Chapter 23

Tae

I pulled back and lifted her face up as Warren handed her some tissues. The left side of her forehead was cut, and her lip was bleeding. Her cheek was red and looked like it might bruise or swell up. My mind had flashback after flashback of my Mum's bruised face or when she limped after one of his temper tantrums. When my mother's spirit was trampled on, he tortured her some more by using me.

I was six years old when he threw me out in the rain at night because I finished the milk. I was barefoot and only had my pyjamas on. He broke my arm and fractured my rib on some of his other perceived affronts. His words to us were always the same.

"You are nothing without me."

My grip on Nari tightened as the rage festered inside of me. As I grew taller than the old man, I refrained from hitting him back because of my mother, but for him to accost Nari like this, let alone lay a finger on her, was unacceptable. I glanced at her face as her cries softened and saw her blood smeared on my shirt.

I don't know how long we sat there with me holding her in my arms, but I knew I needed to get her injuries taken care of. Two policemen entered the dentist, but Nari didn't move off my lap. Warren greeted them and began to talk to them.

"I'm going to message my doctor to come to the apartment as soon as you have given your statement," I said as I brushed her hair to the side to see her cut. Thankfully, it didn't look too bad. There was more blood than gash.

"You're okay with me getting your Dad charged with assault?" she asked, but she didn't look at me.

"I call you my sweetheart for a reason. You are adorably sweet and always in my heart. I didn't know I was looking for you until I found you. There aren't words to describe what you do to me. It's like a burning fever that rages out of control. I will only get worse once we are married," I said, stroking her cheek. "But this is the last time anyone will ever hurt you."

She lifted her head while I spoke to her, but her eyes were wide open. I smiled at her because she was speechless.

"How have your cramps been today?" I asked quickly because I might have let a little too much slip out in the heat of the moment.

"I guess a punch in the face took my mind off them," she said as she tried to smile but winced in pain.

I gently rubbed her back and held her tight against me. My father's life would change drastically as soon as I married Nari. The receptionist gave me a first aid kit and Nari's handbag. I tried my best to clean her up without hurting her. The police took her statement, but I never let her leave my lap. The need to hold her was imperative.

I was in a meeting when I saw her text message, and when I couldn't get her on the phone, I tried the dental practice number but only got the ‘out for lunch message.'

"Did you witness anything, Mr Jeon?" One of the officers asked me.

"No, as she said, I got here after the incident, but I can give you his mobile phone number and home and work address," I said. "Are we done here? I need to get Ms Choi proper medical attention."

He nodded before he took down my father's contact details. I didn't give a shit about their investigation because I would deal with him in my own way. Warren walked toward us as the police left.

"Take next week off, Nari. You won't miss much, and you can catch up when you're back."

She frowned and opened her mouth, but he raised his hand to stop her.

"There is nothing else to say except we will see you at your wedding," he said sternly.

It was our last weekend together before the wedding. She deserved a relaxed week ahead of her after today. I nodded at Warren before we left. Jason was waiting for us in the car park.

◆◆◆

For the next week, I had a bodyguard follow Nari around, and I got pictures sent to me from Thomas. We'd been busy ensuring everything was finalised for our wedding preparations. My father had been banned from entering my office and apartment building. He has tried to call me, but I ignored all of his calls. I knew him better than he knew himself since I spent years observing him. He wanted me to persuade Nari to drop the charges. I'd enjoyed listening to his progressively furious voicemails.

"So you're going to sit here and spy on your future wife instead of spending quality time with me," Kwan said.

"Yes," I said, watching Nari with her friends.

The club was so dark that she wouldn't notice us in the far corner. Her friends had gotten her the gaudy bride-to-be sash, a tiara and a white veil they had pinned to her hair.

She had her period last weekend, and her face was tender for a few days, but I missed fucking her so badly. I couldn't wait to get her out of her wedding dress because shortly after our wedding she would be in her fertile cycle.

I smiled as she laughed with her friends and put her arms around them. She had no idea how fortunate she was to have a stable home and family. I'd always felt safer outside my house than in it. I tensed as a group of four men approached them, but after a short exchange, they left, and I relaxed back into my seat.

The girls weren't drinking much because the wedding was tomorrow. I glanced at my watch because they should be leaving to go home soon.

"I never said this to you before," Kwan said, and I looked at him.

"What? You fancy me?" I asked with a grin.

"I knew about your Dad, but you never talked about it, so neither did I," he said as he swirled the ice in his drink. "I think she is good for you. You deserve to be happy, man."

I stared at him for a moment and wracked my brains, trying to think what gave me away because he was hardly ever at my house. We always used to go to his house.

"How did you know?" I asked before glancing at the girls again to see Nari sitting on Zofia's lap.

"Gym classes, I saw bruises on you. We were always together, so I knew when you had been in—scuffles," he said as he lifted his head.

"You helped get me out of there, and that's all that matters. Although it's a little weird if you were perving on me when we were kids," I said with a snigger.

Kwan had lent me some of the money that I used to set up my first company. The rest I worked for with the numerous side hustles I had saved up from during my Uni days. It was a far cry from my rage fuelled violence in high school. I was lucky I wasn't expelled from school back then. Yet, it was my controlled anger that drove me to success.

"Fuck you," he said with a smile. "You're the creepy bastard when it came to Nari."

"I wasn't about to let her slip out of my fingers," I said as I frowned when I saw her give Zofia a sloppy kiss on her lips. It seemed to last a little too long.

After tomorrow those lips would only be on mine.