Break the door

Break the door
Tom parked his car inside the Emerald Residence. He and Taylor waited for Sam to get off and rush to fetch her paintings, but instead, Sam looked at them with hesitation in her eyes.

"Can anyone of you accompany me to fetch my paintings?" She asked softly, and Taylor glanced at her husband before giving a quick nod.

"It is best if Tom walks you over, in case someone might have broken inside your house." Taylor joked, and Tom chuckled as he unbuckled his seat belt and got off the car.

"I so hope it is only a joke, not my reality."

Sam's heart raced as she and Tom walked metres to her apartment. Luckily, she had chosen to live downstairs, so it was not that far.

The ground apartment mainly gave her an advantage to run away if disaster occurred, the first one being chased by her crazy controlling fiancé.

"I wish I was familiar with how nice this place is. My wife and I would have bought an apartment here."

Tom said as they continued walking.

"I hate to be a mood spoiler, Tom, but this place is just beautiful but not peaceful at all.

Don't even think of coming here."

Sam warned, and Tom paused in his tracks to look at her.

She was too beautiful to ignore, his heart beating faster when they kept exchanging glances multiple times.

"No need to pry, but you look familiar. Have we met before?" Tom said as they stopped outside her door.

"No way, this is my first time seeing your face. You must be confusing me for someone else." She protested, and he smiled at her before waiting aside for her to unlock the door.

Sam bent down and lifted the rug mat outside her door for her keys, but there was nothing inside there.

Her mind acted quickly as she glanced around for something to open the door with, not minding Tom's suspicious gaze.

"Miss Stone, if you need help, please ask for it. Do we need to break the door?"

Tom arched his brows, his nostrils flaring.

"Yes, please help me out, or else I will have to say goodbye to the grand deal I have to sign with my company."

She said sadly, and Tom pitied her.

"I feel your pain. Step aside so I can kick the door." He asked seriously, and she complied with his request and waited.

The door to Sam's apartment flung open before Tom could kick it, and Aaron was the one who opened it.

Sam tilted her face and looked up at Tom for help while taking a few steps back from the man standing still by the door.

Tom saw this and stepped in front of her to protect her.

"Good morning, sir. I assume this is Sam's apartment, and if you'd be kind enough to grant us her paintings, she urgently needs them for her pitch." Tom said with authority in his voice.

Aaron slowly rubbed his temples. He was wearing the same suit Nancy saw him in and looked like he had just woken up.

"Hello, Sam, and who are you?"

Aaron's face darkened at the sight of a man with Sam.

"I am her big brother, can't you see? Now, if you could help us with the paintings. Time is not on our side, and my wife is growing impatient waiting for us." Tom shot Aaron an icy stare.

"Well, I do not remember your family saying anything about a big brother, but I can see the resemblance. You can both come in and take them." Aaron said in his mocking tone, and Sam nodded before rushing forward, quickly brushing past her fiancé to get inside the house.

"Stay right there. She will come outside with them." Tom stopped Aaron from following Sam inside the house.

Now the two men were standing by the entrance of the house like two tigers about to go to war against each other.

Inside the apartment, Sam took her paintings and a large trainer bag full of her paintbrushes, pencils, and drawing tools.

She saw her phone and identity card on the coffee table in her study and made sure to grab them as she fled the house.

"Tom, I am done. Please assist me with these." Tom hummed lowly and took most of the burden from Samantha as they walked outside.

"Sam, are you certain about never coming back here?" Aaron softened his tone when the two turned their backs on him.

"Yes, I am, Aaron. It is about time you accepted that you have fucked up so badly that I cannot stand you anymore. My skin has been glowing without your nails digging into it!" She said coldly without looking back at him.

"Let's keep going, Tom."

Tom smiled at the woman beside him, deeply impressed by the way she handled Aaron.

Tom was not Samantha's closest friend, however, it was clear to him that Aaron was an abusive boyfriend. Now he wondered what Sam had endured with that kind of man.

His mother would bury him alive if he treated Taylor the way Sam's alleged boyfriend treated her.

"Finally, did you guys take everything necessary?" Taylor opened the car boot for Sam and Tom, who carefully placed the items inside.

"Yes, we did. I had forgotten I left my ID too. You guys are the best people I have met this morning." Sam uttered with a faint smile on her lips.

"That's super nice. Let's take you to work, Sam." Taylor and Tom got into their car, not forgetting Sam, who first got into the back passenger seat to avoid being seen by her insecure fiancé if he ever came to confront her, or pull and brutally drag her out of the car.

"Yes, please. My meeting starts in an hour. I appreciate you guys' help, cutie pies."

Sam joked, although she was now in low spirits after seeing Aaron's bitter and intimidating face.

All thanks to Tom for stepping in for her.
This made Sam wish she had a protective brother like Roselyn whom Paul had his back all the time.