Chapter 156

The man in black glared at Christina with a menacing look. "Who the hell are you? Do you even belong here?"

Stanley stepped forward, his face calm. "I'm her friend, and I have every right to stand up for her."

Kaitlyn felt a surge of gratitude for Stanley's defense. She lifted her chin defiantly. "I've already told you, I'm not interested in any of you."

"So you came here just to mess with us?" The man clenched his fist. "Looks like you need to be taught a lesson!"

He waved his hand, and a group of men with clenched fists moved forward.

Kaitlyn, terrified, hid behind Christina. "Christina, what do we do?"

Christina was equally at a loss. Kaitlyn had called her, thinking the situation wouldn't be too hard to handle, but now these men looked ready to pounce.

Stanley, usually seen as a mild-mannered scholar, now showed a hint of toughness as he stood in front of them.

"You two, get out of here!"

"No way, Stanley, you can't take them on alone!" Kaitlyn didn't want to leave him behind.

Seeing him standing protectively in front of her, she was even more certain that he still had feelings for her. Her fading love reignited fiercely.

"Go now." Stanley's calm demeanor was gone, replaced by tension.

Christina quickly grabbed Kaitlyn's arm. "Let's call the cops."

She pulled out her phone and swiftly dialed 911.

As she was explaining the situation to the dispatcher, one of the men noticed them and stormed over, teeth clenched.

"You're asking for it!"

He shouted at Christina and Kaitlyn, raising his fist as if to strike. Kaitlyn turned pale with fear, while Christina held her hand tightly, staring resolutely at the man.

Just then, Stanley darted forward, blocking their path. His movements were swift, and he grabbed the man's wrist, twisting it to deflect the punch.

"Try touching them, I dare you!" Stanley's voice was icy.

But he was outnumbered. As soon as he spoke, he was pulled aside by the others!

In the chaos, someone crashed into Christina, causing her to drop her phone, which hit the ground.

She stumbled back, losing her balance and falling, pain radiating from her ankle.

Kaitlyn screamed and tried to help her, but was grabbed by someone nearby. Amidst the confusion, she saw Stanley being attacked by several men, still trying to protect them.

"Christina!" Kaitlyn cried out.

Christina felt a sudden dizziness, as if she had been hit on the head, and she lost consciousness.

At that moment, the sound of police sirens filled the air.

Hearing the sirens, the attackers quickly scattered.

Stanley had some injuries, and with Christina unconscious, the police didn't bother with statements right away. They called an ambulance and rushed them to the hospital.

Christina was taken straight to the emergency room.

Kaitlyn and Stanley waited outside, pacing anxiously for news.

Bob arrived after hearing what happened. He didn't know the details and, with William recovering from a gunshot wound, he hadn't dared to tell him about this incident.

After more than half an hour, the emergency room doors finally opened, and the doctor came out.

"The patient is out of danger."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Soon, Christina was wheeled out, awake but feeling dizzy. Her main concern was her abdomen, which felt fine, so she assumed everything was okay.

Kaitlyn rushed over. "Christina, how are you feeling? I thought I was going to get you killed."

"I'm fine." Christina rubbed Kaitlyn's cheek. "Stop feeling guilty. Be more mature and think things through in the future."

"I will!" Kaitlyn nodded earnestly.

Christina didn't have the strength to talk much. Her head was spinning, and she felt nauseous, not wanting to move at all.

The doctor had mentioned she might have a mild concussion and needed to stay for observation, which she agreed to.

She just wanted some peace and quiet, without anyone around. Stanley and Kaitlyn left the room together.

Kaitlyn looked at Stanley with a hopeful expression. "Stanley, you rushed here when you heard I was in danger. You must have feelings for me, right?"

Stanley's eyes were cold. "Kaitlyn, you're twenty now. It's time to grow up. Your reckless actions put yourself in danger. Did you ever think about others?"

Kaitlyn was stunned.

"Stanley, I was just so upset. I was upset that you didn't have feelings for me."

"So you went on random dates? Do you even know what kind of people they are? Kaitlyn, have some self-respect." Stanley's tone was stern.

Kaitlyn's face turned pale. She hadn't realized her impulsive actions would cause Stanley so much trouble, and she felt a pang of guilt.

She lowered her head, biting her lip, her voice trembling. "I understand, Stanley. I'm sorry. I won't be so impulsive again."

Stanley's stern look softened into one of helplessness.

"Kaitlyn, I know how you feel about me, but I can only see you as a sister. I don't want you to ruin your life because of me. I can't bear that burden."

Kaitlyn bit her lip hard and nodded. "I understand. I won't cause you any more trouble."

His words, though harsh, were meant to be kind.

Her heart had already been hurt once, and the pain was unbearable. After this, she knew she had to grow up.

Stanley sighed and turned to leave, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, as if the adrenaline had worn off and the pain hit him all at once.

He took a few steps and stumbled to the ground.

Kaitlyn immediately noticed something was wrong and rushed to his side. "Stanley, you're hurt too. You haven't been checked yet."

"It's nothing!" Stanley shook his head, trying to stand.

But every movement brought intense pain, making it impossible to move.