Chapter 4: The Breaking Point
Before I could even scream, Daniel reacted with lightning speed. He threw himself in front of me, shielding my body with his own as Tyler brought the metal bar down.
A sickening crack echoed through the room as the crowbar struck Daniel’s shoulder and arm. Daniel groaned in agony, collapsing to his knees, but he still used his good arm to push me behind a heavy oak desk.
"Run, Emily!" Daniel choked out, his face pale with pain.
"No!" I cried, terror gripping my heart. But I knew I couldn't just scream like I used to. I had to fight.
Tyler raised the bar again, aiming for Daniel's head. In a flash of pure adrenaline, I grabbed a heavy glass award from the shelf behind me. I ran forward and slammed it with all my might against the back of Tyler’s head.
Tyler stumbled forward, dazed, dropping the crowbar. Before he could recover, the office doors burst open. The night security team, alerted by the silent alarm Daniel had pressed under the desk, rushed in and tackled Tyler to the floor, pinning him down securely.
"Daniel!" I dropped to my knees, tears streaming down my face as I cradled Daniel’s head in my lap. His right arm was bent at an unnatural angle, and blood was soaking through his tailored shirt. "Stay with me, please. The ambulance is coming."
Despite the immense pain, Daniel managed to lift his left hand, gently wiping a tear from my cheek. "You... you hit him," he whispered, a weak, proud smile breaking through his grimace. "My brave Emily."
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"Because you taught me how to fight," I sobbed, pressing my forehead against his.
As the paramedics rushed into the room, loading Daniel onto a stretcher and dragging Tyler away in handcuffs for attempted murder, I realized something profoundly clear: I loved Daniel Hayes. And I would never let anyone break us apart.
