Her attempts to retract her hand were futile and she was forced to turn to Bennett.

He examined her hand meticulously, his thumb gently tracing her index finger as he asked, “How did you get hurt?"

“What?” Claudia responded, startled, her eyes falling upon her hand. Her fingers were slender, her skin smooth. Despite the dim audience Lighting, the injury on her index finger was evident.

She couldn't recall when she'd scraped it. The wound was minor and had already stopped bleeding.

“I'm not sure," Claudia answered, withdrawing her hand to inspect the wound.

She hadn't felt any discomfort from the minor wound until she noticed it. The moment she touched it, a slight sting ran through.

It wasn't a severe pain, but an accidental brush against it did hurt a bit.

Noticing her furrowed brows, Bennett grabbed her hand again, asking, “Does it hurt?"

“Not much,"

Claudia responded, feeling a wave of embarrassment. Regardless of whether Bennett found the wound or not, it would've healed in a few days.

Bennett ran his fingers across the wound nonchalantly, asking, "I heard a staff member bumped into you and pushed you. Is your foot still hurting?"

“Just a little," Claudia responded, glancing up at Bennett. His deep-set eyes met hers, her ears instantly turning a shade of crimson.

“It's no big deal," she added.

“You should get it checked at the hospital," Bennett suggested, releasing his grip on her hand and rising from his seat.

“That's not needed, really.”

Claudia's response to Bennett was dismissive.

No sooner had her words left her lips than she watched him bend over.

“What are you..."

Before she could finish, she found herself hoisted up by Bennett.

She started to squirm instinctively, but the man had no intention of letting her go. As he held her securely, he began to stride out of the music hall, speaking as he walked, "We're hardly discreet here. If you continue to struggle, we'll become the spectacle of the night."

His words acted as a charm, causing Claudia to instantly freeze.

Bennett, having already caught numerous eyes as he moved to the second row to sit beside his wife, had now exited the hall with Claudia in his arms, inevitably sparking a flurry of chatter

Listening to the rising murmur of voices, Claudia was left with no other option but to hide her face in Bennett's arms, reminiscent of an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

When Joann finally regained her wits, Claudia was already whisked away by Bennett.