Chapter 249: James Gets Beaten
The moment her toes touched the ground, she was pulled tightly into the man's arms again.
A pleasant woody scent filled her nose.
It was him.
James.
Mia didn't know why she remembered James's scent after smelling it just once.
But now wasn't the time to think about that.
Late at night, a man and woman alone together.
She hadn't bothered to learn about the Smith Family before, but tonight's birthday party made it clear what kind of status the Smith Family held in Imperial City.
What he pulled at the party was already outrageous enough to get people talking behind their backs.
If someone caught them hugging on a deserted road after the party...
"Let go of me!"
Mia's voice turned cold, genuinely angry now.
James couldn't bear to let go.
The person he thought he'd never get to hold again had suddenly reappeared. He wanted to merge her into his very bones and never let go.
But knowing Mia's moods well, he could tell she was truly angry.
However reluctant, his arms slowly loosened their tight grip around her.
Mia didn't have that kind of patience.
The instant she felt his grip weaken, she immediately raised her hands and pushed him away hard.
She looked up at him coldly and warned him.
"Stay away from me."
With that, she turned to get in the car.
Her wrist tightened—James had grabbed it again.
Stopping her from getting in the car, pulling her back toward him.
Mia's face went completely cold.
She'd already given him enough face.
He was pushing his luck!
Unable to take it anymore, Mia raised her hand and slapped him across the face.
Angry flames danced in her eyes.
Her voice was ice cold. "Mr. Smith, out of respect for you being Uri's brother, I can overlook how you mistook me for someone else and offended me publicly at the party."
"But that doesn't mean you can keep offending me over and over!"
"Please have some self-respect and remember your place. The person you're offending right now is your—"
"Mia!"
James's heart was torn bloody by her cold words.
Unable to bear hearing what would come next from her mouth, he cut her off.
His hands trembling, eyes full of sorrow as he looked at Mia standing before him with cold eyes and harsh words, his eyes growing redder and redder.
His voice was soft, made even more sorrowful by the night, striking straight to the depths of one's soul.
"Do you have to get revenge on me this way?"
Did she know what he cared about most?
This way of doing things made him wish he were dead!
"Mia, I was wrong four years ago. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have forced what I thought was good onto you, doing things that hurt you and the child."
Every time he thought of that scene from four years ago, the pain felt like needles piercing his heart.
Looking at Mia, his eyes grew redder and redder, tears filling them.
Large tears fell, pain at its extreme, crying silently.
They say men don't cry easily.
Watching James cry sorrowfully before her, Mia felt even more confused.
From the moment he called out her name and said all those heartfelt things out of nowhere.
She'd been puzzled.
Could he actually know her?
Did they really have a past together?
Or was James putting on an act, knowing she couldn't remember the past?
Uri had said James had always liked competing with him since childhood.
That he was deeply calculating and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.
Years ago, to seize power, he'd caused a car accident on the road where Uri was going to confess to her.
Uri lay in a hospital bed for four years. Later, when he recovered, he found her.
Only then did they rekindle their relationship and have Fox.
Uri would never lie to her.
But—
Having followed Blair and seen all kinds of people, she had some ability to read others.
She couldn't detect even a hint of fakery on James's face.
His act was too real!
So real that she grew more and more confused.
James missed Mia so much.
With her standing right in front of him, he couldn't help but want to get closer.
Because James affected her, Mia lost focus for a moment.
When he approached, she only instinctively stepped back.
Until her back hit the car door with nowhere left to go.
Only then did Mia snap back to awareness, her brow furrowing slightly. Before she could react—
James grabbed her wrist again.
A crisp slap rang out in the quiet night.
Her hand struck hard across James's face.
In the moonlight, five finger marks clearly appeared on his face.
He'd hit himself too hard!
This sudden slap stunned Mia.
She froze completely, forgetting to pull her hand back for a moment, just staring blankly at James.
Had he gone crazy?
But James didn't stop.
Another sound.
Even louder than the first.
Five finger marks appeared on James's other cheek too.
The slap she'd given him earlier was just a warning, not using much force.
She'd shown some mercy.
But when James slapped himself, it was like hitting someone guilty of terrible crimes.
Hard and heavy.
Mia finally came to her senses and tried to pull her hand back.
This man had really lost it.
But James gripped her hand tightly, not letting go.
About to hit his face again.
As if he couldn't feel pain.
The first two slaps caught Mia off guard.
Now she didn't want to hit him anymore.
She clenched her hand into a fist and pulled back. "Are you sick? Let go."
If he wanted to hurt himself, that was his business. Don't drag her into it.
"Mia, I know you hate me and don't want to forgive me. You can hit me, yell at me, whatever you want."
James wouldn't let go, just held her hand against his heart, begging humbly.
"But can you please not pretend you don't know me? Not deliberately be with Uri?"
"I know I have no right to have our son call me dad, but please, don't let my son call Uri dad, okay?"
Four years ago, he was the one who said he didn't want them. Four years later, he really had no right to have Fox acknowledge him or call him dad.
But don't be this cruel.
Making his son call another man dad, and that person being Uri of all people.
That was his son!
Mia couldn't listen anymore and couldn't help cursing out loud. "Are you sick?"
Back when she'd forgotten everything, Uri not only told her all about their past in detail but also showed her the paternity test report.
Fox was indeed Uri's son.
He was her and Uri's son!
"What do you mean your son? Fox is Uri's son!"
Mia angrily pushed James.
Couldn't push him away.
Got even more annoyed.
Just then, a bright light came from around the corner.
A car with the gas pedal floored came speeding toward them.
As it got close, it slammed on the brakes.
Before the car fully stopped, Uri was already getting out. From inside the car, he'd seen James harassing Mia from afar.
When enemies meet, hatred flares.
He rushed over in a few large steps, reached out and grabbed James's shoulder, fingers like claws digging in hard.
Yanked him back and swung a heavy punch.