CHAPTER 11: FIRST QUARREL II
Antonio pulled up in front of one of the largest shopping malls in the city, a high-end establishment owned by Stone Group—James Deniro Alfred's company.
Diana stepped out of the car, Antonio trailing a few steps behind. He wasn't just her driver today. James had personally instructed him to guard her in secret, knowing the number of enemies lurking in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
The moment Diana entered the store, heads turned. People cast curious glances at her, but she ignored them. Unbeknownst to her, no one here recognized her as the boss's wife. Not that she cared.
Just as she started browsing, a sudden drizzle pattered against the store's large windows, signaling summer rain. She sighed, shaking off the feeling of unease, and continued walking.
After a while, something caught her eye—a stunning set of couple's watches displayed just above her head. She stretched her hand to grab them, confident she could reach—
Crash!
A sudden force shoved her from behind.
Diana barely had time to react before she lost her balance, crashing into the display stand with a startled gasp. The watches tumbled to the floor with a clatter.
Antonio moved swiftly. Though he wasn't quick enough to prevent the fall, he was fast enough to grab the culprit—a woman—before she could slip away.
Diana groaned in pain as Antonio helped her up. Before she could even gather herself, a sharp voice cut through the store.
"Ma'am, what the hell is wrong with you?"
Diana looked up to see a woman—most likely the store manager—marching toward her, her expression furious.
"Are you blind, or is that ridiculous cap blocking your vision?" she snapped.
Diana felt her stomach twist at the harsh scolding. Just as she opened her mouth to respond, Antonio stepped forward, his voice cold.
"I assume you're the manager?" He didn't wait for her reply. "Then maybe you should check the facts before barking accusations. My boss didn't fall on her own—she was pushed."
Antonio turned to the woman still on the floor, his grip tightening slightly. "She did it. And she did it on purpose."
The accused woman—Olivia—brushed herself off and glared at him.
"What nonsense! Are you implying I deliberately pushed her?" Olivia scoffed. "Your girlfriend is the one who couldn't see properly with that awful outfit. Now you want to blame me?"
Her husband, Jacob, quickly stepped forward, adding fuel to the fire. "Hey, woman," he sneered at Diana, "I think you need to get your man in check. He just manhandled my wife. If you don't do something about him, I will."
Antonio's fists clenched, ready to knock the smirk off Jacob's face, but before he could, Diana placed a calming hand on his arm.
She turned to the store manager. "I apologize for the mess."
The manager folded her arms but said nothing, waiting for her to continue.
"I was trying to grab a watch and misjudged my reach. That's my fault. I shouldn't have attempted it without assistance," Diana admitted. "However, I truly don't know how I ended up falling."
She turned to Olivia and inclined her head slightly. "Miss Olivia, I also apologize if Antonio was too rough with you."
She turned to Jacob. "He's not my man, He's my driver."
Jacob smirked. "So he's just a driver? Acting all high and mighty like he owns the place." He scoffed. "If I were you, I'd fire him before he drags you into more trouble."
Antonio's jaw tightened, but before he could retort, Diana spoke again.
"Antonio, please set the stand back up and check if anything is damaged."
The manager snapped, "Oh, don't you dare touch anything!"
Diana blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me?"
"Do you think a simple apology is enough?" The manager sneered. "You think you can just walk away after causing this mess? You must be out of your mind!"
"Exactly!" Olivia chimed in, flipping her hair. **"I won't let this go. That brute of a driver needs to kneel down and apologize properly—seven times!"
A murmur spread through the store.
Some customers whispered in Diana's favor, wondering why Olivia and the manager were making such a big deal out of an accident—especially after she apologized. Others sided with Olivia, agreeing that Diana shouldn't be let off so easily.
Antonio took in the scene, his patience snapping. They think they can bully her just because she's soft-spoken?
"Enough," he said, his voice cutting through the noise like a blade.
Silence fell over the store.
Jacob, emboldened by the quiet, sneered. "Who do you think you are to tell us to be quiet?" He took a step forward. "We have every right to express our opinions! What, are we not allowed to speak now?"
Antonio's icy glare pinned him in place. "One more word, and you'll regret it."
Jacob laughed mockingly. "Regret it? What can you even do, huh?" He shoved Antonio's chest. "You're just a useless driver. You couldn't even save your Madam from falling, and now you're playing tough?"
Antonio exhaled sharply. "That's it."
Before anyone could react, he threw a single, powerful punch—
Jacob went flying.
Gasps echoed through the store as he landed with a hard thud, groaning in pain. Olivia screamed and rushed to his side.
Diana turned to Antonio but said nothing. She wasn't going to scold him—not when Jacob had clearly asked for it.
Antonio turned his sharp gaze to the store manager. The fear in her eyes pleased him.
"Now," he said icily, "fetch the surveillance footage."
The manager swallowed hard.
"My boss won't be paying for anything today," Antonio continued. "If the footage proves me wrong, I'll personally compensate for all damages—triple. But if it proves me right, not only will my boss take what she came for, but you'll also compensate her for suffering humiliation in this store."
Diana sucked in a breath. Thank God Antonio was here.
Antonio's gaze swept across the gathered customers. "And everyone here will bear witness to it."
The weight of his words settled over them.
After a long moment of silence, the crowd nodded in agreement. Several voices urged the manager to go get the footage.
She had no choice.
With a stiff nod, she turned and hurried toward the security room.