fucking shit.
“Do you know you’re rubbing the Axford name in the fucking mud storming around the building, drunk and being like this?” He asked in disdain. “How many fucking waiters have you beaten up tonight? Is this really how you plan on leading the part of Axford Conglomerate under your control?”
Jeffrey aggressively stepped closer to Chase, but he didn’t even blink. His cold, dark stare never wavered from Jeffrey as he spat, “Mind your damn business, Chase. I am the older brother. I will fucking put you in your place of you try to mouth off!”
Empty threats. Jeffrey could beat up a couple of waiters who wouldn’t dare lift a finger against a customer, but he knew Chase didn’t have such reservations.
He would be bloodied on the ground with a broken nose and missing teeth in record time. But of course, logic and reason was not Jeffrey’s strongest suit, plus, he had lots of liquid courage, so he was extra aggressive.
Chase stared at him, severely pissed off under his calm exterior. Jeffrey deserved a fucking dislocated jaw for making Mackenzie so terrified that she was trembling and willing to run into a random room to hide.
What if she had gotten into a stranger’s room, and the stranger turned out to be even worse than Jeffrey, trying to take advantage of her?
Chase didn’t even want to think about it or he would not be able to stop himself from punching his fucking stepbrother. Besides, Jeffrey already made a goddamn mess. He wasn’t about to add to it.
“Leave, Jeffrey. I don’t have anything to fucking say to you.” Chase said.
Jeffrey scoffed. “Do you think you’re so fucking powerful, you piece of shit? Do you think you can order me around?! Besides I didn’t fucking come up here for you. I saw a lady that looked very familiar, and she came here! I want to talk to her!”
“Fucking leave, Jeffrey. I won’t say it again.”
Jeffrey clenched his fists, face reddened by rage. He glared at Chase for a long moment before he turned around and delivered one last heavy kick against the waiter’s stomach. The poor man groaned in pain, and Jeffrey turned around, storming back the way he came.
Chase moved back into the room to grab his checkbook from the table. Mackenzie took a wobbly and tentative step forward, peering towards the half-open door.
“Is he gone?” She asked. Then she hiccupped.
Chase looked up at her, letting out a breath when he saw that she was definitely soaking drunk. Only adrenaline had been able to keep her together so far because she was in danger of being discovered by Jeffrey.
Now that she was out of danger, the alcohol was definitely kicking in, affecting her speech and her balance. Her eyes definitely looked glassy. And judging by her sporadic hiccups, she must have been drinking very strong liquor for a while.
“Yes, Mackenzie. He’s gone. Stay here.” He responded and tore off a leaf from the checkbook, then headed back outside the room.
The waiter was struggling to get up from the floor, but he was in so much pain. Chase sucked in a deep breath and moved to crouch down near the guy, who flinched, thinking that it was Jeffrey.This is the property of Nô-velDrama.Org.
“He’s gone.” Chase said, extending a hand to the waiter. The waiter took it, and Chase pulled him up from the ground.
“I’m sorry you had to experience that. Here’s a check.” Chase slid it into the waiter’s pocket. “Go get yourself treated, and stop by Axford Hospital if there are any serious injuries. We’ll take care of it.”
The waiter nodded feebly, bowing through the pain. “Thank you so much, sir.”
Chase gave him a nod, and he turned away, limping in the opposite direction. After a few seconds, he walked back into the room and shut the door behind him. But he paused, entire body going rigid when his eyes landed on Mackenzie a few feet away from him.
She was stripping off her clothes, and her beautiful curvy and delicate body was half naked.