Chapter 251: Clandestine Meeting
The alley reeked of mildew and rot, damp from the recent rain. Brandon pulled his hoodie tighter over his head, the brim of his cap shadowing his face as he walked briskly between the tall, graffiti-covered walls. A flickering streetlight buzzed overhead, casting a dull yellow light that pooled on the slick asphalt like molten gold.
At the far end, beneath a rusted fire escape, a man leaned against the brick wall, arms crossed, cigarette glowing between his fingers as if waiting for something. Brandon recognized him instantly—the paparazzo. The man straightened as Brandon approached, a smirk curling beneath his unshaven face.
But Brandon didn’t slow down. He closed the distance with quick strides, then surged forward, slamming the man back against the wall with a solid thud and held him in place.
"You son of a—!" Brandon snarled, fist clenching in the front of the man’s jacket. "You hurt her! You and your damn cameras and your chaos—she got hurt and it was all because of you!"
The paparazzo grunted from the impact but didn’t look scared. He shoved Brandon off him with a grunt of effort, stepping aside and brushing off his coat like the encounter had only mildly inconvenienced him.
"Are you insane?" he spat, voice low and venomous. "You are very lucky I don’t smash that pretty face of yours. Let’s not forget who asked for this little stunt."
Brandon’s jaw clenched. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again. The adrenaline still surged through him, but beneath it was something more jagged—guilt. Raw and hot and clawing at his insides.
"I didn’t ask you to hurt her," he muttered. "I didn’t think you’d go that far, you were only supposed to scare her a little."
The man snorted, flicking the cigarette into a nearby puddle with an irritated snap. "What the hell did you think was gonna happen when a swarm of photographers corners a girl like she is prey? You wanted it to look real, didn’t you? Wanted her overwhelmed, emotional, surrounded, well that was what you got."