Chapter 41 Mid-air
ANNA'S POV
The glass of champagne was finally empty, a single drop sliding down the rim before falling off. I held the glass up just slightly, my fingers relaxed as if dismissing it from my presence. The waiter rushed over immediately—he practically appeared beside me, like he had been waiting for the exact second I finished. He took the glass from my hand with both hands, his eyes darting between me and the stunned man in front of me.
“Don’t ever put your hands on me again.” I said, each word sharp, my voice cutting through the muffled noise of the room like a blade dipped in venom.
“You little…” Melissa said
The rage building up in James’ eyes was almost visible, burning like a small fire about to erupt into something dangerous. His jaw tightened, and I noticed the way his hands began twitching, the tendons in his wrist stretching the skin like he was seconds away from losing control.
Awwnnn, did I hit a nerve? Good.
He raised his hand suddenly, fast and aimed directly for my face, his palm open and ready to land a harsh slap. The movement was wild, fuelled by anger and embarrassment, the kind of movement a man makes when he forgets the entire world is watching.
But before his hand could connect, everything stopped.
His wrist froze mid-air.
Someone had grabbed it.
A firm, steady grip locked around his wrist, halting the strike so abruptly that James’ entire arm jolted.
“Do you really want to hit a woman? Where’s your manners?” Ryan said.
My eyes widened just a little. I was honestly shocked to see Ryan standing next to me, his hand gripping James’ wrist like steel. He looked composed, unbothered, not even the slightest flinch on his face, almost like he’d done this type of thing a hundred times before. His presence was so calm yet authoritative that even the murmurs in the room softened for a moment.
How did he even manage to get away from Isabel? She didn’t look like someone willing to let him wander off easily, not after clinging to him so tightly earlier. But here he was, standing beside me like he’d been waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.
Ryan pushed James’ hand back with a simple shove, not too forceful but firm enough that James stumbled slightly, his balance shifting awkwardly.
“Do I have any manners? Have you asked her what the hell is wrong with her? Can’t you see what she did to me? Or are you blind?” James snapped, voice rising higher as anger overtook embarrassment.
There’s the asshole I know
“And are you forgetting,” Ryan replied calmly, “that you are in Quinn’s Enterprise headquarters, which technically now belongs to her? Which means you’re in her building because of her. And you deem it fit to hit the CEO of the company and think you’re going to get away with that?”
This was the first time I had ever heard Ryan speak this much at once. The way he spoke wasn’t like most people, there was something extremely composed and mature about his voice, something that demanded attention without him even trying. It wasn’t just what he said, but how he carried himself.
He just arrived, yet somehow he already knew I was the CEO. He wasn’t even surprised.
James ignored every single word Ryan said, his eyes burning holes into mine. He took another step like he was still planning to get closer, but Ryan calmly shoved him back again, this time even more firmly.
“Get your hands off me! And who the hell are you supposed to be?” James barked.
“I’m gonna be your problem if you don’t back off,” Ryan replied, his voice low, steady.
“I begged you for your help, and this is what you do?” James said to me, pointing at the wet front of his shirt. “You embarrass me in front of all these people.”
“I’m going to do a lot more than that if you don’t get out of this building,” I replied, my tone cold and unwavering.
My mom and Lita came from behind me, both of them wearing confused expressions. Clearly, they had seen the crowd shift, and the tension slithering across the room like thick smoke, and they rushed over to understand what was happening.
“No one has ever done this to me before,” James continued shouting, completely ignoring them. “You’re going to pay for this. We’re not done.” He pointed a finger in my direction, shaking with fury.
“Security,” I said lightly.
Just the word was enough.
Two security men stepped through the crowd instantly, appearing at James’ sides as if they’d been standing on standby for this exact moment.
“Mr. Reed,” one of them said, his voice firm but professional, “we’re here to escort you out of here.” He gestured toward the main entrance.
I watched James’ face shift. He looked around — first at me, then at Ryan, then at the security guards. Even he knew there was nothing else he could do here. Nothing he could say that would change how thoroughly he had lost control of the situation. And with champagne dripping slowly down the side of his suit jacket, he looked even more pathetic.
He straightened his tie stiffly, trying to regain a sense of dignity he no longer had. His gaze once again locked on me, intense and boiling with hatred or humiliation maybe both. Then without a word, he turned and began walking toward the exit. Melissa rushed after him immediately like a dog chasing its owner.
“What an asshole,” I heard someone whisper faintly behind me. “How could he even think about hitting a lady? The CEO of Quinn’s Enterprise of all people.”
Their voices barely rose above the hum of conversations, but they still reached me. And honestly, I couldn’t disagree.
Once James and Melissa were completely out of sight, I let out a small breath, one I didn’t realize I had been holding until that moment. My shoulders finally relaxed a little. The tension I’d been carrying slowly began to fade.
But I needed to stabilize the atmosphere. I needed everyone here to know everything was under control.
“There’s no need to worry,” I said with a smile, stepping forward slightly so everyone could hear me. “That was just a small misunderstanding from someone who shouldn’t be here. Please, let’s continue. The day is still young.”
Gradually, people returned to what they were doing. Conversations resumed, music flowed through the speakers again, and the weight that had settled over the room lifted. Some guests glanced at me a few more times, but most went back to interacting with one another.
“Is everything okay?” my mom asked, her hand lightly touching my arm.
“Yeah, he was just a small problem,” I replied.
She gave me a quick nod, trusting me, and went back to supervising the ceremony, Lita following closely behind her.
“Guys like him are nothing but scum,” Ryan said from beside me.
I had almost forgotten he was still standing there.
“Thanks for stepping in, by the way,” I said, turning slightly toward him. “I really appreciate it.”