No Right To Touch Her

It was an insult to his ego and pride as a man who meticulously maintained his reputation and visuals.

'Impossible that she didn't know what I look like. Surely, there is internet access in the manor. However, she appeared mentally impaired to me. Can she even determine what a good-looking man is compared to an ordinary guy? Or maybe I judge her based on our first meeting impression? Elric seems very familiar with her, and Grandpa keeps telling me how my wife graduated from a prestigious academy. Maybe I just assumed that about her without a thorough investigation.'

For all these years, his appearance has put him on magazine covers—not only because of his success in the trade industry—but also in fashion. 

Then, he receives criticism from someone of the same gender. Unless his ex-wife thinks the same way, knowing the person ridiculing him is her friend.

The issue bothered him; he couldn't shake the feeling. He doesn't understand why he worries about Yelena's first impression of him when he wants to do nothing with her anymore and cut ties with her forever.

'What am I thinking? Why am I concerned about proving I am a great man compared to other men?' 

Aleckin shook his head, dismissing the unnecessary thoughts, especially since he started having wild and dangerous thoughts about his nominal wife.

"Elric Hudson! Do you have a death wish? How dare you insult me!" Aleckin becomes aggressive. "You are saying I have a stiff face?"

He inched the gap between him and Elric, grabbing the latter's collar. He didn't notice that there was a woman he was about to bump into.

To prevent their bodies from colliding, the woman stepped backward, not noticing that she was already at the edge of the stairs.

"Ahh!!"

"Becca! Oh, my god!" Elric screamed, panicked, when he noticed Rebecca slumped on the roadside. He grabbed Aleckin's hands and shoved him away. "Let me go, bastard!"

He rushed to Rebecca's side and helped her get up. He then dusted her long skirt and checked to see if she had any bruises on her arms. 

"Becca, are you alright? Do you need to get an X-ray? Let me see if you haven't had bruises anywhere."

"I'm fine, Elric. We don't need to do that." She replied with astonishment, on top of her annoyance, toward Aleckin.

Seeing the wrinkles on her forehead, Elric turned to Aleckin and confronted him. "Aleckin Ferrero! Look at what you've done! You almost injured Rebecca!"

Aleckin stared at the woman beside Elric, whose face was always covered by a wide-brimmed hat. He could not make out her face.

He admitted she won over him by catching his attention, and he was indeed very curious about her. Her voice and body figure resembled someone he had encountered the other day, and they left such a strong impression that he could not shake her off his head.

The two women were as if imprinted in his soul he could not remove. 'There must be something wrong with me thinking about her and my ex-wife!' he mused.

"Becca, what happened?" Anton finally returns with his black car, which Rebecca designed specifically for him. He hurried to pull over and leave his car when he saw Rebecca sitting on the pavement.

He didn't witness the entire scene. He only saw Elric helping Rebecca get up from the pavement and dusting her dress. But seeing Aleckin and his minions present, he assumed Elric argued with them, which caused Rebecca to fall from the concrete stairs. It's a good thing they were standing at the bottom steps. She only fell low.

"What did you do, Aleckin Ferrero?" He asked, his tone hostile. Knowing Elric since they were little, the guy would not have initiated a fight if he had not been attacked first. Hence, the source of the commotion is Aleckin's group. 

Aleckin pursed his lips upon seeing Anton. He doesn't understand, but his blood surprisingly boils toward the guy. There is no reason for him to feel hate toward him when he does nothing to him. But for the first time, his impression of him was unsightly.

Anton Park was a successful chef with godlike features, so heiresses in their circle were on a quest to date him. His family also came from prestigious ancient European nobles, so he was his great rival from appearance, then success to wealth. 

He was aware that Anton Park was also a target by the elders to marry off their granddaughters to him.

"I'm sorry if I lost my calm. I didn't mean to get physical with someone." Aleckin admitted, which is not so typical of him. He never bowed to anyone, not even his grandfather. 

Isn't the older man on the operating table now because of his strong-willed character? So why is he apologizing? Aleckin pursed his lips. He already admitted it was his fault. Hence, he must stand to his word.

"I'm willing to pay if the lady was injured that cause by me," he proclaimed, taking responsibility for the outcome. 

But Elric would not let him off that easily. "You grabbed me by the collar! That is physical assault!"

"I just wanted to know my wife's whereabouts," Aleckin explained, which startled Anton.

"I told you I don't know! Why were you asking me about her? She is your wife, not mine! I could see how useless a husband you are to her!" Elric scolded Aleckin, while Anton did not say a word.

The situation was strained again. Rebecca sighed. 

"Enough, Elric. Let's not make the situation worse." Rebecca reprimanded him and grabbed him by the arm to step back. However, her face winced from the pain in her foot and cold sweat forming on her forehead.

"Rebecca, you don't look good!" Elric noticed that her complexion had become ugly, and the color on her face had drained.

"Did you sprain your foot?" asked Anton. He squatted immediately to inspect her feet.

"There is nothing to worry about, Anton." Rebecca stopped the guy, but he didn't listen to her.

Anton immediately spotted the injured foot as she lifted it from the ground, using only one foot to support her weight. Thus, she could not deny it anymore.

"Are you sure you are fine, huh?" Anton sounded furious, but his anger wasn't for Rebecca.

"Yes. I'm fine, Anton, so we better leave now. I don't want to waste my time any longer… Ouch!" she cried in pain when Anton rubbed her ankle to determine if she truly didn't have an injury. 'Damn frail body! Not in front of Aleckin!'

She doesn't want to show Aleckin that she is ill. But her body is too weak. She just fell on the roadside after her missteps backward and is now injured. 

How could she fight Aleksandr and make Lina dig her own grave? She must regain her health!

"Aleckin Ferrero, look what you did to Rebecca!" Elric had felt when Rebecca's grip tightened around his arm. Thus, he could tell that she was in pain.

"What is going on here? Why are you creating a commotion in front of the hospital?" 

Not long after, a doctor came out after receiving a report of a scene in front of the hospital. He scolds each of them, and his eyes are fixed on Aleckin, narrowing them upon seeing that he is still around. 

"It was you again, Aleckin Ferrero. I made my first warning to you not long ago. Now, you were involved again in a fight? This is my second warning to you. I will request Uncle Jacob ban you from Dream City if you cause further trouble. What's best now is for you to leave the hospital."

The doctor, none other than Doctor Hector Payne, gave Aleckin another warning.

Hearing that, Elric had a smug smile on his face. Aleckin hissed upon seeing that glint in the former's eyes. But he had been warned twice on the same day. He should be careful not to destroy his reputation by being in the headlines that he was kicked out of Dream City, and worse, he could not get an entry forever.

"Doctor Payne, I'm sorry if I created another commotion. I have already apologized for what happened. I will pay the bill if the lady needs an X-ray and treatment. But I cannot leave the hospital while Grandpa is still inside the operating room."

Doctor Payne weighed in on Aleckin. He said, "Master Ferrero often mentioned how his grandson always challenged him. Hence, you shouldn't appear before him if you don't want to worsen his illness." 

When Aleckin heard that, he was speechless. After expressing his concerns, Dr. Payne turned to Rebecca and interrogated her.

"Miss Henson, I reminded Doctor Simon to advise you to get a proper rest. What are you doing here outside the hospital?"

Rebecca smiled, embarrassingly, lost for words. She doesn't want to use the excuse of having a meeting with Chairman Davies in front of Aleckin. But she was injured now. She had no other alibi other than that. 

"I'm sorry, Doctor Payne. I promised to return after meeting Chairman Davies."

Doctor Payne frowned upon hearing that she had left the hospital to work. He had the initial diagnosis that she was ill because of overworking.

"No. You had better go back and visit the X-ray department as soon as possible. Otherwise, I would not approve your discharge if your feet swell." 

Rebecca could not allow that to happen. She had so much work to do, and being held in the hospital for a long time would delay her plans. She looked at Anton and Elric out of the corner of her eye. The latter called a nurse and requested a wheelchair. 

Someone immediately came rushing, pushing a wheelchair. However, out of the blue, Rebecca felt someone lift her from the pavement. She panicked to realize who it was.

"What are you doing, Mr. Ferrero?" Rebecca screamed nervously, afraid that Aleckin would see her face.

"Let me escort the lady inside," he declared, startling everyone.

"Aleckin Ferrero, return Rebecca to us!"

Shouting behind him are Anton and Elric. 

"Aleckin! Put Rebecca down!" Anton gave a command, but Aleckin ignored him. He continues taking his large strides toward the entrance door.

"Aleckin Ferrero! You have no right to touch our Becca!" Elric came running up behind.

"Aleckin, wait for us!" Then, Harriet and Zoren followed suit after they were snapped out of shock. They were running to catch up with Aleckin's pace.

Doctor Hector Payne left in disbelief, watching this scene. 

"Unbelievable! They don't listen to me at all! It seems like they wanted to be kicked out of the city.! Hey, you guys! You have to park your cars properly! They were blocking the road!"