A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 4

Lyndon Morgan's fury remained unquenched. He bared his teeth like a rabid dog, leaning in menacingly. "You nearly killed my daughter! So what if I hit you?"

Winifred sprang to her feet, instinctively raising her hand to defend herself. But before she could strike, a large hand clamped like a vise around her wrist in mid-air.-

She looked over in shock, meeting Holden's bloodshot eyes. Then came his cold, suppressing command.

"That's enough!"

Winifred was paralyzed by the sheer injustice of it all. "He just hit me!!"

Holden's lips were pressed into a grim line, his dark eyes swirling with unfathomable emotion.

Desperate, Winifred tried again, thinking the shock of the accident had just clouded his judgment. If she just reminded him, he would step in front of her like he always had. "Holden... he hit me."

But Holden's expression remained rigid and merciless. "You deserved it."

"...Holden?"

"You did something unforgivable. You deserve to be punished."

Lyndon waved his hand dismissively toward the security detail. "Grab the murderer. Throw her in the car and take her to the police station."

"No!" Holden stepped firmly in front of Winifred, his face an immovable mask of iron.

Lyndon looked as if he was going to explode. "Holden, your mother is clinging to life in the ICU, and my daughter suffered a severe concussion that triggered seizures! What Winifred did is a massive criminal offense. We are not letting her walk away from this!"

"Just give me some time to handle it," Holden ground out, his jaw tight.

Lyndon narrowed his eyes. "How long?"

"Three days."

"Fine, Holden. Three days. I'll be waiting for you to deliver the justice we deserve."

As Lyndon and Roland finally marched out of the cell, a flicker of hope reignited in Winifred's eyes. She reached out, taking Holden's large hand and pressing it tightly against her chest, letting his warmth seep into her aching heart, hoping he could feel the sincerity radiating from her.

"I don't blame you," she whispered softly. "I know they were threatening you with the divorce. If you didn't agree, they would have had me arrested. You're just trying to keep me out of prison. I know you're doing this to protect me."

The next second, the hand she held so tenderly was violently snatched away.

Winifred's eyes followed his hand before slowly lifting to his face. Holden looked at her with a chilling, dead-eyed stare.

"Then let me make it clear. We are getting divorced. There is no alternative."

"Holden... is your love for me really that shallow? It can't even withstand one test?"

Holden's eyes darkened. A cynical, bitter smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Wow. So arrogant. You even dare to try and manipulate me now."

He turned on his heel and strode out of the cell without another word.

As he stormed through the manicured gardens, Arthur, the estate's seasoned butler, hurried over to meet him. "Mr. Lockwood! What should we do with Miss Winifred?"

"Leave her!"

Arthur, a rotund, grandfatherly figure with a kind face, looked deeply troubled. "Does that mean we shouldn't provide her with food or a proper bed?"

"Do whatever you want!"

Arthur bowed nervously. "If we don't feed her... her body won't be able to handle it."

Holden clenched his jaw. "She won't starve to death!"