When did I become his?, Henrik was at it again, stirring the pot just for the sake of it., The air instantly filled with the scent of burnt gunpowder, and there I was, the matchstick., Conrad tightened his grip on my hand, his eyes darkening as he glared at Henrik,

"If Mr. Henrik is looking to make this a matter for the police, then by all means, keep it up.

", Henrik just laughed,

"Using the cops against me, Conrad? You really can't compare to James, no wonder she chose him over you back then.

", I gasped. That man really knew how to hit below the belt, pitting Ernest and Conrad against each other., Conrad, already not in the best of moods, looked even more sour. Ernest was his Achilles' heel, and Henrik just had to poke at it.,

"Henrik, you can have your beef with whoever you want, but you leave Felicia out of it,

" Conrad warned him., Henrik, holding my wrist with a look of faux tenderness, assured,

"Don't worry, I wouldn't dream of hurting her. Such a sweet girl, how could I?

", His eyes, deep and intense, seemed to carry an effect of sincerity, especially when he focused like that.,

"I plan to keep her with me,

" he said, not just with affection in his gaze but in his words as well.,

"Not happening,

" Conrad snapped., Henrik remained calm, ignoring Conrad and turning to me,

"Sweetheart, it's your call. Stay or go?

" Henrik was a master at defusing situations by putting the ball in my court.,

"Felicia, don't be scared, I'm here to take you away,

" Conrad assured me with a determined look. Despite his past mistakes, he was fearless when it came to protecting me., Behind Henrik stood two towering bodyguards, ready to pounce at his mere glance. Conrad, though strong, didn't have the military background that James boasted. Facing off against two was a tall order. , Besides, I wasn't keen on leaving. Henrik clearly had bigger plans, and leaving might not even be an option. Plus, it would surely set him off., His current demeanor towards me was neutral because I hadn't crossed him yet. If I just walked away, I doubted he'd keep smiling.,

"Conrad, just go,

" I made my decision., Conrad's eyes narrowed,

"Felicia, I told you, you don't have to fear him.

",

"It's not about fear. He's not threatening me; I want to stay,

" I said earnestly., But Conrad wasn't convinced. He glared at Henrik,

"Really? Using a woman to get your way? Doesn't seem very manly to me.

", Henrik seemed amused rather than provoked, hitting back at Conrad,

"A real man wouldn't put his woman in a tough spot. She wants to stay, so why are you still yapping?

" , 'Yapping' almost made me burst into laughter. Henrik was a character, alright. It seemed he'd spent enough time in the West to pick up on some of our slang., Now, I was intrigued by his past, and maybe even his connection to Ernest., Conrad, speechless from Henrik's comeback, heard me say again,

"Conrad, just go. I'm fine here.

", I looked him in the eyes, signaling him to trust me., He understood but was still worried,,

"Felicia, do you even know what he, plans to do with you? And do you, know who he really is? How can you think a wolf won't eat meat?

", , en FindNovel, QUMS, Conrad's analogy was spot on; Henrik was indeed a wolf, biding his time., And that wolf lost his patience under Conrad's constant prodding. His eyes narrowed,

"Perhaps you'd like a firsthand experience on how this wolf devours its prey?

", As he spoke, the two bodyguards made their move towards Conrad, but I immediately shouted,

"Henrik.

", Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.