Before the knife could even be hurled, Kristina reacted as though she had already anticipated it.
Her leg lashed out in a sharp, fluid motion; Alec's wrist was knocked downward, and his hand was forced firmly against the couch. The blade slipped free and struck the floor with a hard clatter.
Without hesitation, she seized the bottle and brought it crashing down onto his skull. The shattered glass left a jagged, blood-smeared edge that she pressed straight against his thick neck.
Her stunning face held the chill of a death angel. "Are you looking to die?"
The instant the question left her lips, a furious voice erupted behind her. "Kristina? Stop it!"
Matthew emerged from the private room across the corridor, still reeling from the brutal scene he had just witnessed.
Was that really Kristina?
Once the shock settled, his gaze dropped to her smooth thigh, and an unexplainable irritation flared in his eyes. "Why did you come somewhere like this? What kind of trouble are you stirring up? Let him go."
Kristina turned toward him. During the struggle, her clothes had been slightly torn, exposing part of her shoulder. A smear of blood stained her skin, the stark contrast making it even more striking.
Not a trace remained of the gentle, virtuous housewife she once appeared to be.
Matthew was even more infuriated and wanted to scold Kristina further, but Mabel cut him off. "Matthew, you only showed up once everything was finished. How convenient."
Only then did Matthew notice that the woman fighting alongside Kristina was none other than Mabel Davies. The Davies family was one of the four powerful ones in Ouverpus.
Kristina, a woman whose life had once revolved around cooking and housework, actually knew someone from the Davies family?
And had Mabel just shown her those moves right there on the spot? Kristina had executed them almost flawlessly.
"Uncle Alec?" At that moment, Zoe rushed out from behind Matthew and hurried over, anxiously reaching for Alec, whose wrist had been held down by Kristina. "Kristina, what are you doing? Let go of my uncle."
Kristina was caught off guard, and in that brief lapse of focus, Alec managed to jerk himself free. "Zoe, this woman's completely insane."
Zoe helped him stand, and the moment her hands touched him, they were instantly smeared with blood. Even the pristine white of her dress quickly turned red, making the injury appear even more alarming.
Matthew's brows drew together tightly. "Kristina, why aren't you at home at this hour? All you ever do is create problems. Go back home now."
Mabel was about to explain what had actually happened when Zoe cut in, her voice trembling, "Matthew, my uncle is seriously injured. We have to take him to the hospital."
A thought crossed Alec's mind. He let out a dramatic groan and allowed his heavy body to slump toward the floor.
Matthew's expression turned serious. He stepped forward at once and personally helped Alec to his feet. "Hang on. I'll take you to the hospital right now."
Most of Alec's weight leaned against him. The proud young heir of the Cooper family now looked thoughtful and considerate, patiently supporting Alec.
He never once asked what had caused the fight, nor did he ask whether Kristina had been hurt.
Instead, he gently reminded Zoe to watch out for the broken glass scattered across the floor.
He treated Kristina as though she did not exist while showing Zoe obvious concern.
Mabel planted her hands on her waist in anger. "Just look at him. What kind of man behaves like that? You might as well put a bullet in that bastard and send him straight to hell."
Kristina merely watched the group as they walked away, her gaze steady and calm. "Let them go. People who don't matter anymore aren't worth ruining our mood."
The manager quickly arranged for the mess to be cleaned up, and before long, fresh drinks were brought out again.
The eight male escorts Mabel had ordered lined up neatly in a row.
The music started again, and the lively energy of the place returned almost immediately.
In the private lounge on the third floor, Cristian slapped his hands together and laughed. "So that was really Kristina. I've crossed paths with her a few times before. Always seemed dull as dirt. Never guessed she had that kind of temper when nobody's watching. And those strikes were clean and merciless. Nothing like the quiet woman I remembered. But Braeden, your nephew's really something else. His wife got harassed and he didn't even defend her; instead, he sided with the asshole and scolded her. No wonder she ran off to a bar to blow off some steam."
Braeden lounged back as his gaze drifted lazily toward the scene below, a faint trace of dark amusement flickering in his eyes.
