Chapter55 Beg For My Protection
Suddenly, Linnea's anger rushed to her head.
She used all her strength to push Caius away. "Don't touch me! You lying jerk!"
"Linnea, are you scared?"
"What do I have to be scared of?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to be my wife?" Caius whispered. "As my new wife, are you afraid to stand up to the 'ex-wife' and her family? If so, do you deserve to be Mrs. Thorne?"
Linnea heard that clearly. She stiffened for a moment, sensing a hint of instruction in his tone.
No, that's not right.
Caius spoke with such self-righteousness, but in reality, how could he be so kind or thoughtful of her? His reason for bringing her to the birthday party must only be for the excitement, the forbidden thrill, the affair...
Linnea snapped back, "I really hope I don't see you stuffing condoms into your coat pocket later. I won't do anything wrong today. I won't give you any excuse to mess with me!"
"Since I've had you, my Kitten, I always carry these things with me. Including lube... though you never need that."
"Don't touch me!" Linnea slapped his hand away.
Seeing her cheeks puffed out with annoyance, Caius couldn't hold back a laugh. After laughing enough, he stroked Linnea's hair. "What are you afraid of, Linnea? All you have to do is beg for my protection, and I will keep you safe."
Linnea's heart trembled.
She could get the protection of the Thorne family patriarch? It was hard to believe.
"...I will never beg you."
She mumbled the words at last.
On the day of Brock Knight's birthday party.
Linnea was yanked out of bed early in the morning by Caius and pushed into the changing room, where a professional styling team designed her look. Because she was a little nervous, she hadn't slept well last night.
Tears spilled from her eyes from tiredness as she yawned and asked Caius:
"The party doesn't start until noon, right? Why are we up so early?"
"I need to deal with an urgent work matter later, so I'll be arriving late. As a courtesy, you need to go there first and stall the Knight family for me."
"Me go first?" Linnea trembled all over, nearly shaking off her false eyelashes.
"Why are you so agitated?" Caius mocked her.
Linnea quickly apologized to the makeup artist and then yelled at Caius, "I don't want to!"
"Are you worried about your mother's antique grand piano lately? If you go, I'll get it for you."
"...Fine, I agree."
In the end, Linnea made the difficult compromise.
The styling team employees around her glanced at each other, shocked. They couldn't believe Caius, who was as dark and terrifying as the Devil of Hell, would tolerate a woman yelling complaints at him and even had to coax her into doing things?
Didn't this woman fear taking one of Caius's bullets?
...
Linnea carried the gift prepared by Caius's subordinate and stepped into the manor where she had lived for many years.
She anticipated the coming ordeal but didn't expect the torment to arrive so quickly. Just as she entered the Knight family's main garden, a short, chubby boy slammed into her like a cannonball.
The boy stood with his hands on his hips, yelling furiously at her. "You slutty stripper! You slept with a married construction worker and disgraced the Knight family! No dirty person like you will ever be allowed into Uncle Brock's birthday party!"
Linnea was knocked to the floor, still clutching Caius's gift.
Even a child knew her "misdeeds." She couldn't imagine how much the entire Knight family must view her as a vulgar, low-class stripper!
"Oh! You naughty child, how can you be so rude to a guest?" One of Linnea's aunts rushed over, seemingly scolding him, but actually quickly shielding the boy. "Apologize to your cousin."
"I won't! She's a cheap prostitute!" the boy shouted in his childish voice. "Just like her mother who slept her way up, they're both disgusting!"
Linnea's blood immediately boiled. He dared to slander her mother?
Ignoring the mocking eyes around her, she glared at the child. "You are such a rude child. Don't naughty boys deserve to have their pants pulled down and be spanked?"
"You wouldn't dare! My dad is Uncle Brock's brother!"
"I wouldn't dare?"
Amidst the aunt's frantic shouts, Linnea tucked the gift under her arm, grabbed the boy's pants, and firmly spanked his backside several times. "Then I'll let you experience exactly how I discipline the brats of the Knight family!"
The boy screamed:
"Mommy save me... Sister Vivienne save me!"
When he was bullying Linnea, the people around pretended not to see. But when he was in trouble, that crowd quickly gathered. "What's going on? Where did that shrew come from... Linnea, is that you?"
By the time they pulled the boy away, the little brat's butt was already red and swollen.
Linnea made a decision in her heart.
If these people insisted on humiliating her, then they shouldn't blame her for playing along!
She met everyone's gaze, her eyes showing just the right amount of panic. "It's me, Linnea... I'm sorry, I thought that jerk was some badly behaved illegitimate child, since I was taught to be polite from a young age."
Her harmless appearance dispelled the crowd's last bit of wariness.
The boy's father—her uncle—questioned her. "Linnea, what are you doing here? I thought you were banished from the Knight family long ago."
Linnea lowered her head and mumbled, "Today is my father's birthday..."
Her uncle sneered. "Oh, so you came to celebrate Brock's birthday? Barely acceptable. But what birthday gift did you bring? What clean gift can a family disgrace like you produce?"
Linnea showed an expression of shame.
Several younger relatives started to laugh out loud:
"Maybe a pole dance? Or a striptease?"
"This is your father's birthday party, not an adult club, hahaha..."
Linnea looked like her dignity had been shattered, her face growing paler and paler.
"What's all the fuss here?" Vivienne's voice rang out.
When she arrived, the people around her seemed to find their leader. Even the uncle's expression softened. "Vivienne, you came at the perfect time. That Linnea... your sister, is back."
Vivienne was still sore about being put in her place last time.
However, seeing Linnea's disheveled state, she figured the wealthy man must have abandoned her long ago!
She asked deliberately, "What gift did you prepare? Is it jewelry from that shop last time?"
"N-no..." Linnea pulled out the antique watch from the gift box. "This is the gift I prepared for Father..."
The antique watch looked incredibly shabby. After all, this was a deliberate fake Linnea had asked Caius to switch out.
Vivienne smiled more triumphantly.
She walked halfway around Linnea and tutted, "Linnea, you've been messing around for so many years and never thought you still had a father. And now... you're here to beg him? Beg him not to sell the manor?"
"With this chipped, old watch?"
With that, she took the watch from Linnea, tossed her hand up, and threw it to the boy. "Weren't you bullied by your cousin? This is a toy your cousin is giving you as compensation."
"I don't want anything from a prostitute!"
The boy disgustedly picked it up and viciously threw it into the fountain.
The antique watch was instantly ruined.
Linnea nearly burst out laughing. These people actually dared to smash Caius's gift? They were about to face serious consequences.
Then Brock walked out.
He glared at her , about to rage, but was interrupted by a rushing bodyguard with a message:
"Caius's car is outside! Caius is coming!"