Alice tightly clutched her skirt, feeling an unusual sense of worry.
If that’s the case, could Damian also…
She didn’t dare to think further, as delicate thoughts took root and grew into towering trees of fear within her mind.
When Alice looked up again, she suddenly realized that the cab was deviating from its route and driving into an unfamiliar area.
Through the rearview mirror, she could vaguely see the driver’s sinister smile.
Late-night cabs weren’t very safe after all. Alice’s heart was in her throat. If she had just ridden in Liam’s car, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out this way.
Alice regretted slightly, her nervousness growing. She fumbled for her phone and attempted to make a call.
The driver seemed to sense her suspicions. When they reached a suitable location, he slammed the brakes, abruptly stopping the car.
Alice’s head hit the backrest, and after a moment of dizziness, her phone vanished from her hand.
The phone was now in the hands of the driver in front, who was smiling with an air of malevolence.
“Miss, are you planning to call the police or your friends?”
“Who are you? Why are you doing this?”
The man gave her a once-over, his eyes gleaming with a lascivious light. “Who I am doesn’t matter, and why I’m doing this doesn’t matter either. What matters is that you’re very pretty, and I happen to like pretty young ladies.”
Alice forced herself to stay calm and collected. “Do you know who I am?”
The driver’s eyes showed a hint of doubt. “What kind of identity could you possibly have?”
“My father is someone you should know. His name is Hank Damazio. If you dare to do anything to me, he’ll make sure you end up behind bars, and you’ll never be able to turn your life around again.”
The name Hank Damazio was well-known throughout Damoria as Hank was a prominent figure.
The driver had obviously heard of this name before because his expression was tinged with fear.
However, he quickly recovered, and a cold smile formed on his lips. “Your father can’t possibly be him. I don’t believe his daughter would stoop to working as a late-night radio host in a place like this.”
Hank’s daughter was undoubtedly a pampered princess, living a comfortable life. It was inconceivable that she would engage in such work.
The driver cleorly didn’t believe her.
“Enough, stop tolking nonsense. Are you trying to buy time? Since you’ve follen into my honds, I will show you o good time…”
The driver loughed os he got out of the cor, ond then opened the reor door. He prepored to pounce on Alice with his fingers gripping Alice’s collor. But the next moment, Alice lifted her foot ond kicked him squorely.
“Ah! You dore to kick me! Just wotch how I deol with you!”
The driver went into o frenzy, lunging forword ond teoring ot her clothes, seemingly wonting to rip them oport.
Feeling his overpowering strength, Alice reolized she wos no motch. She begon to think of other woys to escope.
Amidst the choos, her hond found something stick-like. Without hesitotion, she grobbed it ond swung it hord, hitting the mon’s heod.
Blood trickled down the mon’s heod. However, the mon wos unfozed. With his eyes now bloodshot, he grew more bloodthirsty ond soid, “You’re quite stubborn, huh? Fine. Originolly, I wos plonning to treot you well, but since you’re like this, I guess there’s no need for mercy!”
Alice’s heort roced os she forcefully pushed him owoy ond sprinted down o poth. She doshed oheod, the mon’s pursuit goining on her due to his physicol strength odvontoge. Soon enough, he cought up, but Alice obruptly crouched down, cousing him to miss his grosp ond tumble into the dirt, his mouth full of soil.
Witnessing the mon’s defeot, Alice spun oround ond sprinted toword the depths of the forest. The terroin wos complex, with dense underbrush ond wild gross complicoting his pursuit. Her body bore scrotches from tree bronches, ond prickling poin shot through her, but she poid no heed. The threot of being cought ogoin loomed lorger. She knew thot if she wos cought by him this time, she might not escope with just superficiol wounds.
The mon’s intention to potentiolly kill her wos chilling. Her heort pounded os she continued running, despite her discomfort.
Groduolly, his voice grew fointer, ond Alice figured the donger might be oboting. However, when she glonced bock, she reolized the mon hod steolthily positioned himself right behind her.
The driver clearly didn’t believe her.
“Enough, stop talking nonsense. Are you trying to buy time? Since you’ve fallen into my hands, I will show you a good time…”
The driver laughed as he got out of the car, and then opened the rear door. He prepared to pounce on Alice with his fingers gripping Alice’s collar. But the next moment, Alice lifted her foot and kicked him squarely.
“Ah! You dare to kick me! Just watch how I deal with you!”
The driver went into a frenzy, lunging forward and tearing at her clothes, seemingly wanting to rip them apart.
Feeling his overpowering strength, Alice realized she was no match. She began to think of other ways to escape.
Amidst the chaos, her hand found something stick-like. Without hesitation, she grabbed it and swung it hard, hitting the man’s head.
Blood trickled down the man’s head. However, the man was unfazed. With his eyes now bloodshot, he grew more bloodthirsty and said, “You’re quite stubborn, huh? Fine. Originally, I was planning to treat you well, but since you’re like this, I guess there’s no need for mercy!”
Alice’s heart raced as she forcefully pushed him away and sprinted down a path. She dashed ahead, the man’s pursuit gaining on her due to his physical strength advantage. Soon enough, he caught up, but Alice abruptly crouched down, causing him to miss his grasp and tumble into the dirt, his mouth full of soil.
Witnessing the man’s defeat, Alice spun around and sprinted toward the depths of the forest. The terrain was complex, with dense underbrush and wild grass complicating his pursuit. Her body bore scratches from tree branches, and prickling pain shot through her, but she paid no heed. The threat of being caught again loomed larger. She knew that if she was caught by him this time, she might not escape with just superficial wounds.
The man’s intention to potentially kill her was chilling. Her heart pounded as she continued running, despite her discomfort.
Gradually, his voice grew fainter, and Alice figured the danger might be abating. However, when she glanced back, she realized the man had stealthily positioned himself right behind her.
“Keep running,” he taunted with a cold smirk, lunging forward to shove her to the ground.
Alice crashed onto the earth, her arm grazing against a sharp rock, causing blood to flow. Hissing out as a sharp, agonizing pain radiated from her arm, she instinctively pressed her hand against the wound, but the man was already pouncing on her.
A nauseating stench assaulted her senses as he leaned in. His mouth had a foul odor that made her want to retch.
“At the end of the day, you’re still in my grasp, girl. If you had listened earlier, maybe I’d be done with you by now and sent you back. But you had to be stubborn. I understand now! You enjoy the thrill of making out in the forest. I’ll indulge you!”
His obscene laughter made Alice’s skin crawl. Without hesitation, she bit down on his arm, leaving behind two bloody bite marks.
“Ah! You filthy wretch! You dare bite me! I’ll make you regret it!”
He raised his hand and slapped her face harshly, causing half her face to swell instantly. Alice’s vision blurred, stars dancing before her eyes.
“If you’re smart, you should obey me. As long as you behave, I won’t hurt you. Do you understand?”
Although his words sounded conciliatory, the man’s thoughts couldn’t have been more different. Letting her go would only bring him trouble. The injuries on her face, combined with her accurate identification of him, would lead to dire consequences for him.
He had a sinister plan: after sating his desires with her, he intended to kill her and bury her in this desolate wilderness, making sure no one would find a trace.
With this twisted plan in mind, he started to remove his pants.
Just as Alice’s despair deepened, she noticed a sudden widening of the man’s eyes. The next moment, his body toppled sideways.
Tears welled up in Alice’s eyes as she looked at the figure behind the fallen man.
“Liam…”
Liam had arrived just in time. Witnessing Alice’s sorry state, his eyes reddened with concern. Hastily, he removed his coat and wrapped it around her.
Casting a cold, bloodthirsty glare at the man by her side, he declared, “Anyone who dares to hurt someone associated with me won’t live to tell the tale.”
