Danielle’s anger simmered beneath the surface. She thought, ’So this is how it is going to go today, huh? All the me shifts onto me?’


    "You swear?" Danielle’s voice was icy, her eyes locking onto Skr’s with a cold fury that could freeze the room.


    "Miss Danielle Darling, I know you’re jealous of Miss Audrey’s beauty and talent," Skr said, a sharp edge in her tone, "but you can’t just ignore the truth, can you?" She didn’t flinch. She had just taken a few hard ps from Danielle, and the sting of them was still fresh.


    David’s jaw tightened, his eyes darkening as he turned to Nathan. "You know what to do, right?"


    "Yes, Mr. Charrington," Nathan responded smoothly.


    The bodyguards, positioned silently by the door, shifted as if on cue. The air in the room grew thick, and heavy with the anticipation of violence. Anyone unfamiliar with David Charrington might have thought the Darling family was about to be torn apart. Nathan’s voice cut through the tension like a knife.


    "Teach her a lesson."


    Two towering bodyguards stepped toward Skr, their hands gripping her with terrifying force.


    Smack! Smack! Smack!


    The ps rang out, each one sharper and more punishing than thest.


    The first p split Skr’s lip, blood trickling down her chin as she staggered back. She felt two teeth loosen in her mouth.


    But the beating didn’t stop there. Another p. Then another. They hit her more than ten times, each blownding with brutal force, like the bodyguards were savoring the pain they were inflicting.


    The room fell into a stunned silence. The weight of David kicking Audrey across the room still hung in the air, but now, Skr was taking the brunt of the punishment. Skr, who had always been by Audrey’s side. It was like they were hitting Audrey, too.


    The bodyguards stood tall and silent, their presence overwhelming, as if the slightest wrong word would send them charging again.


    Howard, Vivian, and Joseph were frozen, caught off guard by the sudden esction.


    "David, what the hell do you think you’re doing?


    This is the Darling family!" Howard’s voice cracked with anger as he tried to regain control of the situation. "You can’t just go around hitting people!"


    David turned to face him, his eyes hard as ice. "So, you know she spoke out of turn?" he asked, his voice a low growl.


    "I thought you brought Danielle back here to love her, not to let people like her suffer. If you can’t protect her, I’ll take her with me. I’ll protect her myself." His gaze was like a bottomless pit, cold and unforgiving.


    David had always been ruthless, always dangerous, but for Danielle, he’d tolerate nothing less than the best. And if the Darling family made her suffer even a little, he would make them regret it.


    "David," Vivian said, her voice trembling with urgency as she stepped forward. "Danielle is our daughter. We love her! You have to calm down. We won’t let anyone hurt her, I promise."