Hans’s face darkened instantly.
With a sudden wave of his hand, several burly men behind him fanned out, blocking Normand and his friends from leaving.
“Normand, if you don’t take Scarlet with you today, then nobody’s leaving!” Hans’s voice was sharp and vicious.
He’d spent years being overshadowed by Normand, so finally snatching away Normand’s girlfriend had felt like sweet revenge. He’d paraded Scarlet around, relishing his little victory for a few days.
But now, here he was, losing to Normand all over again.
As if that wasn’t bad enough, when he tried to throw Scarlet back at Normand like some used-up castoff, Normand didn’t even want her.
Hans had thought Normand was crazy about Scarlet, but after just a few days, he’d already moved on to someone else.
So in the end, the prize Hans fought so hard for turned out to be something Normand didn’t even care about.
The more he thought about it, the angrier Hans became, his eyes practically blazing with rage.
Normand’s brow furrowed in frustration, his eyes flashing with barely concealed annoyance.
He shook off Hans’s blocking arm with a forceful jerk. “Move.”
Normand didn’t hold back, and Hans, caught off guard, stumbled back a few steps and nearly fell.
“You dare shove me?” Hans roared, finally losing control. He charged at Normand without hesitation.
Normand wasn’t about to back down. He sidestepped Hans’s wild lunge and swung, landing a solid punch on Hans’s shoulder.
The two of them grappled, trading blows as the tension exploded into a full-blown fight.
Seeing this, the others quickly joined in, and chaos erupted.
Amidst the brawl, Scarlet slipped her way through the crowd and strutted up to Mandy.
Gone was the pitiful, innocent act—her face now twisted with malice and provocation. “You really treat my leftovers like some kind of treasure, huh?”
Mandy spared her only a fleeting, indifferent glance before turning her attention back to the fight.
Scarlet’s face contorted even further at being ignored. “I’m talking to you.”
Mandy didn’t so much as flinch.
Would he tell her mom? Would he tell Claire?
While Mandy was still in shock, Scarlet’s slap landed hard across her cheek, knocking her off balance.
Her face stung, but it barely registered. All she could do was look at Liam, dazed.
Liam’s eyes narrowed sharply. He jumped out of the car, shoved Scarlet aside, and hurried to Mandy’s side.
“Are you alright?”
Mandy looked at him, lips parting, but she couldn’t find the words to explain.
Liam didn’t wait for answers. He glanced at the wild brawl still raging behind them, then at the red handprint on Mandy’s face, and without a word, grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
Mandy stumbled after him, barely keeping up as he led her to the car.
They climbed inside, and the Mercedes sped off.
Normand, ignoring the fight, shouted after them, “Hey! Get back here, dammit! That’s my girl!”
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