A Reluctant Promise

The moment he heard that frantic, tearful voice, Dominic’s face turned dark.

He slammed his foot on the gas, twisted the steering wheel, and executed a sharp turn.

Unprepared, Valerie was thrown against the car door, her forehead struck by a flying ornament, which tore a gash into her skin.

Blood streamed down her face as she cried out in pain, clutching the wound with a hand and looking at him in bewilderment.

He hadn’t even noticed that she was injured.

His focus was entirely on getting to Camilla. His eyes were alight with barely contained fury, though his voice was steady.

“Don’t be afraid. Where are you now? Don’t hang up—I’ll be there in five minutes.”

All the questions she had been about to ask froze on her lips at his words.

She pulled out some tissues from her bag and pressed them against the bleeding wound.

The GPS repeatedly warned them of speeding, but Dominic ignored it, running through red lights without hesitation.

Seeing how fast they were going, Valerie adjusted her seatbelt.

Five minutes later, the car skidded to a stop in front of a bar.

It seemed as though Dominic had forgotten she was even in the car. He tore off his seatbelt and sprinted away.

Valerie hesitated before following him.

As soon as she entered the bar, she saw the shattered tables scattered across the lobby and immediately sensed something was wrong.

The sounds of shouting and fighting came from the second floor. She climbed the stairs and found herself in the middle of chaos, with two groups shoving and yelling at each other.

Near the entrance to the private room stood Dominic and four or five of his friends, having just arrived.

The man on the other side was someone Valerie recognized—Nate Thatcher, a well-known rival in their social circle and a long-standing adversary of Dominic.

Dominic had the perfect appearance and a good personality. From childhood, he had always excelled in everything he did. His love life, however, had its share of chaos as no heir from a wealthy family led a completely disciplined life.

His privileges and charms had earned him admiration from all the other socialites and heirs, making him the envy of many.

In contrast, Nate was everything Dominic was not. He was reckless, extravagant, and infamous for his wild lifestyle.

He was the poison in their social circle, a troublemaker through and through. His disdain for Dominic’s success had turned into relentless rivalry over time.

Dominic, however, ignored him at every turn, which only seemed to deepen Nate’s resentment of him.

After having harassed Camilla, Nate thought it was the perfect opportunity to settle the score.

With ten or so of his own men, Nate and his crew had completely surrounded the private room.

His blood-soaked hand continued to drip with crimson through his wrappings and his dark eyes radiated menace.

“The surveillance footage shows everything, Dominic. It’s clear that you made the first move. What? You’re trying to twist the truth and protect yourself? You think you can get away with this?”

Dominic’s lips twisted into a cold smirk as he drew Camilla into his arms. His voice was calm but sharp.

“You want compensation? Name your price.”

Seeing how much Dominic cared, Nate smiled mockingly, his eyes gleaming with menace.

“Compensation? She smashed my hand to the point of nearly breaking it. Of course, I’m going to the police! I’ll file a lawsuit if I have to, and if necessary, she’ll sit in jail!”

The expressions on Dominic and his men grew tense.

Dominic’s brow twitched as veins bulged on his forehead. His fury was barely held in check.

“This is such a minor thing. Do you really need to escalate this? Picking on a girl—what’s the point? If you want to cause trouble, then come at me,” he said through gritted teeth.

It was exactly the response Nate had been waiting for.

He signaled to one of his underlings to grab the fruit knife from the table. His voice dripped with malice.

“Fine. I won’t make this difficult for you. She destroyed my hand, so you’ll lose one hand too. That way, we’ll be even!”

Before the effect of his words had fully settled, the sharp blade of the fruit knife plunged into the door with a swift motion.

Several of Dominic’s friends immediately shielded him, their faces furious as they glared at Nate.

“Look, we’re all part of the same social circle! Don’t push it too far!”

Despite their words, no one knew better than Dominic just how serious the situation had become.

Nate had injured his hand that day. Even if things could be temporarily smoothed over, Dominic knew that Nate’s hatred ran deep.

He would find every possible way to retaliate, sooner or later.

If Nate couldn’t directly target him, he would attack his weak spot.

And everyone knew that Camilla was his weak spot.

Although Dominic could protect Camilla, the world was vast, and there would always be places he couldn’t keep watch over her. He couldn’t risk Camilla falling into danger in the future.

The best solution was to end everything today.

Having weighed the stakes and the consequences, Dominic no longer hesitated. He pushed the people beside him away.

His friends were shocked. They rushed to grab his hand, trying to stop him from doing something foolish.

“Dominic! Are you insane? You’re a pilot—if you damage your hand, your entire career is over!”

“She’s just some woman. Is she really worth it?”

But his gaze turned colder than ever before as he looked directly at Nate.

“Are you serious about this?”

“Of course.”

Dominic yanked the knife out of the door.

All the blood drained from Valerie’s face.

Her heart climbed to her throat, and before she could stop him, Dominic had already shielded the terrified Camilla. She had been crying to the point of fainting and had used his coat to block her view. He spoke in a low, steady voice to comfort her.

“Don’t be afraid. It’ll be over soon.”

With those words, amidst countless shocked gazes, Dominic raised the knife and drove it cleanly into the palm of his right hand.

A jet of blood shot out like a geyser, splattering everywhere. It was horrifying to witness.

His face paled in an instant, but he clenched his teeth tightly, and let out a muffled groan.

He didn’t want to frighten Camilla.

Through it all, he never once looked at Valerie.