Hmm, Erik wasn't a man with many moral limits. If someone made him uncomfortable, he would absolutely make them wish they were dead. Yet, with just a light sentence from Janelle, he backed down.
The two went straight to the underground parking garage.
"Have you found them yet?" Janelle asked. This incident was definitely not an accident; someone was targeting them.
"Don't worry. I've already sent people to handle it." Those who provoked him would never be let off.
"Mmm." Janelle didn't inquire further.
Reaching the car, Erik handed the keys to Janelle.
"Go to my place. I'll treat the cuts on your hands." He was well-equipped to handle these kinds of wounds. For someone accustomed to injuries, they were no big deal.
"Mmm."
Janelle drove while Erik sat in the passenger seat scrolling through his phone. Seeing the online comments, a faint smile touched his lips. Janelle glanced sideways at him. What was he looking at that made him smile?
"The netizens say we look really well-matched. Handsome man, beautiful woman," Erik said, holding the phone towards her.
Janelle gave it a cursory look. Erik must have locked down the news, as the internet was now abuzz with speculation about whether they were still alive.
Exiting the garage, Janelle spotted Westin and Lillie still outside the hospital. What are these two doing here? Probably checking to see if I'm dead. Hah!
Erik saw them too. Remembering how they had treated her, his heart ached with protectiveness. If she weren't driving, he'd have pulled her into his arms right then. From now on, he would shield her. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her again.
Erik called one of his men. "These two annoy me. Handle it." After hanging up, he sent their photos over.
Seeing the pictures, Erik's men immediately intercepted Westin and Lillie. Westin, faced with these unfriendly men in black, started trembling. They'd just been kicked out, now what did they want?
"What do you want? Do you know who I am? Get lost!" Westin regretted coming here. The men looked at Lillie behind him; her face paled instantly.
"Dad!"
Westin stepped protectively in front of Lillie.
"You, come with me. I want a word," one of the black-clad men said to Westin.
"..." Did they know each other? What word was there to have?
"Move!" the man said impatiently.
"What are you doing? If you keep this up, I'll call the police!" Westin tried to sound brave.
The man grabbed him, hauled him up, and dragged him into an alley opposite the hospital. Westin was terrified. Since marrying Madalyn and rising to the elite, no one had dared treat him this way. Now, in Graham City, these people showed him no respect.
"What do you want? I see... you just want money, right? How much? I'll give you whatever you want, just don't hurt me or my daughter!" Lillie was his pride now; he wouldn't allow anyone to harm her. He still needed her to rise further!
"Money? You think we've never seen money?" Erik was extremely generous to his men; they never lacked for cash.
"That's not what I meant! You brought me here for money, right? Name your price!" Weren't they just after money?
The man shoved him hard against the wall. "Don't mess with people you shouldn't." With that, he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks on Westin. Westin didn't dare fight back. After the beating, the men filmed Westin's battered state and sent the video to Erik. Was this level sufficient? Would Erik be satisfied?
Nearby, Lillie was frozen with terror. What were they doing? Were they Janelle's people? If these were Janelle's men, then she was truly terrifying.
"Who are you people?" Lillie couldn't help asking. "Did Janelle send you? Is she... not dead?" Damn Janelle! It had to be her. In Graham City, only she would dare treat her this way.
"I don't know any Janelle," the man replied coldly. "But that face of yours pisses me off. Don't let me see it again, or I won't be polite." Daring to provoke Erik made his fists itch. But since she was a woman, he couldn't be bothered. After roughing up the pair, the men left.
Lillie rushed over to help Westin up. "Dad! Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Take me to the hospital! Now!" Beaten senseless for no reason, Westin ached all over. He wanted revenge, but didn't even know who they were! The feeling was utterly humiliating. Lillie took him back to the hospital, but the entire ER was swamped with victims from the pileup; no one had time for him.
Meanwhile, Erik and Janelle had arrived at Erik's villa. Inside, alone, Erik had Janelle sit on the sofa while he fetched the first aid kit. It wasn't the first time he'd tended her wounds. Yet, every time he saw an injury on her, his heart still clenched with pain. Her hand was just scratched; the blood had already clotted. But he insisted on cleaning and treating it properly.
"It really isn't necessary," Janelle said, slightly exasperated. Over the years on the border, she'd sustained countless injuries, big and small. Sometimes, she only noticed them after they'd healed.
Erik strongly disapproved of that attitude. "What about tetanus? Janelle, take better care of yourself."
"..."
Seeing her hand was dirty, he led her to the bathroom to wash it.
"I can do it myself," she protested. Why was he following her into the bathroom?
"I'll wash it for you." Erik turned on warm water and guided her hand under the stream. The warm water felt soothing. He then squeezed some hand soap into his palm and gently massaged it over her hands. They'd slept together twice, yet him washing her hands like this now... Janelle's heartbeat shifted subtly. He seemed to genuinely care for her. What did this man want? To have her body wasn't enough? Did he want her heart too? A man like Erik could have any woman he desired. Why did he have to be so good to her? In these past few days in Graham City, he truly had devoted all his time to her.
"Erik, you..." Janelle began, but Erik released her hand, grabbed a towel, and dried it gently.
"Come on. Time to disinfect," he said, taking her hand again and leading her out of the bathroom.
Janelle frowned.