Chapter 17

Scarlett POV

I was absentmindedly clearing the dinner dishes, still thinking about my confrontation with George this morning.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, startling me from my thoughts.

Setting down the half-washed plate, I cautiously approached the door and peered through the peephole.

Four strange men stood outside the door, dressed in dark clothes, expressionless, looking like they were there to cause trouble.

I retreated to the edge of the door, hoping they would think no one was home.

But the doorbell rang again, followed by heavy knocking.

"Open the door, Miss Smith. Let's talk." The man's deep voice sent chills down my spine.

I leaned against the wall, my mind racing through escape options.

The fire escape? Too noisy. Call the police? They wouldn't arrive in time.

Emily wasn't home, and I had no neighbors I could trust.

"We know you're in there, Miss Smith, we just want to talk to you about the debt." His voice sounded much friendlier.

I had no choice but to open the door a crack with trembling hands.

"How did you..."

Before I could finish, a forceful push broke open the door and the chain lock.

I had barely let out a cry when I was surrounded by the group of men. The leader grabbed my hair, yanking my head back.

I looked at him with wide, terrified eyes, while another man covered my mouth with his hand.

"Remember what you hit my boss's head with last night?"

The leader smiled cruelly, pulling my hair harder as he spoke.

I wanted to scream, but only muffled moans escaped through the rough fingers.

"Mmph!"

I struggled frantically, kicking and scratching, but it was useless. They easily dragged me out of the apartment.

As I was being pulled down the hallway, I saw a neighbor poking his head out, drawn by the commotion.

In that moment, I thought I glimpsed hope of rescue and struggled more vigorously, but his eyes only flashed with fear before he quickly shut his door.

I finally stopped struggling and closed my eyes in despair.

They forced me into a black SUV waiting at the curb, roughly shoving me into the back seat.

Through my tear-blurred vision, I frantically scanned the car's interior, my heart pounding like a trapped animal.

"Mr. Garcia sends his regards," the driver sneered at me through the rearview mirror. "He says he'll personally teach you some manners."

Reuben! So it was him.

After Alexander left last night, Reuben had immediately tried to force himself on me. My clothes were almost completely torn off when I managed to grab a bottle in the chaos...

I thought Alexander would resolve this matter, but unexpectedly, there was still no escape.

Seeing the scenery outside the car become increasingly desolate, my heart sank.

I prayed for myself in my mind, while my short life played back like a film reel.

Tonight, I might die here, disappearing without a trace, forgotten, becoming another vanished soul, never to be mentioned again.

As this thought occurred to me, even my breathing became somewhat difficult.

Just then, a black panel van appeared from nowhere, heading straight toward us.

The driver let out a curse, slamming on the brakes, but it was too late.

As everything spun around me, my head violently hit the window, and I felt a warm stream flowing down my cheek.

Bang! A bullet pierced through the windshield, the sound of shattering glass right in my ear. Tiny glass fragments sparkled in the air, time seeming to slow down.

My heart almost stopped beating, a primal fear rising from the base of my spine, instantly sweeping through my entire body.

I could no longer bear the shock and screamed in terror, a sound that didn't even seem to come from my throat, but rather an instinctive wail for survival.

I was still screaming, my voice hoarse and unfamiliar, when the car door beside me suddenly wrenched open, and the cold night air rushed in, carrying the acrid smell of gunpowder.

A strong arm pulled me out, half-carrying, half-dragging me toward another waiting car.

My legs no longer seemed to belong to me, and I could only stumble forward passively.

In the chaos, I couldn't see anything clearly—just shouts and gunfire, with terror enveloping me completely.

I didn't dare move, allowing myself to be carried into another car.

The door slammed shut, and I huddled with my head down, still breathing heavily.

"Stop screaming."

Hearing a familiar voice, I finally looked up, my gaze meeting a pair of deep blue eyes.

Alexander reclined against the leather seat, looking completely unaffected by the violence outside.

He held a folding knife in one hand and a ripe peach in the other, playing with them casually. Outside the window, gunfire and fighting sounds continued, but he seemed as relaxed as if he were sitting in his living room. "Little wildcat, you look quite disheveled," he said mockingly.

I knew how terrible I looked, my clothes disheveled from the struggle, my face covered in blood.

I took a deep breath, trying to suppress the urge to scream. With trembling hands, I straightened my clothes, forcing myself to appear calm, even though my heart was still pounding wildly in my chest.

"Thank you for your help, I need to go home now."

I heard my own voice shaking so much that even my vocal tone had changed, as if someone else was speaking.

"Go home?"

Alexander raised an eyebrow, the knife piercing the peach.

Juice trickled down the blade like blood.

"Open the door!"

The guard outside swiftly opened the door, and I looked out to see one of my kidnappers just being shot down. "Ah!"

Alexander dug in his ear, seemingly annoyed by my repeated screams.

"I just saved you, and this is how you treat your savior?"

I managed to squeeze out a thank you, not daring to mention leaving again.

But as I calmed down, I wondered how his timing had been so perfect. Was my kidnapping somehow connected to him?

"Mr. Gray, how should we handle Reuben's men?" The bodyguard Noah in the front seat turned to ask.

Alexander shrugged, his attention seemingly focused on cutting the peach. "Why are you asking me? Perhaps you want to bandage their wounds?"

Noah didn't say anything else, then got out of the car. Alexander continued slicing the peach, his blue eyes fixed on my face.

"You hit Reuben pretty hard last night," Alexander suddenly said, offering me a slice of peach.

"Business is already difficult enough, and you hit him with a bottle. How am I supposed to do business with him now, auntie?"

I glared and refused the peach slice. "Don't call me that."

"What? Am I wrong?" His smile widened as he deliberately moved the peach slice closer to my lips. "You and Richard sure know how to have fun."

I understood his implication and turned my head away in embarrassment and anger.

But he caught my chin between his fingers, forcing me to eat the peach slice. The peach was sweet and juicy, running down the back of Alexander's hand.

I watched as he extended his tongue to lick the peach juice off his arm.

"We should get to our real business now."

The car turned onto a narrow road leading to a dock. I could smell the distinctive mix of seawater and grilled seafood.

Looking out the window, I saw a makeshift outdoor grill where several dangerous-looking men were preparing food.

"Hungry?" Alexander asked casually. "Noah makes the best grilled lobster around here."

"Why did you bring me here?" I finally asked, unable to contain my confusion any longer.

Alexander's expression remained playful, but his eyes grew dangerous. "Of course, it's to treat everyone to a meal!"