Once they were outside, they shoved her away.
"This place is off-limits to outsiders!"
Poppy yanked her arm back and glared at them. "What the hell is wrong with both of you?!" she snapped.
But her voice cracked when the men held their guns defensively, ready to attack if she made a wrong move.
Her anger died down immediately.
She cleared her throat softly. "I'm here for a signature," she said calmly. "I need to see Mr. Alaric Langford for these divorce papers."
The guards exchanged a look before their faces hardened.
"Go away, Lady! As you can see, this is not a very good time for you to pull these useless stunts just so you can meet with our young master." One said sternly.
Poppy blinked. Young master...?
But before she could ask, the other guard said sharply, "He's not in a good mood. And neither are we. So unless you want to be forcefully removed, I suggest you walk away. Now."
Her face paled instantly.
"That man..." she whispered with a trembling voice. "...the one who ran at me naked, laughing like a lunatic. You... You called him young master. Is he—is that man Alaric Langford?"
The men frowned heavily. Their Young Master's identity was meant to be kept a secret.
"You need to leave. Now!" one barked, and both men raised their rifles without hesitation.
Poppy's breath hitched. "P-please don't shoot!" she cried out, quickly lifting her hands in surrender. Her legs trembled beneath her, but she forced herself to back away slowly. "I-I'm leaving… okay? I'm leaving!"
She hurriedly got into her car and drove away.
*********
Poppy forced herself to breathe, but her hands… they wouldn't stop shaking.
Her fingers clenched her phone so tightly that her palms turned red, but she didn't feel the sting. Right now, she felt numb.
"Poppy?" Chloe's concerned voice came through her phone's speaker. "You've been quiet for a while… Are you okay?"
She didn't answer at first. Her eyes were glued to her screen, on the picture Chloe had just sent. She was looking at the photo of the man listed beside her name on her marriage certificate.
It was him.
That half-naked lunatic was her husband, Alaric Langford.
Her stomach twisted.
When she'd driven away from the estate earlier, she'd convinced herself it had to be a mistake. That maybe, somehow, Chloe had made a mistake with the address. She hadn't even bothered looking at her husband's face on the certificate until now.
But now… there was no denying it. They'd married her to a madman.
Tears burned behind her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
"Of all the people in the world…" she muttered bitterly. "They chose him."
How was she supposed to get a divorce from a mad man?
After everything she'd witnessed, the thought of going close to him sent chills to her spine.
"Poppy?" Chloe asked again.
She blinked. "I'm fine, Chloe. I just… need time to process all of this."
Chloe sighed. "Yeah. I figured. I'm coming to you, okay?"
Poppy nodded, "Okay." She ended the call and let the phone slip from her fingers onto the passenger's seat.
Her head dropped against the steering wheel as she exhaled sharply.
What the hell was she going to do now?
Suddenly, a knock on her window made her jump. She sighed as she stared at the elderly security guard from her apartment building, before quickly rolling the window down.
"You can't park here, Miss Poppy. It's blocking the main entrance."
She cursed under her breath. She hadn't even realized where she'd stopped. Ever since she left that estate, she'd been a mess. She hadn't even stepped out of the car.
"I'm sorry, Mr. David," she murmured. "I was going to drive into the parking lot, but I… I just needed a moment."
David gave a small, understanding nod, then hesitated. "Did you come to get your things?"
Poppy frowned. "Why would I come to get my things? I live here."
"Weren't you informed?" David's brows furrowed. "The owner gave instructions for your apartment to be cleared out this morning."
"What?! Cleared out?! Are you kidding me right now?!" Without thinking, Poppy yanked her door open and stepped out of the car.
"Miss Poppy, wait! You still need to remove your vehicle!" David called out behind her.
But she wasn't listening.
She stormed toward the building but stopped abruptly when she saw her boxes, clothes, and properties piled outside like garbage beside the entrance.
"No," she breathed. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she rushed over. "What the hell is all this?! Who does this?!"
Without hesitation, she reached her pocket for her phone but when she remembered she left it in the car, she turned sharply to David.
"Can I borrow your phone? I need to call Mr. Patrick!"
David hesitated, but slowly reached into his pocket. "Mr. Patrick wouldn't pick your call." He handed the phone to her, not minding her glare.
Poppy called at least twice and when no one answered, she felt like screaming.
"He isn't picking up, is he?"
She cursed under her breath. "Why?"
"It's been going on like this for months." She frowned heavily. "But if you want to call someone regarding your issue, try calling the new owner."
New owner?
"Since when did we have a new owner?"
"The building was bought right after you moved in by a certain Mr. Rowland Sinclair."
Poppy smiled bitterly. "You've got to be kidding me!'