Stand By Me Darling
Chapter 126: Holding Great Power

Chapter 126: Holding Great Power

When Talia and Rebecca reached the lobby, they saw Peter Campbell at the reception, arguing to let him in.

Rebecca let out a disdainful snort looking at Peter as he tried to throw a punch at the receptionist, cussing her. The security immediately came and he then tried to fight off the security personnel as they tackled him.

That big lobby of the office building echoed his voice as it was mostly empty and Peter fell on the polished marble floor face first.

What a sight!

These days, Peter Campbell always tried to get past the security to meet Rachel since Rachel broke up with him. There were a couple of times where Talia overheard Peter apologising to Rachel and entreating her to accept him once more.

Talia knew Peter just wants Rachel’s money. Or because his father needs Rachel’s father’s endorsement and donation since elections are coming up.

Campaigns cost money!

But Rachel is smart to figure that out and she stood by her decision. She had chauffeurs dropping off and picking her from work and the securities are informed not to let him in the building and yet Peter still harasses Rachel.

What a scoundrel!

Talia didn’t look at him and both of them walked to the exit.

As much as she hated Rachel, Peter is worse than her.

And this is where the rift between Rebecca and Joe gets widened each passing day.

Everytime Peter is trying to get near her, Joe will be with Rachel, protecting her. In an outsider’s point of view, it seemed like this incident pushed Joe and Rachel closer together. Talia could observe Joe has a weird sense of responsibility towards Rachel for some reason.

Rachel might be a poisonous snake as Rebecca claims, Talia could see these few days. She just holds on to Joe and Joe acts like her white Knight.

Talia wasn’t pleased with Joe for prioritising Rachel over Rebecca - His pregnant wife. She is the one watching Rebecca crying herself to sleep these days and Joe was only talking the talk with Rebecca promising to keep her happy but he never lets go of Rachel.

Even Talia got tired of Joe’s act these days.

Just ask Rachel to file a restraining order against Peter and let her live her life! Her father is powerful in the city and even Peter cannot do anything against her. Why is Joe involving himself this much? She is just his ex-girlfriend!

Not minding the scuffle between Peter and the security as he was dragged out of the building, Talia and Rebecca were waiting for their car to arrive by the entrance.

"Hands off, man! I’ll leave! Shit! My suit is ruined! I’ve a luncheon to attend! Do you know how much this suit costs? Your entire year salary!! Bastards! " Talia could hear Peter grumbling as he surrendered. The securities backed off. It would be illegal for them to touch him after he says he’ll leave.

"Hey you..." Talia heard him walking towards her and she turned her head away in disgust.He is such a vile pig and she didn’t even want to look at his face.

Even though she always doubted Stacy, that day at the bar, the words Peter used were extremely vulgar and he used them freely with no reluctance. She didn’t want to interact with slimy creatures like him who finds peace in slime.

"Aren’t you... Is that..."

Talia heard him approaching her and seeing him approaching her, the building securities ran towards him and Talia’s securities tried to cover her.

But before any of them could approach closer, Talia felt a sharp pain in her head as she got yanked and she screamed. Her first reaction was to hold on to the hairpin in her head.

"This hairpin... If I get it for Rachel, she’ll accept me!"

He had a thick bunch of her hair wrapped between his fingers and tried to yank the hairpin from her head. The securities tried to hit his hand to get it off her head but it only hurt Talia more.

Talia’s eyes watered as she felt her entire body burning with pain and Peter was not budging from his hold as he tried to pull off the hairpin. Talia gripped the hairpin in her hair as tighter as she could.

"Let go!"

Shouts of the securities soon filled the lobby and Rebecca who was held back by the securities pushed her way in. "Let go of her, scumbag!" she shouted and the next thing Talia heard was a loud scream from Peter and Talia moaned in pain holding her head as some of her hair got stuck in his hand as he pulled back.

"Ouuch! That hurts!" Talia mumbled and even in that excruciating pain, her first act was to remove the hairpin from her dishevelled hair. She carefully checked it. She was only relieved when she saw the hairpin not damaged.

"Tallie...you should twist his pinkie... Or kick him in the nuts! That will get his hand off your hair." Rebecca was calm as she spoke and Talia furrowed her brows as she felt her scalp sting by the ordeal she faced right now and proceeded to fix her hair.

She was never treated this way before, ever! If this was Esteria, Peter will be dead by now and not even his family will claim his body for burial fearing the retribution of the Brunton family.

Too bad this is not Esteria.

The stinging pain in her head made Talia extremely irritated. She was not embarrassed but was enraged. She didn’t have to be treated this way!

"You bitch!" Peter shouted holding his hand with an abnormally twisted little finger, with his back humped, "Did you break my finger?"

Talia saw the swelling in his finger, "Yep, she sure did!" Talia felt the pain in her scalp reduce a lot seeing the sorry state of Peter who was now held back by two security guards. They even teeid to put him on a headlock to stop him from moving. Talia’s security personnel formed a line in front of her immediately in a protective stance and Amy checked on her.

"You okay?" Rebecca didn’t even mind Peter and looked at Talia worriedly. Her hairstyle is now ruined and she was stupidly holding the hairpin in her hand like a treasure.

This little incident has drawn the attention of a lot of onlookers and Talia’s security surrounded her to prevent her from getting recorded.

But before Talia could answer, she could see Peter lunging towards Rebecca pushing away the two men holding him.

She’s pregnant.!

Talia, out of instinct stepped in front of Rebecca while Amy stepped forward and protected Talia immediately before others stopped Peter from getting closer to the two women.

"Mr. Campbell! Stand your ground!"

A powerful voice rang in the lobby and Talia smiled seeing Mr. Ed with his weapon drawn. His hand was on the trigger showing his seriousness in pulling the trigger if Peter moved even an inch.

The tense situation around him made Peter shake in fear. Yet he shouted as if he was the one who was wronged.

"Do you know who I am? You dare to pull a gun on me? I will send you lot to..."

"Who are you Mr. Campbell? Who really are you? What have you achieved in your life for you to be this boastful?" Talia felt resentful for not ruining him back then. She herself held a lot of power growing up and she never once used it on anyone easily.

Peter was a bit ashamed by her question," What... Do you know who my father is? He is - "

" A senator? Your FATHER is a senator and that excuses YOUR assault on random people? I thought Senators are public servants and not the other way around!" Talia raised her voice pointedly to let everyone around them hear her.

"Ye- So what?" Peter really couldn’t refute her and still continued. He didn’t like this woman who is an orphan to lecture him. Jealous bitch! "I have power to do what I want. What of it? Are you jealous you have no one? " he raised his chin up high.

Rebecca snorted holding back her laughter. Can he even look around and see how many men are here to protect her? Has he mortgaged his brain for a line of coke?

"So you are saying if one have the power over other, they are entitled to do anything? Even if it is immoral or illegal? " Talia asked and Mr. Ed looked at Talia with a sly smile.

It seems like his Princess is planning something.

"Yeah, why not?" Peter was confused.

"Well,Mr. Campbell, you taught me a good lesson today. And today, watch me take away the power you hold," she spoke softly and gave a smile and for some reason Peter shuddered.

"Why you think? Guess what, Campbell? I am more powerful than you!" Talia added. By now she had fixed her hair and even fixed the hairpin properly in her bun.

She will not let this go!

She looked around to see Joe and Rachel standing among the crowd. Joe donned a worried expression and tried to get closer, but Rachel stopped him saying something.

How long was he here? Did he watch his wife getting attacked?

Closing her eyes, Talia took a deep breath.

"Sir Robert, pop the flag!" she said in a clear voice filled with determination and Mr. Ed still holding the gun pointed at Peter talked in his earpiece.

"Raise the flag! Artemis is ready!"

Talia chucked hearing the code name for her. She sure is not the goddess of hunt.

But it does have a nice ring to it.

And as she looked through the glass, she saw the flag of Rosandale fixed in the hood of the car signifying that she is a diplomat from Rosandale.

She had specifically asked not to have the flag on her car and to not use the diplomatic licence plate to keep her identity as the Princess from her colleagues, but now she felt it might be time to let people know who she actually is.

Let this scoundrel know! Let Rachel know! Let everyone know who she is!

She is not an orphan! She has family. In fact she has two families; powerful ones.

She can buy the world if she wants. She does have the money for that.. And if this scoundrel uses his father’s name to bully others, she can definitely use the name of her family to do good, to purge evil.

She could hear the murmurs among the people discussing why is the car having a flag and why Talia is getting in that car. No one could say at first glance which country’s flag that was. She didn’t care.

Truth will reveal itself. Soon her identity will be revealed.

With determinant steps Talia walked towards the car, with her friend by her side. Her security formed a perimeter around her, leaving the stunned Peter too stupefied to move.

Who is she? And is that the flag of Rosandale? Why is it in her car?

As Talia stepped out, the cold air hit her and she hugged herself as she breathed in the air. It felt fresh.

Truth is liberating!

"Get a copy of the security footage," Talia heard Mr.Ed advising someone before holding the car door open for her and gave her a salute.

With a smile and a nod, Talia got in the car and Rebecca followed too.

Joe tried to get to Rebecca to ask something and Rebecca didn’t stop the security stopping Joe.

As the car moved, through the tinted glass, Talia saw Joe who looked like he had lost something.

He has reasons to worry!