Before she could say something more, Grayson grabbed her hand, shielding her behind him possessively.
"Joyce, arguing with this brute is pointless. He has no manners!
"Come with me. If Colten doesn't cherish you, I will take good care of you!"
I shrugged, feeling indifferent, watching as Grayson touched Joyce's face, his eyes filled with pity.
Joyce's tears immediately overflowed.
She bit her lip and turned to me. Seeing I was unresponsive, she stood on tiptoe and kissed Grayson in front of everyone.
"Grayson, you're so nice to me. I'll be with you from now on. Just let him regret it!"
I scoffed, "I will never regret it."
…
Watching them leave hand in hand, I narrowed my eyes.
A man who could watch his woman get beaten and only dared to stand up after it was over was nothing but a coward.
I wanted to see what kind of so-called happiness this type of man could bring Joyce.
As I expected, things unfolded accordingly.
One night after several days, I was awakened from my sleep by the ringing phone.
I answered groggily, and Joyce's crying voice came through the receiver.
"Colten, I regret it! Please come and save me!
"Save… No…"
Her voice was quickly interrupted by angry shouts from different men, and her voice faded away.
Maybe it was too chaotic, and it took several minutes for someone to notice Joyce's phone.
Soon, the call ended.
As a man, I naturally understood the consequences Joyce faced after being dragged away.
Emotionally, I felt a sense of relief that she had fallen into this state.
But rationally, I knew she was still a girl; even if she had made mistakes, she shouldn't be punished in this way.
I would recover the money I spent on her through legal means with a lawyer.
As for the feelings and effort I invested in her, I would chalk it up to a lesson learned in romance.
The inner conflict between my emotions and logic ended with logic prevailing.
Sighing, I got up, dressed, and drove to the club where Joyce was.
Upon entering the room, I immediately saw Joyce huddled in a corner, her clothes disheveled, with two handprints on her face.
When she saw me, her eyes lit up.
"Colten, I knew you wouldn't ignore me!"
She stumbled to her feet but fell back to the ground in pain, crawling toward me unsteadily.
Kneeling at my feet, she hugged my legs, looking terrified that I would leave her.
Her gaze was full of pleading.
"Colten, you will save me, right?"
I stood still, revealing no emotion.