Enraptured

Chapter 38

Theo's voice grew louder as I stalked toward the crowd. Even if I couldn't make out his words, I could already tell how upset he was by just the tone of his voice.

"How dare you hurt Ms. Belle?!"

The crowd immediately parted for me as I strode passed them with two guards trailing behind me.

My mood was already bad after dealing that unconscious idiot upstairs and only dropped several degrees lower with this new fiasco. As such, most of the guests diverted their eyes, instinctively knowing not to test my temper in my current state.

Some random woman's voice rang out from the center of the crowd.

"Who do you think you are accusing? You're clearly mistaken, young man. I am an elite woman who would never do such a lowly thing, so please take your tantrum elsewhere."

"I'm not mistaken. I saw you do it!"

"Look here now, kid. There's no need to try to blame your embarrassment on me. Your mother is just not fit for upper society and tripped over her own two feet."

Once I broke into the circle's center, Theo's voice suddenly rang out, "You're lying! I saw you stick your foot out and kick Ms. Belle!"

He stood protectively in front of his mother with his arms stretched out to either side as if his little five-year-old body could somehow hide her from the world. Belle had a soft hand on his shoulder, trying to stop him from shouting, but he had a fiery glare in his eyes as he defiantly stared up at the woman standing across from them.

The woman was dressed in a skin-tight evening gown that did little to cover up her assets. She was littered with comically large jewels, and her face was caked with makeup. There were even a couple of other similarly dressed women standing behind her.

Weren't they the ones who I saw talking to Belle earlier? I guess the conversation wasn't as friendly as I thought...

The moment that I stepped out, she immediately snapped her mouth shut. She plastered a smile on her face to cover up her previously disgusting snarl and greeted, "Ah, Demetrius. There you are." She hurriedly ran up to me and wrapped herself around my arms, pressing her breasts up against me as she pleadingly looked up at me. "Can you tell him that I didn't hurt his mother? You know that I would never hurt others."

I couldn't quite remember who she was, but I knew that I definitely didn't like her touching me. I had almost never allowed for physical affection by anyone before I met Belle, and this woman's touch only reminded me of why.

It just felt too icky.

I swiftly pulled myself away from her and walked over to Theo.

Belle was hunched over as she begged Theo in a whisper to stop. She was leaning obviously to one side, so there must've been at least some truth to Theo's words about her getting hurt.

She looked up at me worriedly when she noticed me coming closer and immediately pulled Theo closer to her. She pleaded shakily, "D-Demetri, I-I'm sorry about Theo, b-but it's really nothing. S-she's right. I j-just a-accidentally—"

I reached up to cup her cheek with my hand and leaned down to press our lips together, effectively cutting off her words. She tried to resist at first, tensing up under my touch, but she quickly melted into me and relaxed into my body.

When I pulled away, I whispered softly, "You're a terrible liar, darling."

She flushed under my gaze and diverted her eyes without another word.

Releasing my hold on Belle, I kneeled down to Theo's height and called out to him, "Theo."

His little fists were clenched at his side as he ignored my call and continued to glare ferociously at the woman from before. It was the first time I had seen him so mad before.