Chapter 94: Are you done playing the hero?

The man looked at Clara with sheer terror etched across his face. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined being beaten so thoroughly by a woman. Every bone in his body ached, and after hearing her cold warning, he felt like bursting into tears.

We’re just local Goans... We didn’t sign up for kidnapping or fighting monsters, he cried inwardly.

Had they known the woman they were supposed to "scare" was capable of this, they would have gladly paid the client double and asked him to do the job himself.

Now, with Clara straddling him and her fist hovering inches from his face, the man couldn’t hold back anymore. His eyes turned red with panic.

"M-Miss... please spare us," he pleaded, his voice trembling.

He had no intention of carrying out the job anymore. The moment she released them, they planned to disappear from there altogether if necessary.

Clara’s expression remained icy.

"Then tell me who hired you." Her grip tightened around his collar. "Or else..."

She slowly raised her fist.

The man flinched so violently that he squeezed his eyes shut.

"I’ll tell you!" he blurted out in terror.

Clara’s fist stopped in midair.

She narrowed her eyes, waiting.

The man swallowed nervously and opened his mouth to reveal the name.

"His name is—"

"Clara!"

The sudden shout cut him off.

Everyone instinctively turned toward the voice.

Alex came sprinting toward them, breathing heavily, his face filled with panic.

Clara frowned in confusion. Why was he here?

She loosened her grip on the man and slowly stood up.

Before she could ask Alex anything, he rushed past her.

Without hesitation, Alex grabbed one of the men by the collar, yanked him to his feet, and landed a punch square across his face.

Bang!

The stunned man staggered backward.

"How dare you lay your hands on her!" Alex shouted, throwing another punch at the second man.

The two men stared at him blankly.

"..."

They had already been beaten black and blue by Clara.

Now another person had started hitting them.

What kind of nightmare is this?

Clara stood frozen, watching the bizarre scene unfold before her.

Something about it felt... off.

From the very beginning, the entire situation had seemed suspicious. These men were amateurs at best. They lacked the confidence, discipline, and coordination of real kidnappers. Even now, instead of fighting back against Alex, they merely covered their heads and endured the punches.

Her brows slowly knitted together.

Meanwhile, hidden from Clara’s view, Alex leaned closer to one of the men as he grabbed his shirt.

His lips barely moved.

"Hit me," he whispered.

The man blinked, convinced he had misheard.

"What?"

Alex tightened his grip to make it look convincing while keeping his voice low enough that only the man could hear.

"I said, hit me."

The man stared at him in utter disbelief.

Has he lost his mind?

Seeing the man’s hesitation, Alex spoke through clenched teeth.

"Punch me... then run."

Understanding finally dawned on the man’s face.

This young man was giving them a chance to escape.

Without wasting another second, the man clenched his fist and swung it straight at Alex’s cheek.

Thud!

Alex deliberately took the punch head-on, stumbling backward as if caught completely off guard.

"Run!" Alex shouted.

The two men didn’t need to be told twice.

Like prisoners who had just been granted freedom, they scrambled to their feet and bolted down the road without daring to look back, disappearing from sight within seconds.

Alex watched the two men disappear into the distance before letting out a quiet sigh of relief.

The plan had worked.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Clara standing a few steps away. Seeing the opportunity, he placed a hand over his bruised cheek and let out a pained groan.

"Ah..."

He deliberately staggered, hoping she would notice.

In the past, Clara had always had a soft spot for him. Even the smallest scrape on his hand would make her rush over in panic, fussing over whether he was hurt.

Surely this time wouldn’t be any different.

Alex waited.

One second. Two. Three.

When Clara didn’t move toward him, he frowned.

He glanced up, only to see her walking straight past him without sparing him a second look.

His expression froze.

Why is she leaving? Didn’t she see me get punched?

For a brief moment, he stood rooted to the spot, unable to process what had just happened. Then panic set in.

"Clara, wait!" He hurried after her and caught hold of her wrist. The moment his fingers touched her—

Pak!

A sharp slap echoed through the quiet street. Alex’s head snapped to the side, his cheek burning from the impact.

He slowly turned back, staring at Clara in stunned disbelief.

Her expression remained cold and emotionless.

"I told you not to touch me," she said, her voice calm but carrying an unmistakable warning. "Don’t make me repeat myself."

For a fleeting second, anger flashed across Alex’s face.

How dare she slap him? But just as quickly, his expression softened, replaced by calculated patience.

Something had finally clicked.

The Clara standing before him was no longer the naive woman who revolved around him.

She was Dominic Sterling’s wife. And that changed everything.

If he played his cards right, Clara was worth far more than she had ever been before.

Julianna could satisfy his physical desires, but Clara... she was the key to unimaginable wealth.

As long as he could win her back, Dominic’s fortune would eventually become his as well.

The thought erased the sting from his cheek, replacing it with a faint, calculating smile.

While Alex stood lost in his own thoughts, Clara quietly studied him.

She could see straight through the mask he wore.

In her previous life, she had mistaken every carefully planned gesture for genuine love. She had believed every word he spoke and every sacrifice he pretended to make.

Not anymore.

This time, she saw the calculation hidden behind his concerned expression.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"So," she said, folding her arms across her chest, "are you done playing the hero?"

Alex blinked, caught off guard.

"What do you mean?"

Clara took a slow step toward him, her gaze never leaving his face.

"Or..." she continued, her voice dropping into an icy whisper, "...were you hoping they’d actually succeed in kidnapping me?"

The color instantly drained from Alex’s face.

His confident expression froze.

H-How... How did she figure it out?