When Elena saw Elias, a surge of relief washed over her.
"Elias," she murmured.
But Noah wasn’t pleased to see him. A deep frown settled across his face, and his grip around Elena’s wrist tightened possessively.
The moment Elias saw Noah still holding Elena, something inside him snapped. His gaze dropped to Noah’s hand around his wife’s wrist. Then slowly, dangerously, it rose to Noah’s face.
"I said let her go," he roared.
Noah didn’t move.
That was enough. Every ounce of Elias’s restraint shattered. He crossed the distance in a few long strides and swung his fist. His knuckles slammed into Noah’s face with brutal force.
Noah staggered backward, his back crashing against his car. He barely had time to steady himself before Elias pulled Elena away from him and into his arms.
His strong arms wrapped protectively around her, shielding her with his body.
"Stay away from my wife," Elias growled, his voice vibrating with barely restrained fury. "If you dare come near her again, I’ll destroy you and your entire family."
Noah rubbed his aching jaw. Every instinct in him screamed to fight back.
Elena had once been his wife, the woman who had loved him more than anyone. She had once belonged entirely to him. Seeing her wrapped in another man’s arms made something savage twist inside his chest.
He wanted to rip her away from Elias and reclaim her. But somewhere beneath his anger, he still had enough reason to understand one painful truth.
It was his own mistakes that had pushed Elena away. It was because of him that she had chosen another man.
He clenched his jaw and swallowed the rage burning inside him. But he refused to give up.
"She used to be my wife," he hissed. "I was only trying to talk to her."
"Your wife? How dare you..." Elias exploded.
The next moment, he lunged at Noah and grabbed his collar.
"I’ll kill you today."
He drove his fist into Noah’s jaw, then again and again.
The blows came fast and mercilessly. Elias no longer cared about the consequences waiting afterward. He only saw Noah’s hands on Elena. He only heard Noah calling her his wife.
And every word pushed his fury higher.
He slammed another punch into Noah’s stomach.
Noah doubled over with a groan. Pain exploded through his body. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Before he could recover, another blow landed against his stomach, driving the air from his lungs. He struggled to breathe, his face flushing red as he staggered backward.
His entire body tensed.
Elias was like a volcano that had just erupted. He stood over him like a predator that had finally been unleashed.
"Elena is now my wife," he thundered, his eyes burning with murderous fury. "My woman..."
He seized Noah by the collar and yanked him upright.
"Anyone who touches what is mine, I don’t spare them." He slammed Noah against the car and pressed his forearm against his chest.
Noah coughed violently, struggling to draw breath.
"El—Elías..." Elena’s heart pounded.
She had never seen him like this. She knew he was furious, but this was beyond anger.
He looked as though he might actually kill Noah.
"Elias, stop."
He didn’t hear her. Rage had consumed every shred of reason.
One thought dominated his mind – ’Kill him.’
He raised his fist, ready to strike him again.
"Elias, no..." Elena rushed forward and tugged at his raised arm.
The movement finally broke through the haze of fury. Elias’s grip around Noah’s collar loosened slightly. He turned toward Elena. His brows furrowed.
There was disappointment in his dark eyes. "Why are you stopping me?" he muttered.
Before Elena could answer, Noah suddenly laughed. It was a low, bitter laugh.
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Elias with a mocking glint.
"Don’t you know why she stopped you?" he taunted. "Of course, she cares about me. She couldn’t bear to see me get hurt."
Elias’s eyes flashed with murderous intent. "You..."
He started forward again.
Elena immediately tightened her grip around his arm.
"Elias, don’t." Then she turned toward Noah and shot him a furious glare. "Shut up, Noah. Haven’t you caused enough trouble already? Get lost."
Noah laughed again, though the pain in his stomach quickly chased the smile from his face. But the hopeful glint in his eyes remained.
"See?" he said. "She is worried about me. Why wouldn’t she be? She loved me for years. I was her entire world once. That kind of love doesn’t disappear so easily."
He looked directly at Elias. "She might have married you. But her heart still longs for me."
Elias’s hands shook as he struggled not to strike him again. But Elena couldn’t stay calm any longer. She slapped Noah.
The echo of the slap reverberated in the air.
Noah’s face snapped to the side. For a moment, he stood completely still. The smugness disappeared from his face.
"Stop spouting nonsense," Elena spat. "I don’t care about you."
Noah slowly turned his face back toward her.
"I stopped loving you a long time ago."
The words struck him harder than any of Elias’s punches. The tiny spark of hope he had been desperately clinging to flickered. Then went out.
"I stopped Elias because I didn’t want him to stain his hands with your blood. I don’t want him getting into unnecessary trouble because of you."
Elias’s chest loosened. The disappointment in his eyes vanished.
He believed her. He had always believed Elena. But whenever Noah appeared in front of them, something inside Elias became uncontrollable.
The knowledge that Noah had once been the most important man in Elena’s life had always been a thorn buried deep inside him. He hated that. He wished he could erase that part of her past.
But her words soothed the burning jealousy inside him.
His anger began to subside. Elias slipped an arm around Elena’s waist and pulled her firmly against his side.
"You heard her," he muttered. "I am the man she cares about now. So stop dreaming... She has no feelings left for you."
"No..." Noah wouldn’t accept it. "She still loves me. She cares about me. Or else why would she defend me?"
"Think whatever you want." Elias gave him a cold, dismissive look. "If you want to live in your fantasies, no one can stop you."
He looked down at Elena, his expression softening slightly. "Come on, love. Let’s go home."
Even though he tried to stay calm, his insides were burning. His grip around her waist tightened even further as he turned and walked toward his Rolls-Royce.
Noah grew agitated as he saw them walking away.
"Elias Rowan... don’t be so cocky," he shouted.
Elias slowly turned his head.
Noah’s eyes were bloodshot, his face bruised, but his wounded pride had given him a final burst of courage.
"The woman you claim is yours was mine first," he shouted. "She loved me for years. She married me. She carried my child."
Elena’s face went pale.
Elias’s expression turned frighteningly still.
"Don’t forget that. She isn’t as pure and untouched as you pretend. She is nothing more than a second-hand woman, the woman I used and discarded."
The parking area fell silent for a moment. Even Noah froze right after he finished speaking. He realized he said something he shouldn’t. He had just humiliated Elena.
But the regret came too late.
Elias spun around. His eyes became terrifyingly cold. He could feel the blood rushing inside his head. Hatred clawed at his sanity.
Noah had just crossed a line he should never have crossed.
"You are dead..." He charged toward Noah and struck him again, harder than before. "You are sick. A man like you doesn’t deserve to be loved."
His fists came down relentlessly—across Noah’s face, chest, and stomach. The blows were fueled by a fury so raw that Noah barely had time to defend himself, let alone fight back.
"Elias, you are scaring me. Please come back..."
Elias’s fist froze in midair. The rage in his eyes remained.
Then he turned his head.
Elena was kneeling on the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks.
The sight shattered his fury instantly. All the strength seemed to drain from his body.
He shoved Noah aside and rushed toward her.
"What are you doing? Get up." He grabbed her arm, pulled her to her feet, and immediately wrapped her in his arms.
Elena clung to him, sobbing.
"It’s over," Elias murmured, rubbing her back. "I’m not hitting him anymore. Okay? Calm down."
Elena lifted her tear-filled face and glared at him.
"Are you insane?" She smacked his arm.
Elias blinked, caught off guard.
"Do you think I’m crying because you hit him?" She ground his teeth with frustration.
He frowned, rubbing his slightly aching arm. "Then why are you crying?" he asked in confusion.
"I was worried you would hurt him so badly that you’d end up in jail!" she blurted out. "Then what would happen to me and our children?"