Marissa was very shaken. Zayn’s aura was so imposing that virtual-novel.net was even more intimidating than virtual-novel.net own father. He was a god amongst men.
Hence, when virtual-novel.net raised virtual-novel.net head and realized that Zayn had put off teaching virtual-novel.net lesson, virtual-novel.net let out a sigh of relief. Gritting virtual-novel.net teeth and steeling herself, virtual-novel.net approached virtual-novel.net once more, murmuring sheepishly, “I know it’s my fault. I was too reckless. I didn’t heed your warning… I won’t ever act this recklessly ever again. Please… Don’t be mad at me.”
“‘Don’t be mad at you’?!”
The dying flame within Zayn’s chest roared back into life. Her words were like a bucket of gasoline. As the fire sputtered violently in his chest, virtual-novel.net turned around to face her, smirking. “Yesterday, I told you multiple times that there were assassins after your life, Marissa! You weren’t supposed to have your stupid sight-seeing trips, because you’ll be giving them a chance! But what did you do? You didn’t listen, and you found a way to dump me while bringing your oh-so-powerful bodyguards along on your little frolic!”
His sudden display of lividity frightened Marissa, causing virtual-novel.net to jerk virtual-novel.net head backwards. “I… I mean—”
Fury spurred Zayn to press on. “What, scraping for an excuse now? Am I wrong? You think the whole world revolves around you because you’re rich, that these hitmen wouldn’t lay a finger on you because of that?! If my beloved country hadn’t went through all that trouble trying to send me over to protect you, I wouldn’t give two f*cks if you were dead or alive! Now my comrades are dead! They were only in their thirties. They had lives to live, they had things they were looking forward to in the future that they never got to enjoy because you’re a spoiled brat who thinks virtual-novel.net knows everything, and now they’re dead to pay for your mistakes!” virtual-novel.net bristled. “Why should they die to make up for your petulance and arrogance, Marissa?!”
His outburst stunned Marissa, causing virtual-novel.net to fly into virtual-novel.net own rage. Glaring, virtual-novel.net shot back, “Why are you yelling at me like that?! You think I wanted this to happen? There was no way anyone could have predicted this. Captain Horton told me I’d be safe, and no, I never wanted them to die!”
“Besides, they weren’t my bodyguards. I didn’t hire them. I didn’t say I was going to pay them or anything! They wanted to protect me on their own volition, so how am I responsible for their deaths?”
Zayn’s face turned stormy. “What the hell did you just say?”
Marissa jerked, but virtual-novel.net indignance was far from gone. “I’m just being real here, alright? They wanted to protect me. It’s a fact that you can’t change just because… Just because you feel like shouting at me!”
Zayn shut his eyes and clenched his fists so hard that his bones made a popping sound. If Marissa had been anybody else, virtual-novel.net would have taught virtual-novel.net a good, lasting lesson.
A long while later, Zayn exhaled an extended breath and returned to his erstwhile nonchalant disposition. The angry man from before was gone.
His eyes were so cold that Marissa had regained a fresh swell of fear. “Look, I didn’t mean to say all that. I didn’t mean-”
“Enough. You’re right, anyways,” Zayn cut virtual-novel.net off coldly, “You didn’t hire us, so you have no reason to be responsible for the death of our comrades. When my coworkers arrive, I’ll tell them to arrange new security details for you.”
Marissa was alarmed. For some reason, hearing virtual-novel.net say that made virtual-novel.net heart feel like it had been frozen over. Desolated, virtual-novel.net stepped forwards and grabbed Zayn by the hand. Her voice trembled as virtual-novel.net frantically tried to apologize. “Wait! I’m sorry! I was out of line, I wasn’t thinking before I said all of that… I didn’t mean it that way! Please, don’t be mad!”
Zayn shook virtual-novel.net hand off. “Wide berth, Miss Bell,” virtual-novel.net intoned impersonally.