Joycelyn’s heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in shallow bursts as the man outside her window raged. She instinctively locked the doors, her hands shaking as she gripped the steering wheel.
“Are you going to apologize?” the man yelled, his voice dripping with anger. “Or are you just going to sit there and act like nothing happened?”
Selene, who had been staring wide-eyed at the scene unfolding, snapped out of her daze and turned to look at Joycelyn. “Joycelyn, are you okay?” she asked, her voice a mix of concern and confusion.
But Joycelyn was too rattled to respond. Her mind was racing, still reeling from the crash and the intimidating presence of the man outside her car. She couldn’t help but feel a strange pressure building in her chest—the overwhelming sense that everything was spiraling out of control.
Before she could even think of how to react, the sound of another car approaching cut through the tension. Joycelyn glanced in the rearview mirror, her heart sinking when she saw the unmistakable black Bentley slowly pulling up behind her.
Ellison’s car.
The man outside her window saw the car too, his anger momentarily faltering as he seemed to recognize the luxury vehicle. His furious gaze shifted to Joycelyn once again. “You think you’re above this, huh?” he sneered, but there was an evident shift in his tone as he took a step back.
Joycelyn didn’t know what to do. Her thoughts scrambled, unsure whether Ellison had seen the entire exchange or whether he was simply curious about the situation. All she knew was that she couldn’t handle much more of this stress right now.
Just then, the door of the Bentley opened, and Ellison stepped out.
His presence immediately commanded attention, the sharp lines of his tailored suit making him seem almost otherworldly in contrast to the chaos around her. He walked toward the car with his usual composed demeanor, his eyes scanning the situation with detached observation. The man outside Joycelyn’s car fell silent the moment Ellison was within earshot.
Ellison’s gaze shifted from the angry man to Joycelyn, then back to the stranger. “Is there a problem here?” he asked, his voice cool and calm, but the authority in it was unmistakable.
The man hesitated, his anger suddenly dampened by Ellison’s calm and powerful presence. He muttered something under his breath, no longer as confident as before, before storming off to inspect his damaged vehicle.
Ellison turned to Joycelyn, his expression unreadable, though there was a flicker of something—concern?—that passed through his eyes. “Are you alright?”
Joycelyn nodded, though she wasn’t entirely sure if her voice would hold steady if she tried to speak. The sight of Ellison standing so close, his eyes on her with that silent weight, made her feel exposed in a way she wasn’t prepared for.
“Just… a little shaken up,” she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ellison gave a single nod, then glanced at Selene, who was still sitting beside Joycelyn, staring at him wide-eyed. “You can go ahead. I’ll take care of this.”
Selene blinked, confused, but quickly nodded and got out of the car, offering Joycelyn a reassuring smile before walking toward the apartment complex.
With that, the tension between them shifted, and Joycelyn was left alone in the car with Ellison. The rain had started to fall harder, and the sounds of droplets hitting the windows filled the silence.
Ellison’s gaze softened for a moment, his voice quiet yet steady. “It’s not the first time someone’s gotten aggressive over a minor incident. But you don’t need to worry about it.”
Joycelyn was still processing the chaos, her mind still trying to settle from the shock. “I wasn’t expecting that,” she said, her voice finally returning to a normal cadence, but her hands were still trembling slightly.
Ellison leaned against the side of her car, his eyes meeting hers. “It’s alright. These things happen. Just… be careful next time.”
“Thanks,” Joycelyn replied, her voice barely a whisper. There was an odd warmth in her chest at his calmness, though she couldn’t quite explain why.
Without another word, Ellison straightened up, gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod, and walked back to his car. As the black Bentley pulled away, Joycelyn felt an odd mix of emotions swirling inside her—relief, embarrassment, and something else she couldn’t name.
She sat there for a moment, just breathing, her heart finally slowing down.
