The waiter nodded quickly.
“Sir, if you wait five minutes, I’ll bring the car around—”
But Elias was already rising to his feet.
Before Amara or even the waiter could react, Elias suddenly bent down and swept her into his arms.
“Elias!”
A startled scream escaped her lips as the ground vanished beneath her feet. One arm hooked beneath her knees while the other locked tightly around her waist, lifting her effortlessly against his chest.
The waiter froze in shock.
Meanwhile, Elias didn’t even pause.
“I don’t have time,” he said to the waiter while walking away.
Then he strode out of the restaurant with long, powerful steps.
Amara immediately struggled in his arms.
“Let me go!” she shouted, twisting against him. “What are you doing? Put me down!”
Her fists pushed against his shoulders while her legs kicked slightly, trying to free herself from his grip. But Elias’s arms only tightened harder around her body.
His expression remained cold and unmoved as he carried her outside without slowing down even once.
The harder she struggled, the tighter his hold became.
Then his gaze suddenly lowered toward her face.
His eyes darkened.
“Keep doing that,” he said in a low, chilling voice. “I’m barely holding myself back as it is. Push me any further, and we won’t be waiting until we get home to spank your ass until you see the fucking stars, baby.”
Amara’s struggle stopped instantly. Her eyes widened in complete shock.
They had barely even kissed during their entire marriage. He had never spoken to her like this—never used such language in that low, threatening tone.
The coldness in his voice sent a shiver racing down her spine.
She immediately went still in his arms.
He opened the passenger door and placed her inside quickly, the movement sharp with barely restrained urgency.
Then he shut the door and moved around the car in long, fast strides, getting into the driver’s seat and starting the engine immediately.
Within seconds, the car sped away from the restaurant as though Elias couldn’t leave that place fast enough.
The drive was terrifyingly quiet.
Amara sat stiffly in the passenger seat with her arms folded tightly across her chest, refusing to look at him. Her anger still burned hot inside her.
Beside her, Elias drove at a frightening speed, one hand gripping the steering wheel tightly while the other rested near the gear shift. His sharp jaw remained tense the entire drive.
The silence between them felt suffocating.
Within minutes, the car was already pulling into the massive driveway of his house.
