Chapter 29: I CAN EXPLAIN
Chapter 30
Lumi
Her jaw literally slacked, her breath catching in her throat as she stared down at my fingers wrapped securely around her arm.
She froze, completely shocked that a complete stranger had the audacity to halt her strike.
She tried to violently yank her arm back out of my grip, furious that anyone dared to touch her, but I squeezed her wrist with an iron strength that made her designer jewelry jingle sharply against her skin.
I forced her to look directly into my eyes so she could see that I wasn’t intimidated by her status, her clothes, or her money.
"Keep your hands to yourself," I whispered, the words coming out cold and steady.
With a sharp, downward shove, I twisted my wrist and pushed her hand away from my face with enough force to throw her completely off balance on her high, spindly heels.
Her shoes skidded against the slick tile floor, and with a loud, ungraceful shriek, she went down hard, landing right on her hands and knees in the middle of the dark, sticky puddle of spilled espresso.
Her expensive leather handbag flew out of her hands, sliding across the floor and spilling lipsticks, gold compacts, and car keys across the dirty tiles while the surrounding crowd gasped in unison at the sight of her sitting in the mess.
"Oh my god! You assaulted me! You’re going to jail for this, you psychotic maniac!" she wailed from the floor, her coat instantly soaking up the brown liquid while her perfect ponytail came undone, strands of blonde hair sticking to her sweaty forehead as she pointed a shaking finger at me. "Everyone saw it! You attacked me out of nowhere!"
"What the hell is going on here?" Ren’s deep voice echoed through the entrance lobby, causing the crowd of onlookers to part instantly as his massive, imposing frame pushed through the circle.
His jaw was clenched so tightly that the muscles were ticking, his brow was furrowed in anger, and his eyes scanned my body from head to toe within a fraction of a second to make sure I wasn’t bleeding.
He took two long, commanding strides toward me, reaching his hand out toward my shoulder. "Are you hurt? Did someone..."
"Ren! Oh my god, Ren, thank heaven you’re here!"
The piercing shriek from the floor cut him off entirely as the blonde woman scrambled to her feet, completely ignoring the coffee dripping from her designer sleeves as she lunged forward and threw her arms tightly around Ren’s neck, burying her face into his black leather jacket.
"Ren, this crazy b*tch just attacked me for no reason!" she sobbed dramatically, her voice echoing off the high ceilings of the mall while she clung to him like a lifeline.
"She threw me to the ground and threatened to break my arm! Look at my clothes, Ren! Look at what she did to me in front of everyone!"
I stood entirely frozen in place, my hands slowly dropping to my sides while my jaw slacked in absolute, paralyzing shock as I stared at the woman wrapped around him.
Ren didn’t hug her back, his large arms remaining locked stiffly at his sides while his entire body turned into a rigid pillar of stone, his face losing every ounce of its usual tan as he stared over her shoulder straight at me.
For the first time since I had known him, a sudden, terrifying look of pure panic and guilt flashed across his dark eyes, his lips parting slightly as if he wanted to speak, but his throat seemed completely closed up.
"Ren?" I whispered, the single word sounding incredibly small, hollow, and fragile in the massive, silent lobby as a cold dread began to pool deep in my stomach. "What is this? Who is she?"
The blonde woman slowly pulled her face away from his chest, keeping her hand possessively wrapped around the lapel of his jacket as she spun around to glare at me with a triumphant, wicked smirk that cut through my chest like a blade.
"Who am I?" she sneered, her voice dripping with pure malice as she leaned closer to Ren’s solid frame. "I’m his fiancé, you pathetic b*tch, so you better start praying that he doesn’t have you arrested today."
The word hung in the air, turning the entire bustling lobby completely silent.
Fiancé.
I stood perfectly still, my fingers clutching the strap of my purse.
He was engaged?
Neve had never mentioned anything about him been engaged, so I had no idea.
Even though she’s well aware of his personal life, I’m sure she had absolutely no idea that her brother was tied to a woman who treated human beings like dirt under her shoes.
I looked at Ren and felt a strange, tight knot twist deep in my chest, a sudden flare of heat that made my throat feel dry. I forced it down instantly.
I shouldn’t be mad. I had no right to be angry. He was just Neve’s little brother. What he does with his personal life is none of my business.
I turned my gaze back to the massive, rigid man standing beside me.
"Is she your fiancé?" I asked, my voice completely level, stripped of any emotion as I acted like the revelation didn’t bother me in the slightest.
Ren went entirely pale. His jaw was locked tight, his dark eyes wide and fixed on mine with pure panic. He didn’t speak. He just gave a single, slow nod.
I looked at Victoria, who was still dusting off her cream coat, and then back to him. I forced a small, polite, completely empty smile to my lips.
"Then you should look after her, then. She clearly needs that right now. As for me, I’m out of here." Without waiting for a response, I turned on my heel and walked away.
I came here for a reason but I don’t think it’s possible to get anything done again.
My dark trousers swept against my ankles as I marched toward the sliding glass entrance doors, my posture perfectly straight, my head held high.
I was pissed, a deep, bubbling irritation clawing at my ribs, but I tried desperately to rationalize it away.
Why did it even matter to me that he didn’t tell me such important details of his life? Maybe it was just because out of all the people in the entire world, it was someone like this he wanted to spend his life with.
It felt like he was making a massive mistake, but he was an adult and was free to make his own choices.
I pushed through the automatic glass doors and stepped out onto the pavement.
I just needed a taxi to head back to Neve’s apartment, I can’t go back to the company.
Can’t do that today, not when....
And I knew he wouldn’t come after me, his fiance was a mess because of me.
But surprisingly, the heavy, fast thud of boots sounded right behind me. He was following me.
"Lumi! Wait," he called after me, his deep voice carrying a rough edge.
I didn’t reply. I didn’t even slow down. I kept my eyes fixed on the main road at the edge of the commercial plaza, intending to just flag down a local taxi and head back to the Reed Building alone.
"Lumi, stop," he commanded, his stride eating up the distance between us until he reached the edge of the road right beside me.
Before I could step off the curb, his large hand shot out and caught my wrist, his grip warm but firm enough to halt my steps.
I snapped my head around, glaring up at him. "What?" I asked, my words coming out so sharp, cold, and biting that Ren actually flinched.
He stared down at me, his fingers loosening slightly on my wrist as if he’d been burned by the hostility in my tone.
He swallowed hard, his chest rising and falling heavily under his dark leather jacket. He cleared his throat, pointing a bandaged finger back toward the designated visitor stalls.
"That’s not where the car is parked," he said in a low, quiet tone, gesturing toward the sleek black sedan sitting perfectly detailed under the afternoon sun.
I looked at him, then looked over at the car, my expression completely blank as I worked to keep the mask of indifference firmly in place.
"You don’t have to drive me home," I said, my voice dripping with a casual, dismissive sarcasm that I couldn’t entirely control. "Go take care of your girlfriend. Oops, sorry. Your fiancé."
"Lumi, I can explain..." he tried to say, taking a step closer, his dark eyes searching my face with a desperate intensity.
But I raised my hand up to him, cutting him off before he could even finish the sentence.
"There’s no need to explain, Ren. Really. You don’t owe me any explanation whatsoever." I let out a light, airy laugh that sounded completely forced even to my own ears. "It’s your life, and honestly, I’m happy for you."
For a single, fleeting second, something shifted in the depths of his dark eyes.
A raw, agonizing look flashed across his features, a mix of hurt and a desperate, unspoken plea that I couldn’t fully comprehend.
But before I could even try to analyze it, it vanished, buried beneath his usual mask.
He nodded his head once, a slow, broken movement that felt heavier than a confession.
"Alright," he rumbled quietly.
