Chapter 1620:

“Waldo, you are awyer. Do you not understand what it means to hit someone?” Jolene’s voice rang out, cold and clipped, simmering with a strange mix of fury and frustration. “I am talking to you! Answer me!”

A low scoff followed, bitter and defiant. “Jolene, do you really not know why I did it?”

Waldo’s voice cut through the tension like a de. Had he not seen her being harassed, would he have charged in like that—without a word—and socked the guy in the face?

He had thrown himself into the middle of it, taken the hits like a fool, and now she was standing there, yelling at him? Women truly had hearts carved from stone.

They walked in silence, tension hanging in the air like a thick fog. Then, just a few steps ahead, Corrine appeared, her presence cutting through the atmosphere. Waldo froze in his tracks. Guilt and panic flickered behind his sses like candlelight in a storm.

“What are you doing here?” His voice cracked slightly, and he instinctively raised a hand to shield the cut at the corner of his mouth.

Corrine’s voice was quiet, but there was something knowing in the way she spoke. “I saw everything.”

Her eyes swept over him, taking in the bruises blooming across his skin, the cracked lens of his sses barely hanging on.

So, he really had gone all in.

She knew Waldo well. When he was younger, even the tiniest scrape would send him into dramatic fits. The idea of him picking a fight on his own? Unthinkable—unless there had been a reason.

Her gaze shifted to Jolene. “Tell me what happened.”

Jolene’s expression faltered. Her fingers found their way to her short hair, tucking a strand behind her ear as she mumbled, “He saw some creep bothering me and… well, he decided to step in. That’s how he ended up like this.”

But it hadn’t been a random encounter. Jolene had shown up at the bar tonight with a n. Her aim had been clear—to lure that lecherous man into noticing her.

Everything had been calcted. Everything under control. Until Waldo, in his usualck of timing, stormed in and threw a punch without warning.

The man had been stunned at first. Caught off guard. But once he snapped out of it, the tide turned quickly. Waldo had no chance.

Still, maybe out of sheer stubborn pride—or the foolish instinct men sometimes mistook for bravery—Waldo held his ground. He clenched his jaw and fought, even though he clearly had no hope of winning.

Someone in the bar must have recognized Waldo. Panic spread fast. Fearing the fight would spiral, they called the police.fn9 ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? Find[F]ovel/fn9

By the time the authorities arrived and pried them apart, Jolene had rushed to offer the man an apology. She was worried. Waldo had struck first, after all. If the guy decided to press charges, it could mean trouble—serious trouble. But Waldo had been too angry to hear any of that. His pride was louder than her reasoning.

Corrine pieced it together quickly. A faint smirk curved on her lips, mischief lighting her eyes. “So, it was a knight-in-shining-armor moment?”

At that, both Waldo and Jolene turned crimson.

.

.

.hr

Message from Noah: Hope you like the new content, best regards dear ones. God loves you and Noah wishes you all the best. ( ? ? – ) ?

.