Chapter 701

Seeing that Charles still didn’t respond, the other men in the room couldn’t figure out his temperament.

One of the men asked, “Can we leave now, Mr. Newton? We don’t have any more money on us, and we didn’t touch this who—I mean, woman. In fact, she’s the one who beat us up so badly that we’re covered in injuries. We’ll have to see a doctor right away.”

Charles narrowed his eyes and spat coldly, “Scram.”

“Okay, okay.” The men immediately scurried away.

When they passed by Charles, he caught a glimpse of their injuries.

Some had fractured arms while some were covering their bleeding waist.

All six of those men had their butts kicked by Whitney, a woman, despite their advantage in numbers.

As such, Charles’ interest in Whitney was roused.

Slowly, he ambled into the messy room. The shattered glass pieces scattered all over the floor crumbled beneath his dark leather shoes.

Whitney, who was hiding beneath the table, trembled violently and held her breath upon hearing his steady footsteps.

In her mind, she prayed, Please don’t see me, please don’t see me, please don’t…

A second later, she felt warmth on her shoulders. She tilted her head and saw Charles taking off his coat and draping it over her shoulder to cover her tattered clothes.

He’s so gentle, so much so that he can charm any woman in minutes. Whitney felt even more ashamed and hung her head low, not daring to meet his gaze.

“You don’t have to hide. I know who you are,” uttered Charles in a deep, magnetic voice, which was pleasant to Whitney’s ears.

“Why did you come to this dangerous place? Are you in desperate need of money?” he asked.

In response, Whitney nodded as tears streamed down her face. “I’m sorry. You just said you wanted to try dating me in the afternoon, yet I embarrassed you in the evening on the same day…”

“It’s fine.” He appeared exceptionally patient as he picked up the money on the table, squatted down, and delivered it to Whitney. “Take it. It’s all yours. You won’t be short of money now, will you?”

Whitney lifted her head, but as soon as her eyes met Charles’ piercing blue gaze, she quickly looked away.

After some thought, she refused to take the money. “I don’t want it. If you hadn’t arrived in time, I would’ve suffered greatly. This money belongs to you, Mr. Newton.”

Amused, Charles chuckled. She’s quite cute in a silly way sometimes. “I don’t need it, and what happened tonight has nothing to do with me. You deserve this money. Consider it your reward for sparring with those men. Besides, you’re injured, too. You’ll need the money to receive treatment at the hospital.”

Even though it was plain that Whitney was almost sexually assaulted by the group of men, Charles referred to the incident as a mere sparring session.

She mustered her courage and raised her gaze, daring to ask, “Don’t you find it disgusting that I’m earning money in a bar through such means?”

The edges of Charles’ lips curved upward slightly. “Not at all. You’re an adult, and you’re forced to do what it takes to make ends meet. I can understand that. Although, you should avoid taking such risks in the future. Your safety should come first when you’re outside, especially because you’re a woman.”

“Thank you.”

Again, Charles handed the cash in his hand to her.

She felt conflicted as she accepted the wad of cash. After tonight’s nightmare, I guess I can count this as compensation for my emotional damage. Perhaps I’ll have some money left over after purchasing the cologne as a gift for Charles, which will also cover my rent. This dreadful experience doesn’t seem so dreadful after all.

Charles was surprised to see her still wearing a smile. What a happy-go-lucky woman. He offered, “I’ll send you to the hospital. Can you walk?”

“I can, but I don’t need to visit the hospital. All I endured was a few slaps, that’s all. The minor injuries on my body will heal over time,” replied Whitney.

“In that case, I’ll send you home.” He stood, hands stuffed into his pockets, ready to leave the room.

After taking a few steps forward, he stopped because he didn’t hear footsteps behind him.

Turning around, he noticed she hadn’t moved yet. “What’s the matter?”

Whitney’s eyes were red like a rabbit’s, the tears on her countenance mixed with blood. There was a touch of desolation to her beauty.

Awkwardly, she bit her lip and uttered, “I… My legs are numb. I can’t stand up. I’m not doing this on purpose…”

The moment she ended her sentence, she flushed with embarrassment. Even though I said I could walk, I proved myself wrong just thirty seconds later. I wish the ground could swallow me up right now.

Charles laughed. Didn’t she ruthlessly kick the butts of a few men earlier? Why are her legs numb after I come to her rescue?

While he found her behavior slightly distasteful, he still approached her and carried her after considering his plans.

She was light, so it was easy for him to lift her up.

At that moment, her thin shoulders were covered by his coat. Her body was tainted with blood, and her hair was messy, making her resemble a broken, blonde doll.

Her pitiful state would easily arouse a man’s desire to protect her.

Charles froze, lowering his gaze and staring at her for a while.

He didn’t even blink as his mind wandered.

Although his gaze rested on Whitney, his thoughts were consumed by Gwendolyn, who shared the former’s delicate frame. Gwendolyn’s light and thin, too. When we were younger, I used to carry her like this as well. I even spun around with her in my arms, promising to love and protect her forever.

Now, she no longer needs my protection. She’ll never belong to me…

It was difficult for Whitney to discern the expressions swirling in his blue eyes under the room’s dim light.

While she had no idea what Charles was thinking, she was a little embarrassed by how he was fixing his gaze on her. Thus, she lowered her head, trying to hide her miserable state from him.

“Let’s go, Mr. Newton. I want to go home.” Carefully, she tugged at his shirt while seeking solace in the comforting warmth of his chest.

Charles snapped back to his senses, his expression becoming composed again. Wordlessly, he sauntered out of the messy room.

In the corridor, they ran into a few special agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The leader wasn’t Nico, but instead was the leader of Team Nine, Jasper.

Seeing that Whitney was covered in blood, Jasper inquired, “Why is this woman so badly hurt, Mr.

Newton?”

Whitney wanted to clarify that the blood didn’t belong to her, but Charles spoke before she could. “She was assaulted, of course,” he explained. “Those people in the room fled after finding out that I had contacted the authorities. There’s no need to investigate the room any further.”

“But we’ll still need to adhere to the procedures. We’ll examine the surveillance footage and apprehend the criminals.”

“I’ll be leaving the rest in your hands, then. I’ll be taking her to treat her injuries now.” Charles figured that despite the promise he made to the other party, it wasn’t his business to interfere with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s plan to capture the men.

“Okay. Remember to ask for a statement of injury.”

“Will do.” With Whitney in his arms, Charles strode away without looking back.

Meanwhile, Jessamyn was still in the surveillance room.

She saw Charles kick down the door before draping his coat over Whitney after entering the room. He even carried the woman in his arms like she was a princess.

The suffocating sensation when Charles suffocated her earlier still lingered in her heart. This man is terrifying and unfathomable! He clearly doesn’t like that woman. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have watched her be bullied for so long and only acted before the situation spiraled out of control. Nevertheless, he chivalrously draped his coat over her and tenderly carried her out of the room.

The lingering pain in her neck served as a reminder of how terrifying Charles was, causing goosebumps to instantly ripple across her skin. “What a lunatic! I wonder what twisted thoughts occupy his mind!”

Despite cursing and complaining, she knew she was currently in deep water.

Hence, she called her father for help. “Dad, I think I messed up again…”