Page 168 of The Bittersweet Bond

His breath washeavy, his fingers curled into fists, ready to explode at any moment.

Sergej had the grin of a man who believed he still held the upper hand—not through strength, but through words as sharp as blades.

"Hey, Bas, right?" Sergej’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "You wanna dance, or what? You’re almost cute, playing her little knight in shining armor."

"How could you do that to her?" Bas snarled.

"Oh, come on, we both know she’s not as innocent as she acts."

Sergej smirked, his eyes flashing with malice. "I don’t know what she told you, but she wanted it. She wanted it back then, and she wanted it tonight."

"Shut the fuck up," Bas growled, his voice dangerously low.

"Why do you think she didn’t tell you?" Sergej continued, his smirk widening. "Because she didn’t want you to know what a little slut she really is—"

That was it.

Without hesitation, Bas shoved him with full force against the swing door behind him, which crashed open with a deafening bang.

"Ohh!" Gasps echoed around them.

Sergej stumbled backward, straight into the tent, onto the dance floor beneath the stage.

The music cut off abruptly as the two men lunged at each other.

Shocked voices filled the space.

Parents and guests turned, horrified, toward the scene.

The host, standing on stage mid-sentence, froze, his words catching in his throat.

________

"What the hell is happening?" someone shouted from the crowd.

Bas didn't register any of it.

His fist crashed against Sergej’s face, the impact drowned out by the horrified gasps of the guests.

Sergej staggered but recovered quickly. With unexpected agility, he ducked under Bas’s next punch, grabbed him around the waist, and slammed him against one of the elaborately decorated tables.

The massive chocolate fountain beside them wobbled dangerously, thick chocolate spilling onto the floor. Bas tore himself free from Sergej’s grip and kicked him back onto the dance floor with brutal force.

"You have no idea what you've done to her!" Bas growled, his voice raw with rage. His hands trembled, his guilt and anger raging uncontrollably inside him.

Sergej wiped the blood from his lip and laughed, his grin condescending, almost smug.

"What I did to her?" He scoffed. "Come on, Bas. Be honest. You’re just pissed because she wanted me more than she wanted you. You're pathetic."

The words fueled his rage. He lunged at Sergej again, throwing him to the ground with all his strength.

Sergej hit the floor hard, gasping for air, but he still didn't back down.

As Bas leaned over him, Sergej grabbed a plate from the overturned table and hurled it at him. The plate missed, shattering against the chocolate fountain.

The guests recoiled in horror. A few women screamed, but no one dared to step in yet. "Enough!" the announcer called from the stage, but his words were useless. “Security!”

“This isn’t enough,” Bas hissed, his voice barely above a whisper, yet filled with raw fury.

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