Chapter 178

Chapter 178
Elena's POV

After Felix and the women left, the door closed, leaving only Richard and me in the blood-spattered private room. The chaos of the past few minutes had left the place in shambles—broken glass, overturned furniture, and Marcus's blood soaking into the carpet.

Every inch of my body ached with pain. The spot where Marcus had yanked my hair throbbed incessantly. Waves of pain kept coming, but I remained standing, silently waiting for the agony to subside enough for me to leave with some dignity.

Richard wiped the blood from his hands with a cloth napkin, his breathing finally steady. When he spoke, his voice had lost that inhuman growl, replaced instead by a cold tone.

"What are you still doing here?"

A wave of disappointment washed over me. Of course. Now that he had calmed down, he was back to his cold, distant self. Not a hint of concern for my wellbeing.

"I'm leaving," I said softly, lowering my eyes. "Just give me a minute."

I didn't want him to see how weak I felt. How desperately I needed to sit down before my legs gave out. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me vulnerable.

Just as I was about to step forward, Richard approached and bent slightly, turning his back to me. His expression showed a hint of annoyance.

I froze, completely bewildered. For a good four or five seconds, I just stared at his broad back, unable to process what was happening.

"W-what are you doing?" I finally stammered.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Richard snapped, glancing over his shoulder with irritation. "Don't tell me you're expecting me to carry you in my arms? Don't push your luck, Elena."

My face burned with embarrassment. "No! That's not what I meant, I just—"

"Then hurry up and get on," he cut me off. "I don't have all night to waste on you."

He sighed. "If it weren't for the kids, I wouldn't even bother with you."

Despite his harsh words, the contradiction between his actions and his speech wasn't lost on me. This was Richard's way of showing concern—wrapped in layers of denial and irritation.

I carefully climbed onto his back, wincing as my injured body protested every movement. His warmth immediately enveloped me, and his unique scent filled my senses.

Richard carried me out of the private room and through a back exit that led to a narrow alley. Moonlight spilled over us, casting long shadows on the pavement. The night air was cool against my skin, gradually soothing the tension in my body.

As we walked in silence, I found myself relaxing against him, the rigid fear from earlier slowly dissolving. "How did you come to be here?" I asked softly.

"Why shouldn't I be here?" he countered, his voice vibrating through his back into my chest. "You can come, but I can't?"

"That's not what I meant," I said honestly. "It's just such a coincidence. And Moonlit Pub doesn't seem like a place you would personally visit."

I remembered how he'd burst through that door like an avenging angel, just when I needed him most. My throat tightened with emotion, gratitude welling up inside me.

Richard must have sensed the change in my scent or heartbeat, because he glanced at our shadows stretching across the moonlit pavement, then briefly at me. He caught me watching him and quickly looked away.

He offered no answer, but I felt his back muscles tense beneath my hands.

By the time we reached his car parked on the street, exhaustion had completely overtaken me. The ordeal with Marcus, the emotional turmoil, and the lingering pain had drained whatever energy I had left. My eyelids felt impossibly heavy.

"Take me home," I mumbled as he carefully placed me in the backseat.

The leather seats were cool against my skin, and the gentle hum of the engine as Richard started the car was oddly comforting.

Within seconds, I drifted into sleep.

---

Emma's POV

I paced back and forth in the villa, my anger growing with each passing minute. Earlier this evening, I had gone to Highland Estate, only to hear Ethan's official line that Richard had urgent business to attend to.

"Ms. Wells, you should wait for him at the estate," Ethan had suggested politely, but I could detect something strange in his tone.

Something was wrong. Very wrong. So I chose to return to my own home rather than wait there. I had checked my phone at least twenty times when finally a message notification appeared.

When I opened it, my blood nearly froze.

The photo showed Richard carrying Elena on his back through a moonlit alley. The intimacy between them was unmistakable. The perfect angle captured that tender moment between them.

My fingers nearly crushed the phone screen. This can't be happening.

"No one has ever been able to resist my hypnosis," I whispered to myself, grabbing my purse.

Anger and possessiveness washed over me like a tsunami. I rushed to the door, not caring that it was already late at night.

"Emma, where are you going at this hour?" my mother called from the living room.

"Don't worry about it," I snapped, slamming the door behind me.

---

Richard's POV

It was nearly midnight when I drove into Highland Estate's private driveway. Tonight's events lingered in my mind—Marcus's blood, Elena's fear, my own nearly uncontrollable anger. I could still feel my wolf nature restless inside me, longing to completely tear apart the man who had touched Elena.

I glanced in the rearview mirror. Elena was curled up asleep in the backseat, her breathing slow and steady. Seeing her so vulnerable stirred complex feelings within me. Damn it, why couldn't I have just let her leave all those years ago?

I shook my head slightly, trying to banish these thoughts.

I carried Elena out of the car, her body resting against my chest. The vulnerability on her face made my heart ache; she was always so stubborn and headstrong.

As I carried her into the house, footsteps came down from upstairs.

"Dad!" Kathy and Lily came down the stairs in their pajamas.

"Why aren't you two asleep yet?"

"We heard the car pull in," Kathy answered, her eyes fixed on Elena. "What happened to Mom?"

Lily stepped closer, her little face full of concern.

"It's alright," I tried to reassure them. "Your mother is just very tired. She needs to rest."

"Both of you, go back to your rooms. It's already late, we'll talk tomorrow."

The two girls looked at each other, clearly reluctant to leave, but obediently turned and went back upstairs. I followed behind them with Elena in my arms, settling her in a bedroom on the third floor.

Just as I finished settling Elena, the sound of a car engine immediately put me on alert.

I went downstairs to see an angry Emma.

"Emma?" I called out in surprise. "Why are you here?"

"Where did you go? Why are you back so late?" Emma demanded, the controlling tone in her voice immediately irritating me. "It's almost midnight."

"Had some business at the company," I replied dismissively, heading toward the dining area.

But Emma had clearly lost her usual composure tonight. She jumped up from the sofa and blocked my path. Her face was contorted with anger, losing its usual elegance.

"You were with her, weren't you?" she raised her voice, almost accusatory.

I looked at her expressionlessly. "What are you talking about?"

I knew playing dumb might not work, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with her jealous outburst. Tonight had been long enough.

"Stop pretending, Richard!" Emma's voice trembled with anger. "I know you haven't been affected by my hypnosis at all! I know—"

I walked right past her to the water dispenser and poured myself a glass of water.