He Never Noticed Me Until I Loved Someone Else novel Chapter 96

The two of them chatted and drank, and before they knew it, over two hours had slipped by.

Lucca called to ask Summer to pick him up, so Stella decided to call it a night.

"Stella, do you want me to drop you off first?" Summer offered.

Stella waved her off. "No, it's fine. I'll just grab a cab."

Although the cocktails were relatively weak, Stella had consumed quite a few, and her head was starting to spin.

She decided to swing by the restroom to splash some cold water on her face and sober up.

Stepping out of the restroom, she nearly collided with two heavily intoxicated men.

Seeing her entirely alone, a sleazy grin spread across their faces. They intentionally began weaving across the narrow hallway, completely blocking her path.

Stella furrowed her brows and took a few steps back, planning to wait for them to enter the men's room before walking past.

Unfortunately, her retreat only emboldened the drunks. They swaggered right up to her.

One of them, reeking of cheap alcohol, locked his predatory gaze onto her and reached out to grab her arm. "Hey gorgeous, all by yourself? Why don't you come have a few rounds with us?"

Stella stepped back again, dodging his filthy hand. Her face hardened as she snapped, "Get out of my way."

The other man, sporting a balding head, leaned in with a greasy smirk. "Aw, don't be so cold. We don't bite."

He lunged forward, aiming straight for her waist.

Panic spiked in Stella's chest. Pure adrenaline took over, and she lashed out, kicking the balding man squarely in the shin.

"You bitch, you kicked me!" The man, clearly not expecting her to fight back, snarled and lunged violently toward her.

Stella twisted to the side, causing him to crash into the wall.

But his friend was instantly enraged and cornered her from the other side.

Seeing right through her brave front, Jarrod didn't waste time arguing. He stooped down and swept her effortlessly into his arms.

"Jarrod—"

"Jarrod!"

The commotion had attracted a crowd, and Julian came sprinting down the hall. Seeing Jarrod carrying Stella, he stammered in shock, "Wh—what the hell happened here?"

Julian's eyes darted to the two groaning men on the floor, and the pieces clicked together. He delivered a swift, brutal kick to one of them. "You blind idiots! You dare touch his wife? You're completely dead!"

"Call the police. Clean this up," Jarrod ordered coldly.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and carried Stella toward the stairs.

"Jarrod!"

Just as they reached the landing, Stella opened her mouth to ask him to put her down, only to see Chloe rushing toward them in a panic.