CHAPTER 55: CHAPTER 55: MY WOMAN—NO ONE ELSE IS ALLOWED TO TOUCH HER

Before heading out, Renee Winslow told Autumn Lowell, "Don’t go out yet. Let me go and check the situation outside first. Wait for my call, and only go out when I tell you to."

Autumn Lowell didn’t dare to ask more questions and sensibly agreed, "Okay."

Renee Winslow left the private room, walked to the booth where they had been sitting earlier, and cautiously scanned the surroundings. She didn’t see Ethan Lund, only Jack Yates sitting sternly on the sofa, while Patrick Thorne stood next to him with a smile.

She shook Jack Yates’s hand and asked softly, "Is it over?"

Jack Yates brushed her messy hair behind her ear with a gentle gaze, "It’s over."

Renee Winslow saw the scrapes on his knuckles and quickly grabbed his hand, asking with concern, "What’s wrong with your hand?"

Before Jack Yates could speak, her lips quivered and she held his hand, bursting into tears, "Did they hit you?"

She knew it wasn’t Jack Yates who got hit, rather he had hit someone.

After all, with Jack Yates’s status, even in tumultuous African countries, local soldiers treated him with respect. How could anyone in The Quadrangle dare to touch him?

No one in The Quadrangle would dare lay a finger on Jack Yates, unless they didn’t want to live.

But she had to appear deeply concerned and worried; only then could she defuse Jack Yates’s anger. Otherwise, he would surely take it out on her later.

Patrick Thorne: "..."

Patrick Thorne watched the naive and sweet girl before him, feeling both amused and frustrated. But he dared neither to be angry nor to laugh, and quickly explained, "Don’t misunderstand, how could we dare to hit Brother Ethan, let alone us useless folks combined couldn’t stand up to him, it was..."

Jack Yates glanced coldly at Patrick Thorne.

Patrick Thorne immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.

Jack Yates lifted Renee Winslow onto his lap, gently wiped the tears from her face, and softly caressed the moist trails at the corners of her eyes, speaking with helplessness and doting, "Don’t cry, I’m fine."

Renee Winslow checked both of his hands and found his right hand was injured the most, with exposed flesh on the knuckles and scrapes even on the back of the hand, but the left hand was unharmed, with only red knuckles.

Clearly, Jack Yates had hit too hard, injuring his own hand.

Her feelings were complex; on one hand, she was grateful Jack Yates was strong, enough to protect her during danger, but on the other, she dreaded his power, fearing it meant she could never break free from his control.

With these mixed emotions, Renee Winslow tenderly kissed his injured right hand, pouted, and blew on the back of it, softly complaining, "How could you be so careless? Your hand is hurt so badly, it breaks my heart. Don’t do this again."

Jack Yates felt her warm, fragrant breath entering his heart. He raised his eyes to look at her, his gaze deep and heavy.

Facing his abyss-like eyes, Renee Winslow’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly forced a smile, "You’re not allowed to use your fists again. If you hurt yourself, I won’t talk to you."

Jack Yates’s Adam’s apple bobbed, "Okay."

Patrick Thorne: "..."

Jack Yates cast a cold glance at Patrick Thorne and said icily, "Consider this matter settled, but I don’t want it happening again."

Patrick Thorne nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, Brother Ethan, there won’t be a next time. Rest assured, next time she comes by, we’ll clear the bar and give her the best room."

Jack Yates: "No need, she won’t be coming again."

Seated on Jack Yates’s lap, Renee Winslow wrapped her arms around his neck like tender lotus roots and leaned against his chest, "I was scared, my legs are too shaky to walk."

In truth, she was testing his limits and his tolerance towards her.

Jack Yates said nothing, wrapped his arm around her waist, and lifted her up, striding out.

Once inside the car, Jack Yates finally showed his stern face, asking, "Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?"

Renee Winslow reached out to hug him, but before she could touch him, Jack Yates raised his arm to push her away.

"Brother Ethan..." Renee Winslow looked at him with grievance.

Jack Yates feigned seriousness, "Enough with that. Answer my question."

Renee Winslow pouted, "I told you I was meeting a friend."

Jack Yates: "But you didn’t say it was at a bar."

Renee Winslow forced her way into his arms, nudging his chest, "I only ran into trouble once I got inside the bar."

Jack Yates was exasperated by her nuzzling but maintained a cold tone, "You should have told me before stepping in."

Renee Winslow raised her head from his arms and looked at him with a smile, "Okay, I’ll definitely tell you next time."

Jack Yates grabbed her chin and squinted, "You want there to be a next time?"

Renee Winslow pressed her lips tightly, saying nothing, her wide eyes looking at him.

Jack Yates rubbed her lips with his thumb, "Renee Winslow, you might not fully understand my nature."

Renee Winslow was about to say, "I do," but she didn’t get the chance before Jack Yates continued, "I have a strong sense of cleanliness and possessiveness. I won’t allow anyone to touch what’s mine."

Renee Winslow turned her head away in anger, freeing her chin from his hand, stubbornly saying, "I am a person, not your possession."

Jack Yates laughed, "It’s the same. My woman, I won’t let anyone touch. If you don’t cherish yourself, if someone touches you, I’ll not only destroy them but also..."

Renee Winslow snapped back to look at him, "Also what?"

Jack Yates gripped her neck, a fierce look in his eyes, "I’ll lock you up, chain you to the bed, and never let you out again."

Renee Winslow: "..."

Jack Yates chuckled, "Don’t think I’m just scaring you."

He was indeed just trying to scare her; despite his past as a soldier, he’d never break the law. Even if he could, he couldn’t bear to truly lock her up.

He was afraid, scared that someday, she might face danger outside his protection, and he’d go insane.

Half believing him, Renee Winslow was still frightened, hurriedly climbing over from the passenger seat onto his lap, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck, and pressing her face against his chest, "No, Jack, you wouldn’t do that, right?"

Jack Yates didn’t reply.

Seeing Jack Yates silent, Renee Winslow shook his neck vigorously, "Jack, I was wrong. Don’t be mad, okay?"

Jack Yates let out a helpless and indulgent laugh, "If you shake in another way, I won’t be mad."

Renee Winslow paused, realizing what he meant, and playfully smacked him, "You’re terrible, teasing me at a time like this."

Jack Yates squeezed her waist, narrowing his eyes, "I’m serious. Right here in the car, if you can shake for ten minutes, I’ll forgive you. Including dealing with the sleazeball that cheated on your friend, I’ll handle that too. Interested?"