Miracle Cutie (Amelia and Benjamin) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Shattered Trust

He had spent money, pulled strings, poured in resources-and even handed Zoe his real, unguarded heart.

And in the end, she was out there, getting all cozy and worked up with another man in public, right behind his back.

Right now, Daniel felt something inside him crack clean through.

This was the first time he’d ever felt truly… disillusioned with Zoe.

Seeing Daniel slam Alistair to the ground and pound him without holding back, Zoe panicked.

“Daniel, stop! Stop hitting him! Daniel, I said stop!”

Since Daniel had only just arrived, Zoe prayed he didn’t know what had happened between her and Alistair.

So while she was trying to pull him off, she still slipped back into that usual commanding tone she used whenever she thought she had control.

“Daniel, if you don’t stop right now, I’m seriously gonna get mad! Do you hear me?!

I told you to stop!”

Her imperious pitch made Daniel’s expression ice over.

“Shut up.”

It was the first time Daniel had ever spoken to Zoe like that-harsh, sharp, every word frostbitten.

“You should be grateful,” he said through clenched teeth, “that I’m not the kind of man who hits women.”

Daniel Graham-young master of the Graham family-was never someone people could insult for free.

He liked to smile, sure, but anyone who mattered knew that didn’t mean he was mild-tempered.

No one in high society dared to really cross him.

Only Zoe-after being chased, adored, and spoiled by him for so long-had actually convinced herself that Daniel was an easy pushover.

Daniel’s frigid words left Zoe stunned.

“Daniel, you-you want to hit me?!”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Just because I stopped you from hitting someone, you think you can hit me? So all that gentleness before… it was fake, wasn’t it? This-this is the real you!”

Zoe kept throwing accusations at him, but Daniel didn’t hear a single word.

He was too busy driving his fist down again and again, viciously, mercilessly.

At first, Alistair yelled and cursed.

Soon, he didn’t even have the strength to swear anymore.

Daniel stood six-two, and his build wasn’t the shallow kind you got from a few protein shakes and machines at the gym.

His older brother, Benjamin, was into boxing and martial arts.

Every time Benjamin went to spar, he dragged Daniel with him.

Daniel had gone from being Benjamin’s punching bag… to actually holding his own for a while.

The two brothers-one attacking, one defending-both had physiques nobody dared nitpick.

Especially Benjamin. Even wearing a perfectly tailored suit, all restrained elegance, he still made women stare without blinking.

And when he took that suit off… well, the muscles were perfect without being overdone-dangerously attractive.

The reason Amelia let things happen with Benjamin that night over three years ago…

She reached out with both arms, begging her uncle to pick her up and take her away.

That tiny, milky-soft voice-full of grievance-finally cut through the red haze in Daniel’s mind.

His jaw tightened.

He let go of Alistair, wiped the blood from his knuckles, and slowly pushed himself to his feet.

Then he walked straight to Nina and lifted her into his arms.

Her little body was warm and soft, her baby scent sweet and comforting.

Holding her, Daniel’s agitation faded like someone had flipped a switch.

“Let’s go eat, Nina,” he murmured, his voice gentle again as he turned to leave.

He didn’t spare Zoe a single glance.

Watching his broad back as he walked away, Zoe suddenly felt a sharp panic squeeze her chest.

She had a bad feeling… a terrible, sinking feeling…that she was losing Daniel.

“No… no way,” Zoe whispered to herself, shaking her head lightly.

“There’s no way he’d give up on me… not after chasing me for so long.”

He was probably just furious about Alistair bullying Nina-and about her stepping in to protect Alistair.

That had to be it.