Roman's POV
I didn't think.
I didn't pause.
I moved.
The moment I saw that security guard's hand on her, on my fucking wife, something inside me snapped.
I crossed the lobby in a heartbeat, shoving through the gathered crowd. People gasped, but I didn't hear them. My only focus was Avah. The way she flinched, the way she looked like she wanted to disappear.
That was enough to make me lose it.
The second I reached them, my foot connected with the security guard's chest.
The force sent him stumbling back, crashing into the floor with a painful grunt.
The lobby went dead silent.
All eyes snapped to me.
The other security guards stiffened, their faces paling.
The receptionists who had been laughing? Their amusement evaporated instantly, replaced by sheer terror.
But I wasn't looking at them.
I turned to Avah, reaching for her. My hands cupped her face gently, the opposite of the storm raging inside me.
"Little moon," I murmured, my voice thick with regret. "I'm so sorry. Did they hurt you?"
Her wide eyes searched mine. She swallowed hard, shaking her head slightly. "I—I'm okay."
I didn't believe her.
She might not have been physically hurt, but the way she looked right now. Like she had just been humiliated in front of a room full of people, was enough to make my blood boil all over again.
I turned slowly, my eyes sweeping over the silent, frozen staff.
"Who the hell did this to my wife?"
The receptionists flinched.
The guards hesitated.
And then....
"Sir.....w-we didn't know," one of the receptionists stammered.
I barely spared her a glance.
She swallowed, glancing at her colleague for support before scrambling to defend herself.
"These two women claimed they knew you and started causing a disturbance," she said quickly, voice shaking. "We were just doing our jobs, keeping the company secure."
The other receptionist nodded vigorously. "Yes! We see people like them all the time, trying to get your attention. We thought..."
I cut her off with a look.
My chest rose and fell sharply, my hands flexing as I struggled to keep my temper in check.
They thought my wife...my wife..was some desperate woman trying to get my attention?
Derrick scoffed beside me, crossing his arms. "Is that right?"
The security guards scrambled to back them up.
"They were making a scene, sir," one of them said gruffly. "We were called to handle the situation, that's all."
I took a slow, deliberate step forward.
All of them stiffened.
"You put your hands on my wife," I said, my voice deceptively calm. "And now you're telling me she was the problem?"
The weight of my words sank into the air like a death sentence.
The color drained from the receptionist's face.
The security guards exchanged nervous glances.
And everyone else in the lobby?
They were waiting—watching—knowing that things were about to get much, much worse.
The silence stretched.
No one dared to breathe.
I turned my gaze toward the two receptionists and the security guards, my expression unreadable. But inside, I was seething.
"Tell me," I said, my voice eerily calm, "is this how you treat customers?"
The first receptionist opened her mouth, then closed it. She looked at her colleague for support, but the other woman was too busy wringing her hands.
"S-Sir, it wasn't like that," the second receptionist finally spoke. "We—"
"Wasn't like that?" I cut her off, my voice dropping to something sharper, deadlier. "You laughed. You mocked my wife. You had her manhandled like she was some nobody." I took a step closer, watching them shrink back. "So, tell me again—is this how you treat customers at Rome International?"
They had no answer.
I turned my gaze to the security guards. "And you?"
One of them cleared his throat. "Sir, we were just following protocol. We didn't know—"
I scoffed. "Protocol?" My voice was pure ice. "Your protocol involves grabbing and insulting people?"
The guards shifted uncomfortably. "We thought—"
"You thought wrong."
I exhaled slowly, pushing back the overwhelming rage clawing at my chest. Then, I turned to Derrick.
"Fire them."
The receptionists gasped. "Sir, please—"
"Effective immediately," I continued, ignoring their pleas. "I don't want to see them in this building again. That's too light. Ban them from working anywhere ever again."
The first receptionist's face crumpled. "Mr. Roman, please! We didn't know she was your wife!"
I stilled.
Then, I laughed. A short, humorless sound.
"So if she wasn't my wife, this treatment would have been acceptable?"
Their silence was my answer.
I shook my head, disgusted. "Get out."
The security guards started speaking up, one of them even daring to step forward. "Sir, we—"
I cut him off with a single glare. "I don't tolerate this kind of behavior in my company. If you can't treat every person with dignity and respect, you don't deserve to work here."
One of the receptionists started crying, but I had no sympathy.
I felt a gentle touch on my arm.
"Roman," Avah's voice was soft, hesitant. "It's... it's okay. Let's just go."
I turned to her, my eyes immediately softening at the sight of her. But I shook my head.
"No, Little moon." My voice was firm. "No one and I mean no one, hurts you and gets away with it."
She bit her lip, searching my face, but I wasn't going to back down.
Not when I had just seen her looking so small and so humiliated in the middle of this lobby.
No one would ever make my wife feel that way again.
Not while I was breathing.
I turned to Derrick. "Send out a company-wide email with Avah's picture," I ordered. "I want everyone to know who she is. This will never happen again."
Derrick nodded immediately, already pulling out his phone.
"Understood."
The receptionists and security guards paled even further. One of them let out a broken sob. "Please, sir—"
"I gave you a chance to explain," I said coldly. "You used it to lie."
I turned away from them, done with their pathetic excuses.
Avah tugged at my sleeve. "Roman, isn't that a little much?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't want..."
I placed my hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.
"Little moon, you are my wife," I said, my voice soft but unwavering. "Everyone in this company should know that. And no one should ever make you feel the way they did today."
Her lips parted slightly, her expression unreadable. Then, after a moment, she sighed.
"Okay," she whispered.
I pressed a kiss on her forehead, lingering just a little longer than necessary, before looking back at Derrick.
"Make sure it's done within the hour."
Derrick smirked slightly, as if he had expected nothing less from me. "Already on it."