It was silent. Fear embedded everyone in the room as the cold man's eyes scanned them all one by one, then finally stopping on Mimi.
Just before he walked toward her, she was already running straight to him. What surprised Tobias and everyone else, was the tearful and distressed expression on Mimi's face as she jumped into the man's embrace. Startled by her sudden attack, Tobias lifted her in his arms. Mimi raised her head from his chest and stared at Tobias with watering eyes.
"Toby…they bullied me!" Mimi sniffled unashamedly and dug her face into his chest.
Tobias lifted an eyebrow as he looked down at the pitiful person in his embrace, her arms wrapped around his neck. The moment he placed a hand on her back, Tobias's ink-black pupils constricted. His originally impenetrable gaze grew increasingly deep and unmeasurable.
"What happened to your clothes?" As his fingers touched the torn part on the back of her shirt, his voice had dropped down below the freezing point.
Mimi said nothing as she further buried her head into his neck. While she was acting pitiful to appear like a frightened and innocent maiden, Mimi was also trying her best to appease the man. She knew Tobias was very angry with her. All she could do now was hopefully ease his anger off of her.
At the same time, while Mimi was gathered in her own thoughts on how to appease the man, Tobias's dark eyes stared at Robin, and the others behind her with a cold, murderous gaze.
His large hands stroked the bare skin on Mimi's back, while those black eyes barely concealed the rage seething within as he spoke, "We're leaving."
The moment he turned to leave, the once still Robin, widened her eyes in a panic.
"Tobias, wait! This is all—" Robin stopped when she saw the man's dead eyes looking back at her.
A sharp pain went through her chest at the expression he gave her. Understanding that now was not the time to talk to him, Robin reluctantly swallowed her words.
Giving her one last glance, Tobias turned to leave. Meanwhile, Mimi, who was resting her chin on his shoulder, looked back at Robin and stuck out her tongue. Stunned, the group watched Tobias Itou leave with the young woman wrapped in his arms.
…
Outside the casino, Tobias entered the black SUV waiting at the back of the building. Tobias grabbed a blanket from beneath the car seats and wrapped Mimi's entire body in it before setting her on his lap. Only when the car started to move, did Mimi inwardly breathe a sigh of relief. Cautiously, she raised her head from Tobias's neck.
When her nervous violet eyes met his still, black eyes, Mimi shivered. Biting her bottom lip, she tried not averting her gaze from his as she quietly prepared herself to speak.
However, before she could, Tobias's deep voice sounded through the car.
"I'm dropping you off at Alec's place."
Mimi snapped back to her senses and looked in the shock at the man in front of her. No emotions seemed to flow in his calm, waveless eyes.
"Tobias…"
"Just stay quiet until we get there," Tobias spoke more sternly this time, his eyes filled with a cold warning.
Shutting her lips tight, Mimi lowered her head. Despite his harsh tone and eyes, the hands wrapped around her were gentle. Even now, he held her affectionately. However, his eyes no longer looked at her with their usual kindness and love. This realization stung her heart even more.
It didn't take long before they arrived in front of Alec's house.
"You can get out on your own." He spoke those words very calmly, but there was a strong sense of coldness in the steady tone of his deep and hoarse voice.
Each word caused a burst of pain to break in Mimi's heart.
"Tobias…I'm sorry." Her voice was soft, and she looked at him through troubled eyes.
Tobias's eyes were already bloodshot at that moment, and his senses were beginning to go. Still, he pursed his lips tight, forcefully holding back against the desire that was almost burning him as he took Mimi off his lap and opened the car door.
"Go." He ordered, voice tight.
Mimi stared at him deeply one last time before she stepped out of the black SUV. Each step felt heavier than the last the more she walked toward Alec's house. The moment she knocked, the door opened immediately as if he was already expecting her.
"Come in." Alec wrapped a hand around her shoulders and ushered her inside.
Just before Mimi stepped in, she glanced over her shoulder to see the black SUV starting back up before driving away.
Until he was sure she was safe, he never left.
Suddenly, Alec's worried voice sounded through her ears. "Mimi…Don't cry, it's okay now."
Mimi hadn't realized tears had fallen until she lifted a hand and touched her wet cheeks. At that moment, she cried even harder. Her head hung low as tears dropped from her cheeks and fell onto the tile wood floor.
Shocked by his sister's sudden reaction, Alec quickly wrapped his arms around her and patted her back.
"It's okay. It's okay." He repeated soothingly.
In his embrace, Mimi's eyes burned heavily and she clutched tightly to the back of his shirt with trembling fists.
"It's…It's not okay…" She shook her head.
Nothing was okay anymore. Mimi knew she made a mistake she could not reverse. She broke his trust in her. She disregarded her safety. But most of all…she hurt Tobias more than she ever did.
For the first time, Mimi didn't think Tobias would forgive her.
With this thought in mind, Mimi cried harder than she ever did that night. It was only until she passed out from the exhaustion did her tears stop.