Chapter 165: James's Head is Covered in Blood
In the private room, Mia was being forced to drink by two men.
Mia's brows were tightly furrowed, her red lips pressed together firmly. She wanted to refuse but couldn't fight off the two men restraining her.
Seeing this, James felt a surge of concern.
His large hand, like an iron clamp, grabbed the hand of one of the men who was holding a glass and forcing it toward Mia's mouth.
Before the man could react, James threw a hard punch at his face.
The man screamed in pain, stumbled back two steps, and fell straight to the ground. His mouth filled with the taste of blood, and his teeth had loosened.
That punch was brutal.
The sudden punch left everyone in the room stunned.
They all stared in shock at James, who appeared like Satan himself, radiating a violent aura. Everyone was completely dumbfounded.
Including Mia.
She stared blankly at the man who had appeared out of nowhere, her heart starting to race.
How did he get here?
After a brief moment of shock, the other man who had been holding Mia was the first to react.
"Fuck—"
Before the man could finish cursing, James kicked him in the stomach, sending him stumbling back several steps and falling to the ground as well.
He clutched his stomach in pain, screaming.
After dealing with the two men who had been harassing Mia, James only had eyes for her.
He looked at her with concern, his eyes filled with touching tenderness. "Mia, are you okay?"
Surrounded by his familiar presence, Mia was still in shock from his sudden appearance. She instinctively voiced the question in her mind, "James, what are you doing here?"
Hearing this, James misunderstood what Mia meant.
His eyes darkened, and he said carefully, "Would you believe me if I said I just happened to be here for a business dinner tonight?"
He had always remembered what she had said to him.
He was afraid she would think he was deliberately following her, which would make her uncomfortable.
Mia felt a pang in her chest. Before she could explain that wasn't what she meant—
A bottle smashed hard against his head.
It was the man James had beaten up, who had gotten up and grabbed a bottle to retaliate.
The bottle shattered on impact...
"James!"
Mia cried out in alarm. James's first reaction after being injured was to press Mia into his arms so she couldn't see.
She didn't like seeing blood.
Back at Luxe Hideaway, he hadn't dealt with Ernest directly in front of her because he didn't want Mia to see something that would frighten her.
Blood seeped through his hair, flowing steadily.
Down his cheek, drop by drop.
His expression unchanged, he spoke gently to comfort her, "Don't be scared, I'm fine."
His large hand gently rubbed her head. Held in his arms, Mia's breathing became unsteady from the smell of blood.
"James." She was worried and wanted to look up, but his large hand held the back of her head firmly in place.
However, his eyes looking at the two men were ice cold.
The two men, who had been acting on impulse and trying to take advantage of Mia while Benjamin wasn't there, suddenly felt their legs go weak, sobering up considerably.
Mia immediately sensed James's emotional shift.
She used some force to lift her head from his embrace.
The sight of James covered in blood met her eyes, and tears immediately welled up.
Seeing him about to make a move, she grabbed his wrist. "James, don't."
He was already hurt this badly, why would he try to fight!
"They dared to touch you!"
Anyone who dared to touch her was asking for death!
She held his wrist tightly, looking at his head still bleeding. Mia's lips trembled. Angry at his lack of cooperation, she raised her voice, "James, go to the hospital."
Didn't he know he was hurt?
Right now, nothing was more important than his injury.
James read this in her eyes.
Was Mia concerned about him?
"Okay."
Usually so domineering, in the past when they were together, he was always the one making decisions, and she always listened to him.
This was the first time he was following Mia's lead.
"Press on the wound."
Mia quickly grabbed a clean towel from the table and handed it to James.
She gave an instruction, he followed with an action, obediently reaching back to press the towel against the wound on the back of his head, very cooperative.
With red-rimmed eyes, Mia took his hand and headed out.
The two men wanted to stop them, but before they could speak, they were frightened by James's cold stare.
They swallowed hard and silently stepped back.
Mia's mind was full of concern for James. She pulled him quickly toward the exit and ran right into Benjamin and Jasper.
He stood at the doorway, his gaze sweeping over the people in the room before settling on Mia and James in front of him.
He already had a good idea of what had happened before he arrived.
A slight smile still hung at the corner of his mouth, but it held no warmth.
"Mr. White..."
Seeing Benjamin's obviously changed expression, Mia thought he was angry that she had ruined an important company partnership.
Just as she was about to apologize, he cut her off calmly, "I'll handle this."
"Jasper, take them to the hospital."
Jasper, who had worked with Benjamin for a long time, sensed that Benjamin was currently in a state of rage.
"No need."
James refused coldly, his glance at Benjamin clearly carrying coldness.
Benjamin said nothing more and walked straight inside.
Jasper nodded at James and followed him in.
Worried about James, Mia didn't linger and pulled him away.
They took the elevator straight down to the basement parking level.
Coming out of the elevator, Mia scanned the garage but didn't see his usual car. She turned to James, "Where's your car parked?"
James was about to give the location when something occurred to him. The words on his lips changed, "I didn't drive today."
Mia didn't miss the change in his expression.
Not understanding why he suddenly lied, she looked at the white towel now almost completely stained red with blood, her tone stern, "James!"
Under Mia's stare, James had no choice but to take the car keys from his pants pocket.
Mia reached out to take them and pressed the button.
Not far away, a black Maybach responded.
Looking at the Maybach, Mia instantly understood why James had just said he didn't drive.
This Maybach was the same car that had been parked outside the company for almost a month.
So it was him.
"Mia, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to see if you were doing okay. I never meant to disturb you."
James was afraid Mia would be uncomfortable and reject him, so he immediately explained.
In the past, he would never have been so cautious over something so small.
When you care deeply about someone, you become more careful.
She had left him so decisively, so firmly.
Her determination to completely cut ties with him was so obvious that he didn't dare be presumptuous or domineering like before.
He was really worried that he might do something wrong that would make her unhappy.
Afraid that she wouldn't even give him a kind look during chance encounters like this.
Mia felt a bittersweet ache in her heart. The harsh words she had said that day at Luxe Haven had left too deep a shadow on him, making him so cautious.
Actually, that wasn't what she meant.
"Mr. Smith, I'll take you to the hospital right away."
Robert, who had rushed over, saw James was injured and nervously took the car keys from Mia, bringing the car over.
He got out and opened the back door.
James didn't get in. He held Mia's hand.