"Ar-Arthur?" Angel stamred, her voice trembling with shock.
Before she could fully process the sight of him, her breath hitched as Arthur leaned in and captured her lips in a firm, unexpected kiss.
Her body froze, her mind racing.
Pulling back abruptly, Angel’s wide eyes searched his face for answers, but a voice behind her shattered the mont.
"Angel."
She spun around, her heart lurching as she locked eyes with Tryson, whose face was painted with disbelief.
"Tryson," she whispered, her voice barely audible, as her hand instinctively reached toward him.
But Arthur’s grip on her wrist stopped her cold. His fiery gaze bore into her, fury simring just beneath the surface.
"Seriously, Angel?" Arthur’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. "You promised you’d stay away from him, but here you are—again."
"Arthur, listen, I can explain—" Angel began, her words tumbling out in desperation.
But Arthur wasn’t listening.
He released her wrist and stord toward Tryson, his posture rigid with anger.
"I know your ga," Arthur spat, his voice dripping with venom. "You think you can manipulate my woman for your own gain?"
Tryson didn’t flinch, his expression unreadable.
After a mont, he chuckled softly. "I’m not here to play gas, Arthur. I just ca to give Angel her phone."
Calmly, he held out the device to Angel, ignoring Arthur’s glare. Angel hesitated before taking it, her hands trembling slightly.
Tryson turned on his heel and walked away without another word.
"Oh, right. Sure," Arthur scoffed, his voice laced with mockery. "Like I’m supposed to believe that? You’re probably just trying to get close to her for your own... satisfaction."
Angel’s eyes widened in disbelief, heat rising to her cheeks. "Arthur!" she exclaid, her voice sharp.
Arthur turned to her, his gaze still dark, but faltering as he noticed the anger etched across her features.
"What was that supposed to an?" Angel demanded, her voice steady, yet full of irritation.
"What do you think it ans?" Arthur snapped, his voice sharp and unwavering. "You promised you’d cut him off, and yet here he is, acting like he belongs by your side."
Angel folded her arms tightly across her chest, her gaze hardening.
"Why Arthur? You don’t get to control my life, Arthur. I told you I needed ti to handle things my way. I asked you to trust , and you clearly can’t."
Arthur froze, her words hitting him like a slap. For a mont, he looked as if he might argue, but no sound escaped his parted lips.
His silence was deafening, speaking of frustration, disbelief, and the sting of wounded pride.
Unable to contain his emotions, he stepped forward, gripping her arm firmly.
Angel flinched, startled by the intensity of his touch. Her breath caught in her throat as the heat of his anger radiated through the air between them.
"You don’t understand, Angel," he said, his voice quieter but no less tense. "n like him... they’re not what they seem. They can’t be trusted. He’s using you. He’s toxic."
This wasn’t the first ti Arthur had called Tryson "toxic," and no matter how much Angel tried to brush it off, the word lingered.
Deep down, a small part of her wondered if there was truth in what he said.
The last ti, she had chosen to trust Arthur without question. But now, doubt gnawed at her insides.
Sothing about the way he spoke made her ask, "Why do you keep calling him toxic?"
Her voice was steady but curious, and the question seed to catch Arthur off guard. He blinked, montarily stunned, before a frown crept onto his face.
"Don’t you believe ?" he asked, his tone tinged with hurt and frustration.
"It’s not that I don’t believe you," Angel replied, her gaze searching his. "I just want to understand what you an. Why are you so certain? And why does it seem like you know Tryson so well?"
Arthur exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. "Because I do know him, Angel," he snapped, his voice rising.
Heads turned as passersby glanced their way, but Arthur didn’t care.
His emotions were bubbling over, and he wasn’t about to hold them back.
"I’ve dealt with him before. I know exactly what kind of man he is," Arthur continued, his tone growing colder. "He’s a liar, a manipulator. Do you know what he did to ? My own secretary warned about the risks of working with his company, but I ignored her. I was tempted by his flashy deals, and it cost everything. Angel, I went bankrupt because of Tryson and his fake products!"
Angel froze, his words hitting her like a wave. Her mind raced as she pieced together what he was saying.
Arthur wasn’t lying—she knew that much.
His company had barely survived a devastating financial crisis in the past. It was only thanks to a miraculous intervention that they’d bounced back and reclaid their position at the top.
But the realization that Tryson’s company had been behind their downfall sent a shiver through her.
"You’re saying... Tryson was responsible for that?" Angel asked, her voice quiet but firm.
Arthur nodded, his expression grim. "Exactly. And I don’t understand how you ended up involved with him, Angel. Don’t you know what kind of man he is? Haven’t you seen the news about him and Riley?"
At his words, Angel’s mind swirled with confusion. She had heard whispers about Tryson in the dia, rumors linking him to scandal after scandal.
But the details were always murky, and she had never connected them to the man she knew.
Arthur’s frustration was palpable as he added, "Why, Angel? Why would you trust soone like him? Why would you let him into your life?"
Angel stood there, staring at Arthur, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. She wanted to defend herself, to explain why she hadn’t seen Tryson the way Arthur did, but the words wouldn’t co.
How could she make him understand when she barely understood it herself?
The contract, if not because of the deal she made with him, probably she could have been living her life freely with Arthur.
Even if she had Tryson’s child in her womb.
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