Poppy froze.
Her entire body turned to stone as if she'd been strucked by lightning. Her eyes, against her will, flickered downward, just for a fraction of a second, and then it flew wide open at the sheer size of his member.
She quickly looked away, staring anywhere but at him. Her cheeks burned so hot, it felt like her face would catch fire.
'What kind of lunatic runs around stark naked in broad daylight with armed guards chasing him?!' Poppy thought, flustered.
Deciding it was best to wait at the gate, she turned away, but she stopped abruptly when she heard heavy footsteps thundering behind her.
"HE'S HEADING FOR THE GATE!" One of the guards yelled.
"DON'T LET HIM GET OUT!" Another instructed.
The hair at the back of Poppy's neck rose, and her heart practically dropped to her feet as she instinctively turned to where the footsteps came from.
He was sprinting toward her. At full speed. And with a crazy laughter that echoed in her head. His wide eyes that sparkled with mischief made her blood turn cold.
Poppy didn't realize it until now, but this man wasn't normal... He was mad!
Her scream died down in her throat when she realized there was no way to avoid him. He was already too close. Instead, she braced herself for the impact, clutching her eyes shut, and shielding her chest with her arms like that would help.
Just when he was about to crash into her, a body slammed into him mid-sprint, knocking him to the ground. One of the guards had tackled him just in time, rolling him into the dirt.
"We've got him! Sedative, now!"
The man cackled on the floor, kicking and flailing as three guards struggled to restrain him.
Poppy's feet was rooted to the floor as she watched in horror, still trying to catch her breath. She stopped breathing earlier out of fear, and didn't know until her lungs began to burn.
As the guards injected the man, he didn't stop laughing or staring at her either. And when his body grew weak from the sedative, his laughter dissolved into a wide smile. Yet, his eyes stayed glued to hers.
That grin terrified Poppy more than she dared to admit. She let out a shaky breath, and her fingers trembled by her sides.
What would've happened if they hadn't stopped him in time?
The thought that he would've hurt her made a chill run down her spine.
But even now… even after all she'd just seen, she couldn't look away. Somewhere deep within her, it was heartbreaking that a man that beautiful, with such a perfect face and body was not in his right state of mind.
Just then, the two guards from earlier rushed toward her.
"What the hell are you doing in here?!" one of them barked.
Poppy blinked as she was pulled from her daze. "I-I didn't mean to— You ran inside and—"
But they didn't let her finish. One grabbed her arm roughly and impatiently.
"Let go! You're hurting me!" she cried, stumbling as they dragged her back toward the gate.
Once they were outside, they shoved her away.
"This place is off-limits to outsiders!"
Poppy yanked her arm back and glared at them. "What the hell is wrong with both of you?!" she snapped.
But her voice cracked when the men held their guns defensively, ready to attack if she made a wrong move.
Her anger died down immediately.
She cleared her throat softly. "I'm here for a signature," she said calmly. "I need to see Mr. Alaric Langford for these divorce papers."
The guards exchanged a look before their faces hardened.
"Go away, Lady! As you can see, this is not a very good time for you to pull these useless stunts just so you can meet with our young master." One said sternly.
Poppy blinked. Young master...?
But before she could ask, the other guard said sharply, "He's not in a good mood. And neither are we. So unless you want to be forcefully removed, I suggest you walk away. Now."
Her face paled instantly. It wasn't just the threat that terrified her. It was the brutal realization that hit her. Hard.
"That man..." she whispered with a trembling voice. "...the one who ran at me naked, laughing like a lunatic. You... You called him young master. Is he—is that man Alaric Langford?"
The men frowned heavily. Their Young Master's identity was meant to be kept a secret.
"You need to leave. Now!" one barked, and both men raised their rifles without hesitation.
Poppy's breath hitched. "P-please don't shoot!" she cried out, quickly lifting her hands in surrender. Her legs trembled beneath her, but she forced herself to back away slowly. "I-I'm leaving… okay? I'm leaving!"
She hurriedly got into her car and drove away.
*********
Poppy forced herself to breathe, but her hands… they wouldn't stop shaking.
Her fingers clenched her phone so tightly that her palms turned red, but she didn't feel the sting. Right now, she felt numb.
"Poppy?" Chloe's concerned voice came through her phone's speaker. "You've been quiet for a while… Are you okay?"
Poppy didn't answer at first. Her eyes were glued to her screen, on the picture Chloe had just sent. She was looking at the photo of the man listed beside her name on her marriage certificate.
It was him.
That half-naked lunatic was her husband, Alaric Langford.
Her stomach twisted.
When she'd driven away from the estate earlier, she'd convinced herself it had to be a mistake. That maybe, somehow, Chloe had made a mistake with the address. She hadn't even bothered looking at her husband's face on the certificate until now.
But now… there was no denying it. They'd married her to a madman.
Tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
"Of all the people in the world…" she muttered bitterly. "They chose him."
How was she supposed to get a divorce from a mad man?
After everything she'd witnessed, the thought of going close to him sent chills to her spine.
"Poppy?" Chloe asked again.
She blinked, then whispered, "I'm fine, Chloe. I just… need time to process all of this."
Chloe sighed on the other end. "Yeah. I figured. I'm coming to you, okay?"
Poppy nodded, "Okay." She ended the call and let the phone slip from her fingers onto the passenger's seat.
Her head dropped against the steering wheel as she exhaled sharply.
What the hell was she going to do now?
Suddenly, a knock on her window made her jump. She sighed as she stared at the elderly security guard from her apartment building, before quickly rolling the window down.
"You can't park here, Miss Poppy. It's blocking the main entrance."
Poppy cursed under her breath. She hadn't even realized where she'd stopped. Ever since she left that estate, she'd been a mess. She hadn't even stepped out of the car.
"I'm sorry, Mr. David," she murmured. "I was going to drive into the parking lot, but I… I just needed a moment."
David gave a small, understanding nod, then hesitated. "Did you come to get your things?"
Poppy frowned. "Why would I come to get my things? I live here."
"Weren't you informed?" David's brows furrowed. "The owner gave instructions for your apartment to be cleared out this morning."
"What?! Cleared out?! Are you kidding me right now?!" Without thinking, Poppy yanked her door open and stepped out of the car.
"Miss Poppy, wait! You still need to remove your vehicle!" David called out behind her.
But she wasn't listening.
She stormed toward the building but stopped abruptly when she saw her boxes, clothes, and properties piled outside like garbage beside the entrance.
"No," she breathed. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she rushed over. "What the hell is all this?! Who does this?!"
Without hesitation, she reached her pocket for her phone but when she remembered she left it in the car, she turned sharply to David.
"Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Mr. Patrick!"
David hesitated, but slowly reached into his pocket. "Mr. Patrick wouldn't pick your call." He handed the phone to her, not minding her glare.
Poppy called at least twice and when no one answered, she felt like screaming.
"He isn't picking up, is he?"
She cursed under her breath. "Why?"
"It's been going on like this for months." She frowned heavily. "But if you want to call someone regarding your issue, try calling the new owner."
New owner?
She couldn't keep her surprise from her face. "Since when did we have a new owner?"
"The building was bought right after you moved in by a certain Mr. Rowland Sinclair."
Poppy smiled bitterly. "You've got to be kidding me!'