Hopefully
1167 Words
The bodyguards edged closer, forming a circle around them.
But even in the face of this threat, Alex remained composed. He glanced at the men surrounding them, then back at Victoria. He flashed a reassuring smile that seemed completely out of place in such a tense moment. Yet that smile filled Victoria with a strange sense of calm, as though Alex knew something she didn’t.
"Don’t worry," Alex said quietly. "I promised you I’d protect you. And I always keep my promises."
Victoria could barely believe his calm demeanor. The odds were stacked against them. There was no way he could take on all these men.
But Alex didn’t seem concerned at all.
He then turned to the bodyguards. "You really don’t want to do this," he said, his voice carrying an almost dangerous edge. "I’m giving you one chance to stand down and let us go."
The bodyguards hesitated, glancing at each other, unsure of how to react.
Edward, seeing their uncertainty, barked, "Don’t just stand there! Restrain him!"
At that command, the bodyguards moved in. But before any of them could lay a hand on Alex, his body shifted with lightning speed, and within seconds, he had disarmed two of the guards, effortlessly neutralizing their threat. His movements were almost too fast to follow.
Victoria gasped, watching in awe as Alex handled the situation with the ease of someone far more dangerous than he appeared.
The remaining guards hesitated. Alex straightened, dusting himself off.
"I don’t want to hurt anyone," Alex said, addressing the remaining guards. "But I will if I have to."
Edward, visibly shaken, took a cautious step back, realizing that this man wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
"We’re leaving," Alex said firmly.
But before Alex could do so, Dorian stepped forward, his face twisted with anger. His eyes were locked on Alex, who remained unnervingly calm, now holding Victoria’s hand as if they were simply taking a stroll.
"You think you can just walk out of here with her?" Dorian spat. His hand moved to his coat, and within seconds, he pulled out a sleek, black handgun. The sound of it c*****g echoed in the room, freezing everyone in place.
Victoria gasped. "Dorian, no!" she cried out, stepping closer to Alex as if to shield him.
But Alex didn’t flinch. His expression didn’t change, not even when Dorian pointed the gun directly at him. He looked down at Victoria, his grip on her hand tightening slightly. "Stay behind me," he ordered softly.
Dorian’s eyes narrowed. "You think you’re better than me, don’t you? Parading around like you’re some kind of hero." He sneered, taking a step closer. "You’re a fraud. And I won’t let you humiliate me."
The gathered family remained silent, too stunned to intervene. Lord Edward, meanwhile, stood frozen, watching the scene unfold.
"Dorian, stop this madness!" Thomas yelled, panic filling his voice as he saw where this was heading. "We can resolve this another way—"
"There’s no other way," Dorian interrupted sharply, his gaze never leaving Alex. "This ends here."
The air seemed to thicken with each second as Dorian's finger twitched near the trigger. Victoria, trembling with fear, looked up at Alex, silently pleading with him to do something.
But Alex remained calm, his eyes fixed on Dorian. "You don’t want to do this, Blackwood," he said. "Put the gun down. You’re making a mistake."
Dorian laughed bitterly. "A mistake? No, the mistake was letting you live this long." His voice was the kind of cold that came from deep-seated hatred. "But don’t worry—this ends now."
And then, Dorian’s finger squeezed the trigger.
Victoria’s scream pierced the air. Everything seemed to slow down.
But Alex was faster. In a blur of movement, he let go of Victoria’s hand and darted toward Dorian, deflecting the gun to the side just as the shot rang out. The deafening c***k of the bullet echoed through the room, but it lodged harmlessly into the wall.
In one swift motion, Alex disarmed Dorian, wrenching the gun from his grip and tossing it far across the room. Dorian staggered backward, his eyes wide with disbelief as Alex easily overpowered him.
For a moment, there was only stunned silence. The entire room watched. Alex had moved like a trained soldier.
Victoria stared at Alex in shock. She had always known he was strong, but this… this was something else entirely.
Alex seemed to be playing with death so easily.
Dorian, seething with rage, scrambled to his feet. "Who the hell are you?" he spat with a trembling voice.
Alex stood tall. He didn’t answer Dorian’s question. Instead, he turned to Victoria, his expression softening as he reached for her hand once again. "It’s time to go," he said gently, as if the chaos around them hadn’t even happened.
But Dorian wasn’t done. He lunged forward, screaming in fury. But Alex effortlessly sidestepped him, sending him sprawling to the floor with a swift movement.
"Enough!" Alex’s voice rang out sharply. He stood over Dorian with cold eyes. "You lost, Blackwood. Walk away."
For a moment, Dorian lay there, breathing heavily as he clenched his fists. His bodyguards hesitated, unsure whether to intervene after seeing how easily Alex had taken down several of their own. It seemed they saw something in him that made them dare not harm him.
Finally, with a growl, Dorian pushed himself to his feet. "This isn’t over," he growled, brushing dirt from his jacket. He glared at Victoria. "You’ll regret this, both of you."
Victoria tightened her grip on Alex’s hand. She glanced at her parents, who remained speechless, watching in shock. Lord Edward stood stiffly, his face pale, while the rest of the family murmured among themselves.
Alex met Dorian’s gaze one last time. "Walk away while you still can," he said quietly. "Next time, I won’t be so merciful."
Dorian’s eyes flickered. For the first time, he seemed to understand that he had underestimated Alex drastically. But his pride wouldn’t let him back down completely. With a final look, he turned and stormed out of the room, his bodyguards trailing behind him.
The room fell into an uneasy silence, trying to process what had just happened.
Alex looked down at Victoria, offering her a small smile. "You okay?"
She nodded shakily. "How did you— " she began, but the words faltered on her lips. She couldn’t even begin to ask how he had done all of that so effortlessly.
"Later," Alex whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Let’s get out of here first."
Without another word, they turned and left the ancestral home, leaving behind the shocked stares and whispered voices of Victoria’s family.
As they stepped outside, the cool evening air hit them, and Victoria finally exhaled the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her mind was still spinning from everything that had just happened, but one thing was clear—she had made the right choice by trusting Alex.
Hopefully.
- Writer
