Chapter b58 /b

Just bas /bbthe /bknife bwas /babout bto /bstrike Yasmineb, /bshe yanked someone else in front of her as ba /bhuman shield.

bThat /bb“/bsomeoneb” /bwas Jenny.

bJenny’s /bface wentpletely pale. She shook like a leafb, /bbtears /bstreaming down her cheeks as she froze in fear. The man blunged /bat her bwith /bthe knifeb, /band she squeezed her eyes shutb, /bbracing for pain.

But it never came.

Insteadb, /bgasps bof /bdisbelief rippled through bthe /bcrowd.

Jenny slowly opened her eyes and what she saw left her stunned.

Charlotte had thrown herself into the frayb. /bShe was unarmed, yet now locked in a fight bwith /bthe attacker.

The man, wild–eyed and frenzied, swung the knife wildly in all directions,pletely unhinged. Charlotte dodged each strike with sharp, quick movementsb, /bbbut /bnot without cost. The de shed across her arm, band /bblood instantly soaked through the sleeve of her white blouse. “You wanna die bthat /bbad?!” bthe /bman roared, charging at her again.

Gritting her bteeth/b, Charlotte pivoted just in timeb, /bgrabbing the wrist of his knife hand and twisting it hard.

A loud snap followed by a blood–curdling scream rang out.

The attacker dropped the knife.

Without missing a beatb, /bCharlotte kicked the de across bthe /broom. A male colleague scrambled to pick it up and remove it from reach.

Now that the man was disarmed, he was bno /bmatch for Charlotte. She struck him with a series of clean, rapid punches, forcing cries of pain from him. Thenb, /bwithout hesitationb, /bshended a powerful kick to his head.

The man stumbled, dazed and disorientedb, /bbarely able to find his footing. Before he could recover, Charlotte spun,nded a flurry of kicksb, /band mmed him to the ground with a wless over–the–shoulder throw.

Everyone stared, stunned.

No one had bexpected /bthe calmb, /bsoft–spoken attorney to fight like a trained fighter.

Just as the attackery defeated on the floorb, /bthe police and paramedics arrived. The man was quickly taken into custody. Paramedics lifted the blood–soaked Max onto a stretcher and rushed him to the hospital.

Only then did the rest bof /bbthe /bfirm dare to bstep /bforward and speak.

They bweren’t /bcelebrating survival. Fear and shock hung thick in the air.

Jenny, her face streaked with tearsb, /bcould barely speak. b“/bMiss Riley… bI /bthought I was going bto /bdie… If it bweren’t /bbfor /bbyou/bb, /bI–I wouldn’t be bhere /bright now. Thank byou/b, thank byou /bso much…”

Yvonne’s face was ashenb. /b“In ten byears /bof practicingw, I’ve never bseen /banything like this… Being awyer is bing a high–risk job.”

Yasmine was still shaking. “Isb… /bis Max going to make it?”

Yvonne answered sharply, “He’ll bbe /bokay.”

A few of the male associatesb, /bfinally snapping bout /bbof /btheir bdaze/b, turned to Charlotte in admiration.

“Miss Riley, that was insane. I didn’t know you had that kind of skill. You were incredible.”

“Seriouslyb, /bthank you for saving everyone.”

Calling byou /bquiet was the biggest misunderstanding of my life.”

Charlotte bdidn’t /brespond to the praise.

She walked straight up to Yasmineb, /bher expression hard.

“Miss Carterb,/b” she said bcoldly/b, “were you trying bto /buse Jenny as a human shield just now?b” /b

Yasmine couldn’t meet her eyesb. /bShe stammeredb, /b“I–I panicked. It was selfb–/bbdefense/b…”

bEveryone /bhad seen it. And bnow/bb, /bhearing her excuseb, /bbtheir /bfaces twisted with disgust.

Chester Be

b+25 /bBonus

Yasmine bfelt /bthe weight of their judgment. But in her mind, bit /bmade sense. If she hadn’t bpushed /bJenny in front of her, she would be the one bleeding out right now. Wasn’t that just survival human instinctb? /b

b“/bSome bexcuse /bfor self–bdefense/bb,/bb” /bCharlotte said coldlyb, /bher bvoice /bbdevoid /bof warmthb. /bb“/bbAnd /bbyou /bbcall /byourself awyer? You should know better than anyone that you can’t use someone else’s life to protect your ownb./b”

It was a basic point ofw. Anyone with beven /bthe slightest legal training should know.

b2/b