Chapter 41: Under Sugar Daddy Protection

Chapter 41: Chapter 41: Under Sugar Daddy Protection

~Reynold’s POV~

I didn’t even flinch.

But before his fist could come anywhere near my skin, a heavy, unyielding hand shot out from the side, catching Thomas’s wrist mid-air with bone-crushing force.

Thomas struggled against the man’s grip, his face burning a furious, ugly crimson as he tried to yank his arm free.

I stared up at the stranger in the black suit, stunned by his sudden appearance. "Who are you?"

The man released Thomas’s wrist with a sharp shove and calmly stepped in between us, completely unfazed by the tension. He looked directly at me. "Sir, my boss sent me. He instructed me to stay close and make sure you’re safe while you’re on campus."

My eyes widened. Frederick actually sent someone here to protect me?

Around us, the cafe erupted into low murmurs. Whispers rippled through the tables.

"What kind of person did he get himself involved with?"

"Whoever that boss is, he must be insanely powerful..."

Julian whipped his head around, staring from the bodyguard back to me with wide, disbelieving eyes. "Reynold... did he just call you sir? Who the hell is this boss?"

Thomas sneered, regaining his footing and trying to salvage his shattered pride in front of the crowd. "Did he just call you ’sir’? Reynold, you’re really trying so hard to look important! Did you plan all of this? Who did you borrow that car from, and since when are you anything more than a broke nobody? How much did you pay this guy to put on this little acting gig?"

The bodyguard didn’t even blink at Thomas’s pathetic outburst. His expression remained cold as he spoke in a calm, authoritative voice.

"My boss gave me explicit orders to protect you, sir. If anyone refuses to stop harassing you, you have every right to call the police. And my boss has enough influence to make sure they face federal charges and spend a very long time behind bars."

Julian opened his mouth, then looked at me again, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Reynold... who the hell is this boss of yours?"

Damian quickly grabbed Thomas’s arm, his eyes darting nervously around the crowded café. "Let’s go, brother. That’s enough."

"No!" Thomas snarled, shaking Damian off. He pointed a trembling finger at me. "Did you just hear the way he insulted our mother?! And you expect me to just leave him alone? Not happening!"

The bodyguard took a step forward, his posture instantly becoming more intimidating. "I’m calling the police right now."

Realizing the situation was completely spiraling out of their control, Damian grabbed Thomas’s sleeve again. "Brother, please. Let’s just go before security gets involved!"

Thomas yanked his arm away and glared at me with pure venom.

"I’m going to tell Father about this! And I’ll make sure he cuts off your mother’s medical treatment so she can stay sick forever!"

A cold, fearless anger surged through me. I looked him straight in the eye. "Go ahead. I honestly don’t care anymore."

I paused, letting my words sink in before adding, "But let me tell you something, Thomas—the ones who really need to visit a psychiatric hospital right now are you and Damian. Or maybe you should both see a therapist, because your healing is going to take a very, very long time."

Thomas’s chest heaved as his face twisted with fury. "You—!"

"Try to take your mother with you, too," I added sweetly. "You all seriously need the healing."

Thomas shrieked and raised his hand, lunging toward me again.

The bodyguard took a single, heavy step forward, his hand dropping toward his jacket. "Try it, and you won’t have hands left to swing."

Thomas froze, slowly lowering his arm with a bitter grimace. He spat onto the floor near my shoes.

"This is not over!" he hissed before turning on his heel and storming out of the café, with Damian scrambling to keep up.

As soon as they disappeared through the doors, the bodyguard turned to me. "Boss said you should answer your phone, sir."

I blinked and reached into my pocket. Gosh. My phone had been on silent ever since I walked into my morning classes.

"I’ll be right back, Julian," I told my friend, who was still sitting frozen in his chair. "I need to take this."

The bodyguard shadowed me step for step as I walked away from the tables and slipped into a quiet, empty corner near the hallway. I pulled out my phone and called Frederick back.

It connected on the second ring.

"Hello," Frederick’s smooth, deep voice came through the speaker.

"Hello," I answered softly.

"What’s going on?" he asked directly.

"Hello," I answered softly.

"What’s going on?" he asked directly.

"My brother just came over to pick a fight with me," I told him, keeping my voice low. "I didn’t even do anything wrong. I didn’t start anything—he just wanted to hurt me."

"Reynold," Frederick warned.

I stayed quiet, looking down at the floor.

He called my name again, softer this time. "Reynold."

"Yes, Daddy," I whispered.

"This is no time for jokes," he said, his tone turning sharp. "Do you want me to pull you out of this school and send you abroad to finish your studies? Do you want that?"

"I wasn’t the one who picked the fight," I protested, a familiar flash of defiance flaring up.

"Come on, Reynold. I don’t want you getting hurt. Just ignore them."

"I only went there to eat with my friend, and he came up to me. He started it first!"

"I know," Frederick sighed on the other end. "I know everything... because I sent that man to watch you for me. So, Reynold, I’m not trying to blame you. I just want you safe, okay?"

I bit my lip. "Okay."

"If you want your revenge on your family, and I know you do, then you have to stay calm and play it smart, okay?

"Okay," I mumbled, a grudging warmth spreading through my chest. "But... you didn’t trust me. You thought I picked the fight first."

"I do trust you," Frederick murmured. "I know you’re a good boy. So just focus on your classes and let my men handle the trash. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. Talk to you later."

"Bye," I whispered.

The call ended. I lowered my phone and glanced around the hallway. The bodyguard had stepped back out of sight, but I knew he was still nearby, keeping watch.

I took a deep breath, smoothed down my shirt, and walked back to the table where Julian was waiting.

The moment I sat down, Julian stared at me, his eyes filled with curiosity.

"Reynold... who was that man? And who in the world is his boss?"

I gave him a small smile and shook my head. "Come on, Julian. Let’s just order some food. We can talk about that later."

Julian stared at me for a moment, clearly not satisfied with my answer, before finally letting out a resigned sigh.

"Okay... but you’re definitely telling me everything later."

I smiled. "We’ll see."

We ordered our food, ate quickly, and then headed back across campus for our afternoon class. The class dragged on much longer than we expected, the clock seeming to move painfully slowly. Finally, the professor packed up his materials, dismissed us, and walked out.

As we packed our bags, Julian turned to me with an eager look. "Hey, we should go out tonight. Clear your head."

"Not tonight," I told him, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "I have to go home early. I have things I need to take care of."

Julian pouted, crossing his arms. "Maybe another time, then. But you still haven’t told me who that man was or who his boss is."

I gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Don’t worry, Julian. When the time is right, you’ll know. For now, I really need to go."

He sighed, realizing he wasn’t going to get anything out of me. "Alright."

We parted ways, and I walked straight to my car, driving home without stopping.

When I finally got home, I went straight to my bedroom. Once I was settled in, I pulled out my phone and called Frederick to let him know I had made it home safely. We talked for a while, his deep, steady voice easing some of the tension I had carried throughout the day. Eventually, we said our goodbyes, and the call ended.

I had barely lowered my phone when it started ringing again. I glanced at the screen and saw my father’s name.

I stared at it for a moment but didn’t answer.

A moment later, my stepmother called. I ended the call without picking up. I was far too tired to deal with their drama, endless questions, or whatever they wanted from me.

I put my phone aside and went to take a refreshing shower. Afterward, I asked my housekeeper to bring my dinner up to my bedroom.

I ate quietly in the comfort of my room, then climbed into bed and went straight to sleep.

The next few days settled into a steady routine: home to university, then university back home. The tension with my family remained just beneath the surface, but I kept my head down and focused on my classes.

Before I knew it, it was Friday morning.

I called Frederick before walking out the door and let him know I only had a short class that morning.

"Good," his smooth voice replied over the speaker. "By the time you return from class, my driver will be waiting at your house to bring you to me."

"Alright, Mr. Corvin," I agreed softly.

The morning class passed quickly. As soon as the professor dismissed us, Julian turned to me.

"Hey, come hang out at my place today."

"I’m sorry, Julian. I really can’t," I told him, offering an apologetic smile. "I have to leave right away. Some other time, I promise."

Julian studied me for a moment before a knowing grin tugged at his lips.

"Is it your mysterious, super-wealthy man?"

I laughed and grabbed my notebooks. "See you Monday!"

"See you Monday," he called after me.

I picked up my things and hurried straight home. As I pulled my car into the driveway, I spotted Frederick’s driver waiting by the entrance.

I walked up the front steps and headed inside. Once I was in my room, I packed a small overnight bag with everything I’d need for the weekend. Afterward, I went downstairs and had the meal that was already waiting for me on the dining table. When I finished eating, my housekeeper took my luggage outside.

The driver stepped out as soon as he saw us approaching...