Chapter 40 Mask Falls
Michael POV
Dennis pointed a trembling finger at me, his voice cracking with pain and indignation. "Dad, that's him! That's the guy who attacked me!"
Richard's face flushed red with anger as he whirled on his son. "Dennis! How dare you point fingers at Mr. Johnson like that!" His voice was sharp with fury. "There must be some misunderstanding here." He turned back to me, his expression shifting to confused deference. "Mr. Johnson, surely you wouldn't... I heard from Mia that Dennis accidentally bumped into someone and got into a scuffle. Isn't that right, Mia?"
I could see the confusion in Richard's eyes. Poor man had no idea what kind of son he'd raised. Mia had clearly fed him a sanitized version of events, probably trying to protect Dennis from his father's wrath.
I reached up and pulled off my face mask, then pushed back my hood, meeting Richard's gaze directly. "Actually, there was nothing accidental about it. I hit him deliberately."
Dennis's face crumpled like a child's. "Dad, you see? He admits it! Do something! Teach him a lesson!"
Richard's hand moved so fast I almost missed it. The sharp crack of his palm against Dennis's cheek echoed through the hospital room, making Mia jump and Dennis's head snap to the side.
"Do you have any idea who this is?" Richard's voice was a low roar. "This is the CEO of Pinnacle Industries Group! If he hit you, he must have had damn good reason! You better start talking, boy. What did you do to provoke Mr. Johnson? Because if you don't tell me the truth right now, I'm cutting off every single one of your credit cards!"
I crossed my arms, allowing myself a cold smile. "Yes, Dennis. Why don't you tell your father exactly what you did?"
The transformation in Dennis was almost pitiful to watch. Gone was the arrogant rich boy from the club. His face had gone chalk white, and he actually started slapping himself, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't know who you were!" He was practically hyperventilating. "I... I was trying to... There was this woman there, and she said she was meeting Mia about some fashion design thing, and I... I thought she was pretty, so I..."
Richard's expression grew darker with each stuttered word. His gaze ping-ponged between Dennis and Mia with the kind of fury that suggested heads were going to roll.
"You thought you'd what?" Richard demanded.
Dennis broke down completely. "I tried to hit on her! I grabbed her and wouldn't let go when she said no! I thought since she was just some designer, I could... I could make her my personal..." He dissolved into sobs. "I didn't mean anything by it! It was just for fun!"
The silence that followed was deafening. Richard stared at his son like he was seeing him for the first time, and not liking what he saw. Then his attention shifted to Mia, who was trying to disappear into her chair. "And you," he said quietly, which was somehow more terrifying than shouting. "You told me it was an accident. A misunderstanding."
Richard turned back to me, his entire demeanor shifting to something resembling worship. "Mr. Johnson, you were absolutely right to defend that woman. You showed true chivalry, protecting the innocent from this... this..." He gestured helplessly at Dennis.
"Your words of praise are noted," I said coolly. "But given that your son attempted to assault my wife, I won't be so quick to forgive. Until he apologizes to her personally, I plan to continue pressuring Ashford Enterprises' business partners."
The words knocked the wind out of Richard. He actually swayed on his feet, his face cycling through shock, realization, and dawning horror. "Mr. Johnson... it was you? You're the one who's been targeting our company?" His voice cracked. "But... your wife? What does this have to do with your wife?"
"Let me clarify something for you." These people need to understand exactly who they're dealing with. If I don't make this crystal clear now, they might be stupid enough to try something again. "That fashion designer your son tried to assault? That's Sarah Johnson. My wife."
If Richard had looked shocked before, now he looked like he'd seen a ghost. Dennis made a choking sound, his hands flying to his throat. Even Mia seemed to deflate with relief, probably grateful she hadn't been stupid enough to participate in Dennis's harassment.
"Mr. Johnson, please!" Richard was practically on his knees. "I'll bring Dennis to apologize personally! We'll come to your home, your office, wherever you prefer! Just please, have mercy on our company!"
I shook my head. "It's late tonight. Tomorrow, you'll take your son to apologize to Sarah at her workplace. I want the apology to be public—let her colleagues see that she has people who will stand up for her."
Richard nodded frantically. "Of course, of course! Whatever you require!"
"And Richard?" Now comes the tricky part. "You will not mention my true identity. Not to anyone."
Richard looked confused. "Your identity? But—"
"My wife doesn't know who I really am," I explained, watching his face carefully. "As far as Sarah knows, I'm just a business development manager at Pinnacle. I intend to keep it that way for now. Do you understand?"
Both Richard and Dennis nodded like bobbleheads. I turned to Mia, who had been unusually quiet through this entire exchange.
"That goes for you, too, Mia. You won't be apologizing since you weren't directly involved, but you also won't reveal who I am. As for your fashion design project with Sarah... wait a few days before contacting her again. Let her recover from today's trauma."
With that, I turned and walked out of the hospital room.
Tomas drove me home through the quiet Star City streets. I'd asked him to take the scenic route first, circling the city for a couple of hours until it was late at night. Sarah needs to believe I spent all this time at the police station, filling out paperwork and dealing with bureaucratic red tape. If I walk in too early, she'll start wondering how a simple business development manager could resolve such a serious matter so quickly.
When I walked through our apartment door, I found both Sarah and Margaret waiting up for me. Sarah launched herself into my arms before I'd even fully closed the door.
"You're finally home," she whispered against my chest. "What did the police say?"
Here comes the performance of my life. "The officers were very thorough. They reviewed the club's security footage and interviewed witnesses. Dennis's father, Richard, even showed up and was cooperative once he understood what his son had done. They're not pressing charges against me."
Sarah's shoulders sagged with relief. "Thank goodness. I was terrified they'd twist the story somehow."
Margaret cleared her throat delicately. "Well, I can see you two have some... catching up to do. I'm exhausted anyway." She headed toward the door, but not before shooting me a meaningful look and mouthing silently: Don't waste this opportunity!
As if I needed my mother's dating advice at my age.