Page 52 of Blackmail of a Billionaire

Julia struggled to smooth over the situation spiraling wildly out of her control. Kyle didn’t seem to be listening to anything she said.

“Julia,” Kyle said, “step away from him.”

“What?” Grant barked.

“It’s okay, Julia. He can’t hurt you anymore. Just come toward me.”

Julia stood motionless, unable to stop the train barreling toward them. Before she could interject, Grant did. “Hurt her? Okay, that’s enough. Julia, let’s go.” He wrapped his hand around her arm.

“Take your hands off her.”

“Kyle, I’ve told you that you’re wrong.” She tried desperately to make him understand, her fingers wrapped tightly around the cloth napkin.

“I’ve seen enough battered women to know not to take your word for it. I won’t let this happen to you, Julia. You’re too vibrant a woman to be subjected to this. Take your hands off her.”

“I will not,” Grant said. “She’s my wife. And this conversation is over.”

He pulled her closer to him when the doctor reached for her. “I don’t think so.”

Before she realized what was happening, Kyle whisked her swiftly behind him, positioning himself between her and Grant before he twisted and launched a punch that struck Grant in the jaw.

The impact sent Grant reeling backward, his balance lost, crashing into a nearby unoccupied table that clattered loudly in the sudden chaos.

Gasps rang out, including from Julia. “Grant!”

She tried to rush toward him, but Kyle stopped her. “Julia, leave him. Let me take you somewhere safe.”

Grant rose, rubbing his jaw as he steadied himself.

“I don’t think so.” Grant grabbed hold of the man’s shoulder and twisted him around before he landed a punch. Blood sprayed from the doctor’s split lip.

Kyle staggered back but recovered quickly and lunged at Grant. Julia scampered back a few steps as the violence continued. Kyle’s gentle, but misplaced concern contrasted starkly with Grant’s assertive, borderline aggressive behavior. And she stood caught in the middle.

Two waiters raced toward them as cell phones sprang to life, capturing the fight on camera from every possible angle.

Kyle slammed into Grant, sending them both sprawling onto the floor. They rolled across it, slamming into another table and upending it.

“Leave her alone!” Kyle shouted before he landed another blow.

Julia’s mind raced at the sudden outburst of violence. How had this happened? Why? It made no sense.

Two of the waiters finally reached the tangle of men and tugged Kyle off as he struggled to free himself.

“Grant!” Julia cried as she crossed toward him.

Another set of waiters lifted him to his feet as he tried to break free from them. Tension still hung heavy between the two men. “Stay away from my wife.”

“You don’t deserve her,” Kyle shouted back, yanking at his limbs in a desperate attempt to free him.

Julia reached Grant’s side, studying the bruise already forming on his jaw.

Kyle offered her a pinched glance. “Julia, don’t. Just…think about what I said.”

Before she could react to the statement, police swarmed them, separating the two men and handcuffing them both while they sorted out the situation.

“You wanna tell me what happened here?” a uniformed officer asked Julia, a notepad in his hand.

Julia’s mind whirled to piece together the incident. It had gone from the assumption Grant was abusive and escalated from there. She flicked her still wide-eyed gaze from Grant to Kyle before it landed on the officer. “It was a misunderstanding.”

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