It's Your Turn To Cry and Beg, Dear Uncle
Chapter 12: Territorial

Chapter 12: Territorial

SLAP!!

Kyra’s heart lurched as the sharp sound sliced through the air, deafening and sudden. In that instance, time seemed to freeze. The world fell still, and even their breathing halting unknowingly.

It happened so fast that neither of them could react. In the blink of an eye, just as James finished speaking, his vision blurred and his head snapped to the side. Both Oliver and his personal assistant stood frozen, staring in shock at the scene unfolding before them.

Meanwhile, bit by bit, the fury clouding Kyra’s mind began to lift. Her senses returned, but all that remained was a scorching pain in the palm of her hand.

The heat and stinging sensation were stark reminders of what she’d just done, while the bright red skin was a direct indication of her strength. Her mind drew a blank as she watched the man in front of her reached up to touch his cheek before slowly turning his head to face her.

Kyra felt her heart drop, uncertain whether it was out of fear or concern. But, the fact remained, she had hit James without holding back. In that moment, hatred seemed to have bore deep into her heart. Her anger had reacted before her mind could catch up, and before she realized it, her hand had already moved to strike him.

Some might call it relieving. Yet, she felt not a hint of satisfaction.

"I..." Her voice trembled as she took a step back, but James yanked her wrist.

She stumbled forward, closing the distance between them. Kyra opened her mouth to protest, but the words died on her lips as their eyes locked. There was only one word to describe his expression now.

Chilling.

That pair of raven eyes was devoid of warmth and the kindness that she was used to. Gone was his anger, what remained was a sinister darkness that seeped deep into her bones, sending shivers down her spine.

"Are you done?"

His voice fell another octave. A tone that she never heard before.

Kyra pursed her lips. Though confused, her fear overwhelmed anything else. Her sense of danger was alarmed as she struggled to break free.

"Let go." She firmly stated, staring back at him.

Kyra tried her best not to give in to her fear. At least in front of James, she didn’t want to show her weakness.

Oliver, who saw the change in his best friend’s behaviour, immediately stepped in.

"James, stop." Oliver grabbed James’s wrist, trying to shake him off, but the man didn’t budge. "The girl is wrong, but this isn’t the way to teach her. It wasn’t entirely her fault either. Your words were out of line."

For some reason, the way James looked at Kyra was not right. It was as if the man would crush her into smithereens in the next second.

Oliver’s mind raced as he tried to defuse the tension. As a man of the same age, he understood that Kyra’s slap was incredibly disrespectful. It was a straight blow to James’s dignity, but James’s reaction was beyond what was necessary.

He pushed harder, hoping to calm the situation. "Don’t be hasty. You’re the older one here, so control yourself. She’s twenty-two, for fuck’s sake, and you’ve been spoiling her all these years. Come on, man."

However, to Oliver’s fear, James didn’t even spare him a glance. His gaze remained fixed on Kyra, growing darker with each passing second, almost diabolical. The silence dyed the air with heavy tension, suffocating everything around them.

It was clear from Oliver’s perspective that his best friend had lost his patience. The way he detained Kyra was evidence of this. He didn’t budge despite Kyra’s constant struggle and even when he grabbed onto James as well.

If it was the usual James, he wouldn’t let Kyra get hurt. He could be angry but he wouldn’t be rough. He would always indulge on the girl, deliberately losing despite his ability to easily overpower her.

After a few tense minutes, a low chuckle finally escaped James’s lips, but it sounded ominous instead.

"Out of line?"

He shot a piercing gaze at Oliver. "My words were out of line?" He asked once again.

Before Oliver could respond, James turned his attention back to Kyra. The girl glared at him, her defiant look matching the challenge in her eyes. She knew exactly what he was implying with that mocking expression.

"I’m simply repeating her words," James sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "So, I suppose there’s only one person who is in the wrong here, right?"

Oliver furrowed his brows, glancing at Kyra, confused. But instead of showing any guilt, Kyra scoffed at James, her voice thick with sarcasm, her gaze scornful.

"Wrong?" She laughed bitterly. "I was just stating a fact. Being a mistress suits your girlfriend much better, Mr. Synders. All she does as a ’writer’ is plagiarize anyway, and you’ve helped her with that too!"

Kyra clicked her tongue. "Honestly, she’s practically useless without her man. So, what’s a more fitting term than a ’mistress’?"

Kyra’s words shocked Oliver’s assistant to the core. He never expected the gentle Kyra he’d known for so long to lash out with such harsh words. Oliver wasn’t any better. Though he knew about the incident with Lila earlier, he hadn’t bothered to look deeper into it. His understanding was based on Kyra’s version of events.

On the other hand, he hadn’t seen the confrontation between Kyra and James firsthand. He didn’t expect things to have escalated this badly.

But his priority now was to defuse the situation, not make it worse. "Kyra, stop. You’re just making things worse."

"You should tell that to your best friend," she retorted, her tone sharp.

A devious smirk curled at the corner of James’s lips. As his gaze grew even colder, the air around him growing more tense.

"I warned you, Kyra. You had one last chance, but you chose to waste it."

With those words, James slapped Oliver’s hand away and, without hesitation, bent down to lift Kyra into his arms. He threw her slender frame over his shoulder without much effort. Kyra, caught completely off guard, slammed her face against his broad back.

Her eyes widened in shock as she immediately began to struggle. "Put me down, James!" she shouted, squirming in his grip. But his strength was overwhelming. The more she fought, the tighter his hold became, drawing a pained grimace from her.

"James!" Oliver exclaimed, lunging forward to intercept.

But James was faster. With a calculated twist, he caught Oliver’s arm and shoved him back hard, sending him stumbling.

"Oliver!" Kyra cried out, her fists pounding against James’ back. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"

James remained unfazed, barely registering her protests. Her punches, light and frantic, felt more like a faint tickle against his unyielding frame.

"Are you serious, James? What the fuck is wrong with you?" Oliver spat, his tone a mix of shock and fury.

James arched an eyebrow, exuding calm arrogance as he stared Oliver down. He was taller by a good five centimeters, his more robust build and imposing presence further magnified by the sharp, unrelenting aura honed through years of navigating the brutal world of business.

"Mind your own business, Oliver," James said, leaving him with a sharp warning as he headed for the door.

Oliver’s jaw tightened at the sting of his friend’s words. They hit deeper than he cared to admit, but he couldn’t let them slide. "I think Kyra might have a different opinion. It is my business when you hurt someone I love."

James froze mid-step. Slowly, he turned back, his lips curling into a condescending smirk. "Someone you love? Don’t delude yourself with your own fantasy. You can play a doting brother all you want but Kyra is no sister of yours and she will never be."

Having been friends for years, James knew exactly where to stab Oliver to incur the most pain, and he hit the mark perfectly. Oliver was stumped to silence.

"She’s mine."

James stressed each word like a king declaring his dominion.

"You have no rights over her."