Chapter 3 - The Hand That Shielded Her
Before Tyler’s fingers could graze Clara’s skin, Matteo’s bodyguard stepped between them, towering over Tyler like an iron wall.
Matteo didn't even look at Tyler. He turned his focus down toward Clara, his dark eyes softening slightly as he took in her trembling shoulders, her pale face, and the subtle red bruises hidden under the collar of her white silk dress.
"You’re safe now..." Matteo said in a chilling, quiet whisper that carried absolute certainty. "...but you’re coming with me."
Tyler backed away frantically, nearly tripping over the dining chairs as he retreated toward the restaurant exit. "She’s my fiancée! You can't just take her! Her father’s company owes my firm fifteen million dollars! You have no legal right!"
Matteo didn't reply to Tyler’s desperate shrieks. He reached down and offered his hand to Clara—not with force, but with quiet, patient respect.
Clara looked at his large, tattooed hand, then up into his dark, intense eyes. For the first time in two nightmare years, she felt a flicker of hope flare in her chest. She placed her trembling fingers in his palm.
Matteo gently lifted her from her seat, draping his heavy dark wool coat over her bare shoulders to protect her from the cool night air and the staring eyes of the restaurant patrons.
"Who are you?" Clara asked softly, her voice barely audible as they walked out into the private alleyway where a fleet of black armored SUVs waited.
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"I’m the man who is going to destroy Tyler Vance," Matteo replied simply.
👉 Keep reading to find out why Matteo was really watching Clara's table tonight.
