Where My Heart Belongs

12. I'll Fucking Kill Him : Aiden

"Aiden!"

Her voice shattered the room's calm, her soft, terrified gasp barely audible—but I heard it. Every part of me snapped toward her, and when I saw Antara's face, pale and frozen, I knew something was terribly wrong. Her eyes were wide, locked on Victor, her body stiff as if she were fighting to keep herself grounded.

God, she was trembling.

For a second, I didn't understand. My mind raced, trying to make sense of the fear etched into her features. But then, I saw where Victor's hand was—under the table, on her. His fingers lingered far too close to her leg, his disgusting touch violating the space between them.

My mind blanked for a moment. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything inside me ignited.

"You sick bastard!" The words tore out of me before I could stop them, my voice like a growl.

Before I knew what I was doing, I was out of my chair, my body moving on pure instinct. My fist shot out, connecting with Victor's jaw. The crack was loud and vicious, echoing through the room as his head snapped back, his chair toppling over from the force. I couldn't stop. I wanted him to feel it—every ounce of rage for what he did to her. It was as if my fists were taking justice into their own hands. I didn't care about the consequences; all I knew was that he deserved this. I kept hitting him, my body moving on instinct, driven by the need to protect her at all costs.         I would protect her at all costs.

Papers scattered, gasps filled the room, but all I saw was Victor, sprawled on the floor, holding his face with one hand, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.

Jacob, Victor's lawyer, rushed forward. "Aiden, what the hell? What are you doing?" he shouted, throwing his hands up as he tried to get between us.

I barely heard him. My gaze was locked on Victor, my fists clenched so tightly my knuckles turned white. "You put your hands on her," I said, my voice low and menacing, barely restrained. "You think I'm going to sit here and talk? You think I'm going to negotiate with you after that? You fucking asshole, you're dead!"

Victor groaned as he pulled himself up, wiping the blood from his mouth. That smug look was still on his face, though it was faltering now. "It's just business, Asher. No need to get violent," he muttered, chuckling weakly, but his eyes darted between me and Antara with that same revolting arrogance.

"Business?" I nearly spat the word, incredulous. "Business? You think violating someone is just part of your negotiation tactics?"

Jacob stepped closer, trying to defuse the situation. "Aiden, calm down. This is a misunderstanding—Victor didn't mean anything by it. Let's be reasonable here. We can resolve this without violence."

"Without violence?" My voice was shaking now with pure rage. "He had his hand on her. He's lucky he's still standing."

"Look, I understand you're upset," Jacob said, hands out in front of him like he was trying to pacify a wild animal. "But if you keep this up, we won't get anywhere. We have a settlement to discuss. You walk away now, and this entire deal blows up in your face."

I glared at him, incredulous. "You think I give a fuck about your deal right now?"

"Aiden, think," Jacob urged, his tone becoming more frantic. "Do you really want to risk everything over this? One misunderstanding, one mistake—"

"It wasn't a mistake," I growled, stepping closer to Jacob, my fists still clenched. "This isn't negotiable. You want a settlement? Fuck you! I'll make sure I ruin you if it's the last thing I do."

"Aiden, please—" Jacob started, but Victor's voice cut through.

"You're overreacting," Victor said, his voice smug as ever, though there was a faint wince as he straightened his tie. "Antara and I were just coming to an agreement, weren't we? She didn't seem to mind that much."