Chapter 388
The water kept running in the bathroom, filling the air with steam. White foam spread across the tiles, and bottles of every color lay scattered everywhere.
Charlotte lounged in the bathtub, water rising just to her collarbone. Her long, pale legs stretched out onto the floor as she braced herself on the edge of the tub, cheeks flushed pink.
The door swung open. Anthony walked in and stopped dead, caught off guard by the sight and the hazy mist swirling around him. His breath hitched, and his dark eyes suddenly looked even deeper.
She hadn’t expected him to barge in. Color rushed in and out of her face as she bit her lip, trying to play it cool. “Are you just going to stand there, or are you going to help me?”
When she shifted, Anthony finally noticed the bruises on her skin. A huge, deep purple mark darkened her waist, almost shocking under the bright bathroom light.
His whole expression chilled. He grabbed a clean bathrobe from the rack and bent down, scooping Charlotte out of the tub. Water dripped down, splashing onto the floor, but all he could think about was the ache that ripple sent through his chest.
The injury looked bad.
Anthony’s brow furrowed as he carried her into the bedroom and gently set her on the bed. His face was tense, silent, as he started to work her robe open.
Charlotte tensed up, grabbing at the collar. Her lashes were wet and trembling, and her wide eyes looked heartbreakingly vulnerable.
Anthony didn’t pause, pulling the fabric back with a firm tug.
“You
Her protest didn’t get far. Before she could fight back, the robe slipped away. Anthony yanked the bedding over her, careful to leave her injured waist uncovered.
“Did this happen when you jumped out of the car?” he asked, sitting at the edge of the bed. His gaze stayed glued to the bruise, and his breaths came heavy. Charlotte’s skin was so fair that even the smallest mark stood out. If she hadn’t slipped and he hadn’t walked in, she probably would’ve hidden it from him.
Charlotte looked up, caught in his furious, guilty stare, and gave a tiny nod. “Yeah.” “Lie down and stay still.”
A few seconds passed in silence. Then Anthony snatched his phone and called Hans. “Bring up some ointment for bruises.”
Minutes later, someone knocked at the door.
“Anthony, these are all steroid-free,” Hans said, holding out a handful of creams.
Out in the hall, Adonis and Adler had
been
Quched by the door, and
when they heard thee
bruise,
their eyes went wide.
Bruises? That bastard. Total animal.
Adonis clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and stormed forward, ready to confront Anthony.
“You”
The word barely left his mouth before the door slammed shut. Adonis stood there, his voice caught in his throat.
Hans watched him, rubbing his nose and trying not to laugh. “Adonis, we should probably stay out of it. Otherwise
“Otherwise what?” Adonis huffed, arms crossed over his chest.
“When couples fight, it’s always the
people around them who suffer,” Hans replied, sounding like he’d been through it. “My face is still peeling from that sunburn in the desert. I’m not risking more.”
“So you’re saying, if I pick a fight with Anthony, Charlotte’s going to defend him?” Adonis.grumbled, sounding almost öffended, is Charlotte really like that?”
Silence answered him.
Thinking back on all the times Charlotte had stood up for Anthony… maybe she
was.
Adonis’s mouth twitched. He shut up and quietly stepped back to his spot.