I find myself at a loss for words.
His dark eyes settle on me, cold and barely holding any light. His face is clean-shaven, his hair dark and combed back, and his shoulders broad.
"Hey, man. Why the hell did you do that?"
That's when I snap back to reality.
I turn to Leo, who stands up from the floor. He looks at the man, his expression aggressive, and as he steps forward, I can feel how badly he wants to punch him for yanking him away like a piece of trash.
Well, he's basically nothing but trash in my eyes right now.
Leo stops two feet away, and I see hesitation in his eyes. I shift my gaze to the man, and that's when I see why Leo halts.
The handsome stranger is inches taller than Leo and has more muscle too. He doesn't look like a serious weightlifter or wrestler, but he's got a good amount of muscle in every corner of his body, making him look hard and very masculine.
"I'm talking with my girlfriend here! You don't have the right to just butt in like that!" Leo yells. He looks down at what the stranger is wearing, and I see the spark of confidence return to his eyes.
That's when I realize the stranger is wearing black slacks, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a black vest with a certain logo. The uniform of the servers on the yacht. He doesn't have a tie, and the first two buttons of his shirt are undone.
"You're just a server at this party, and you had the guts to yank me away like that? You clearly don't know who you're dealing with, you rat!"
"Shut up, Leo!" I blurt out. I don't like how he's the one so mad right now, especially since he was trying to hurt me earlier. "I'm not your girlfriend, and don't you dare touch me again!"
I look at the stranger and see him staring darkly at Leo. His lips twitch subtly, mockingly, and without a word, he turns his back on us and walks away.
My lips fall open.
Is he leaving? After saving me, he's just leaving me with the boy who tried to hurt me?
When he's out of sight, I start walking away too, almost running to the fourth deck. I know Leo's calling me, but I don't look back and just keep running. I don't want to be cornered by Leo again and end up in a helpless situation. The stranger just left me to my own devices. It's frustrating, but still, I'm thankful that he interrupted earlier.
When I return to the fourth deck, I'm panting. My breath catches in my throat, and my heart is pounding loudly.
I glance back and see Leo catching up. His eyes immediately scan the crowd, and it doesn't take long before he finds me.
I stand there, knowing he won't dare hurt me with so many people around. My jaw clenches as I try to calm myself. I want to slap him, but that's not something to be done in public. My parents wouldn't appreciate me acting that way during such an event.
But before Leo can reach me, men in black suits come to surround him. Security.
Everyone stops what they're doing, their attention now on the commotion.
"What's happening?" Leo's mother hurries toward her son.
The chief of security steps in. These men aren't just ordinary security personnel. They are from the top security company in the country and only guard events for business owners, famous professionals, and very wealthy people.
"Mrs. Kennedy, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but your son, Leonard Kennedy, has offended one of the guests. In accordance with the rules, he must be questioned by my team for a brief investigation to ensure no one has been harmed. The guest in question is Ms. Blair Avory, whom he harassed on the third deck a while ago."
I'm surprised.
I'm quite sure no one else saw me and Leo earlier, which means the person who reported the incident to security was the handsome stranger. I really thought he had decided to leave my matter alone, but it turns out he helped me. I can't help but smile.
"Blair Avory?" Mrs. Kennedy's eyes widen as she searches for me. Her husband is now beside her.
My parents suddenly appear next to me, and my friends rush over.
"Harassed? Tell me what happened, Blair," my mom says. Her voice is calm, but I can sense her controlled anger.
Before I can say anything, Jace attempts to punch Leo, but he's immediately blocked by the tall, buff security guards. Jenna quickly pulls him away, whispering things I can't hear. Knowing the twins, she's likely reminding him that their parents are watching and they need to behave appropriately.
"Don't worry, I'm not hurt," I say to my parents, and I see both of their faces relax.
"Let's not ruin Mr. and Mrs. Schieffer's party," Dad says diplomatically, though his eyes are sharply focused on Leo. "Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy, why don't we discuss this privately, since it only concerns my daughter and your son? Of course, with the presence of the security team."
We are led by the chief of security to one of the yacht's cabins. Before entering, the hosts of the party express their concern and speak briefly with my parents and Leo's parents, but my dad reassures them that everything will be fine and there's no need to worry.
Standing between my parents in the cabin, with the Kennedy family in front of us and the security team around, I recount the details of the incident. Mrs. Kennedy looks at me with sadness, and it hurts my heart.
I'm not close to her because my relationship with Leo was short and not very serious, but I know Mrs. Kennedy is a nice person. In the few exchanges we've had, she's always been kind and sweet. I can tell she wasn't expecting this.
"I know nothing serious happened to my daughter, and your son was under the influence of alcohol, but this isn't something I'll take lightly. Our family lawyer will prepare a temporary restraining order against your son, Mr. Kennedy," my dad says.
I don't question Dad's decision. I'm not physically hurt, but Leo really scared me. He's harassed me once, and he could do it again. With or without the influence of alcohol, I can't just let it slide.
Mr. Kennedy's jaw clenches, but he stays composed. Leo's eyes are bloodshot and angry, and he looks like he has a lot to say, but he chooses to stay silent, likely out of fear of his father.
"I understand. Your daughter's safety was compromised, so I will gladly cooperate. I will also discipline my son, and I'll make sure he doesn't see Blair again," Mr. Kennedy says.