Aozora and Amber stepped outside, intent on heading home. They had both chosen not to wait until the event concluded. Aozora didn't even join her mother-in-law in bidding farewell.
"Mom, I'm just going to the restroom real quick! You should go ahead to the car," said Aozora.
"Uh, I'll wait here for you. It won't take long, will it?"
"No, Mom. I'm just going to pee," replied Aozora.
"Alright, you go on, I'll wait here!"
"But, Mom, you'll get tired standing. Better you head to the car first," Aozora insisted, feeling guilty at the thought of her mother-in-law waiting.
"Fine. I'll go to the car first, I'll wait for you there!" Amber eventually concurred.
With that, Aozora strode towards the restroom.
Fortunately, the restroom wasn't crowded, so Aozora didn't have to wait in line. After finishing her business and, as usual, washing her hands, she exited the restroom.
She hurried, not wanting her mother-in-law to wait too long. But something felt off. She couldn't shake the feeling that two men wearing hats were tailing her. Abruptly, she glanced behind, leading the two men to stop and pretend to be engaged in a deep conversation.
Aozora's heart pounded faster, her suspicion growing stronger. She quickened her pace, and the two men hastened their steps as well.
"This can't be happening! I must not show fear," Aozora paused again and turned around.
"Hey, why are you following me?" she barked purposefully, fixing a sharp gaze on the men.
The men exchanged glances and burst into laughter. Without a word, one signaled to the other to pounce on Aozora. She was caught swiftly, unable to evade their grasp.
"Let me go! Otherwise, I'll scream!" Aozora struggled but was overpowered by the large men.
"Go ahead and scream if you want this knife in your side!" One man had pressed a small knife against her waist, covered by a jacket to stay hidden from view.
"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?" Aozora asked, unable to hide her fear any longer.
"There's no need for you to know who we are. Now, walk! And don't try anything because the moment you open your mouth, I won't hesitate to stab you, understand?" The man applied slight pressure with the knife, making Aozora wince.
"Why are you still standing there? Move!" the other man hissed with pressure.
Reluctantly, Aozora started walking again.
"Walk normally. Don't look so panicked!" the man behind her whispered threateningly.
"Y-yes," Aozora complied, resigned.
Just as the three were about to turn a corner, out of nowhere came a swift, hard kick that hit both men. It happened so suddenly that they had no chance to dodge. Both were sent flying.
Two tall men in black suits appeared. One quickly secured Aozora, while the other approached the now groaning men, clutching their bellies.
The attackers tried to get up, but another kick landed, this time on their chests.
"Mercy!" they whimpered.
"Leave now, or I won't hesitate to hit you harder, so hard you won't forget it," the man in black spoke in a low but threatening voice.
"Fine, we'll leave!" the two men tried to stand again.
"Remember, if we see you trying to harm our lady again, you will suffer the consequences!" he commanded, casting a deadly glare.
They turned and staggered away.
"Who are you?" Aozora asked still shaken.
"We're your bodyguards," one man replied, ambiguously.
"Bodyguards? Since when do I have bodyguards? You must have the wrong person. I don't need guarding," Aozora said, disbelieving.
"Sorry, lady! We've got the right person! Please, leave this place, and we will follow you," the taller guard spoke with softness that couldn't hide the firmness behind it.
"Lady? They're calling me 'lady.' That means they know I'm married. But how?" Aozora thought to herself, puzzled.
"Please, go ahead, Madam!" the guard who had secured her gestured for her to proceed.
"Could it be that Mama Amber asked them to escort me? It's possible," Aozora pondered, walking on.
...ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ...
"What? You failed to capture her?" a woman's voice yelled in furious anger. This woman was none other than Donna, Aozora's stepmother.
"Yes, Madam! Someone was protecting her. We couldn't overpower them—they were too strong," a fearful voice responded on the phone.
"Useless! You can't even handle one weak woman. I paid you too much for nothing! Now, give back the money!" Donna's face was flushed with extreme rage.
"That's not happening, Madam! We're not returning your money. We got hurt too," the call was abruptly ended by the man hired by Donna.
"Hey, hey!" Donna shouted, but the line was dead. "Damn it! How dare they hang up on me!" she fumed, grinding her teeth in anger.
Meanwhile, Aozora had reached the spot where her mother-in-law was waiting.
"Aozora, why did you take so long?" Amber asked as her daughter-in-law approached.
"Sorry, Ma. There was a little trouble. Someone tried to kidnap me," Aozora explained.
"What? So, what happened? Are you all right?" Amber scrutinized her daughter-in-law worriedly.
"I'm fine, Ma. Mama's people helped me out," Aozora gestured toward the two men behind her.
"My people?" Amber murmured, confused, gazing at the two men mentioned by Aozora.
"Oh, right. They were sent by me," Amber quickly realized why the two men were there.
"Thank you, Ma! You really do care for my safety!" Aozora exclaimed sincerely.
"Of course, my dear. Let's get into the car. We'll head straight home!" Amber moved to open the car door, but one of the guards swiftly intervened.
"Why?" Amber inquired, frowning.
"It's better if Madam follows us in our vehicle for safety," the guard responded with authority.
Aozora might have been baffled as to why they were not allowed into their original car, but Amber understood the guard's refusal. She was certain that their car had been sabotaged.
"Alright then, let's go to your car," Amber agreed.
From a distance, Damian cursed in anger, feeling foiled in his attempt to harm his sister-in-law and her daughter. He saw them as obstacles that prevented him from seizing the company.
To be continued...
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