5 A spineless scum

[A few hours later.]

"Are you sure?" Jessica asked for the umpteenth time as she packed her things. It was late, and though she wanted to stay until Christina finished her work, her little boy would cry over it.

"Yes, mom! You should leave! I will just finish this page and log out," Christina reassured, pushing Jessica forward with a smile. Jessica sighed, warning her to call if she needed someone again, she hurried out of the office.

Christina's smile vanished, a sigh escaping her lips as she looked at the dark sky. Tears formed in her eyes, unable to pretend to be okay anymore.

Taking a deep breath, she focused on her screen again, but her mind couldn't hold the stress anymore and burst out, bombarding her with a storm of memories and relentless thoughts she had been trying hard to forget, to leave behind.

She took a shaky breath, biting her lower lip in a futile attempt to hold back her tears. All she had ever wanted was an anchor, someone to lean on throughout the years. But when she thought she had finally found one, her hopes were shattered, leaving her stranded in the darkness again.

Feeling herself sinking into a shithole again, Christina shut down her laptop and decided to go home. Or perhaps she should revisit the bar from last night? As she packed her things, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened there. Maybe going back would fill in the gaps in her memory.

Grabbing her bag, she hurried downstairs, only to be met with another disaster in the lobby.

"He really doesn't have a spine," Christina muttered under her breath, staring at Derek waiting impatiently at the access gates. With a heavy sigh, she walked towards him. As she was about to pass him, Derek dared to grab her hand.

"Don't force me to scream and alert security!" Christina warned, trying to free her arm. But Derek's grip tightened, causing her to wince in pain.

"Let's go home together and sort this out."

"No, thank you!" Christina shot back, still trying to free her hand.

"Don't make a scene here, Christina! You have already checked enough of my patience."

Amidst their fight, they failed to notice two young men exiting the lift and heading towards the access gates behind them.

"Just forget about that woman, bro! It's not her fault that you were dumb enough to believe her—" Blaze zipped his mouth at his brother's sharp glare. With a gulp, he leaned in and watched the CCTV footage from the bar.

"Wait, why does she look familiar?" Blaze murmured, using his abilities to zoom in on the woman's face. It felt like he had seen her before. Reylan also focused on the tablet, hellbent on catching her!

"Leave me, Derek!" The sharp cry caught their attention as they passed through the access gates. Both of them looked up from the tablet, their eyes falling on the couple fighting a meter away from them.

"Wait," Blaze shifted his gaze between the woman and the tablet, "doesn't she look similar?"

A subtle smirk curled Reylan's lips as his eyes fixed on Christina. They slowly glinted red, and he whispered, "She is the one!"

"Wait, is he troubling her?" Blaze murmured, his eyes narrowing at Christina's struggle against Derek's grip. He was about to step in and help the poor woman when Reylan grabbed his coat's collar and pulled him back.

"We need to help her!" Blaze protested, anger flaring at his brother's apparent indifference. This was no time to stand by and have fun at her expense.

"She can handle herself," Reylan replied, a faint smirk playing on his lips. Blaze frowned, but his expression quickly changed to one of surprise as Reylan raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

Suddenly, Christina's fist was imbued with almost hulk-like strength. Her hand magically broke free from Derek's hold and landed a punch squarely on his nose.

"Argh!" Derek recoiled, his hand instinctively flying to his injured nose. Horror filled his face as he stared at his fingers, now stained with blood. "You wretch! Have you lost your senses?" He bellowed at Christina, before clutching his bleeding nose again.

Christina, equally stupefied, blinked in surprise. Her mouth opened and shut in slow motion, struggling to process the situation. She scanned Derek's punctured nose and then her hand in astonishment. So, the girl-power was indeed real! She thought with an amused smile, dancing her fingers in a victorious gesture. Perhaps one more punch wouldn't be too much. It wouldn't kill him, right? She mused, balling her hand into a fist again, gathering her strength.

"I think I missed a spot. Let's do it again!" She declared with a sneer, deepening Derek's frown at her craziness. But before she could land another punch, a hand swiftly grabbed her wrist, halting her just an inch away from Derek's face.

"No, that would be considered bullying," Reylan interjected, pulling her hand back.

Christina's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly pulled back, offering a quick bow to their infamous CEO. Why is he here?  She wondered, a sense of alarm stirring within her. He seemed more familiar than just her boss which heightened her unease.