Chapter 20 Run Away From a Pervert

Before I could speak, someone called out to my brother from the other end of the line.

Quentin quickly said, “Ralda, I’ll call you back, okay? I’ve got something to take care of right now…”

The call ended. I was going to ask if he could come pick me up, but those words never made it out.

I slowly wrapped my arms around myself, staring into the pitch-black night. For the first time, I felt the desolation of being truly homeless.

I sat down on the steps in a daze, not knowing where else to go.

Should I try Vonnie?

But she wasn’t in Freybourne now.

She messaged me this morning saying she was going to the countryside to visit her mother and wouldn’t be back for a few days.

The night wind was chilly, but my heart felt even colder.

It was already this late, and my brother was still busy, probably trying to scrape together 1.05 million dollars for my dad’s gambling debt.

Meanwhile, after all I’d gone through today, I’d achieved nothing.

Just thinking about the 500 thousand dollars that slipped right through my fingers made me want to cry.

I hugged my knees as sorrow welled up in my chest.

Suddenly, behind me, a strange laugh rang out.

My scalp went numb. I jerked my head around and saw a man staring straight at me.

His face was slightly flushed, probably because he’d been drinking.

He didn’t come any closer, just leaning against the elevator entrance and smiling at me.

The way he looked at me and the way he smiled were kind of weird and creepy. It was like he had a mental problem or something.

Who knows how long he had been watching me like that?

A chill ran down my spine. I quickly stood up and walked away.

After some distance, I pulled out my phone and planned to call a cab to a nearby hotel.

But then, I noticed another shadow on the ground.

I turned around, and that creepy guy had followed me.

Fear flooded me.

I took off toward the main road.

He chased after me, calling out, “Hey, chick!”

His laughter sent shivers down my spine.

This was a high-end residential area, quiet and secluded. All around, it was pitch dark.

There was not a single person in sight. Not even a car.

My only chance was to make it to the main road.

There were always cars passing through there.

In the middle of running, I fumbled with my phone, trying to call my parents for help.

However, just as I opened the contact list, the phone was out of battery and went dead.

My heart sank.

What should I do now?

The main road was still a long way off.

That pervert ran fast, almost catching up with me.

Should I hide?

Frantically, I looked around.

There were several alleys between the buildings.

The pervert was getting closer and closer.

I gritted my teeth and darted into the alley on the left.

In the end, it split into two more paths.

I ran like hell and turned right.

Then, I kept weaving through twists and turns until even I had no idea where I’d ended up.

I had no clue whether I’d ditched him.

But I was too tired to continue running.

Leaning against a wall, I gasped for breath.

After a while, I straightened up and tried to take in my surroundings.

Not far away was a tall building, lit up brightly. Through the glow, I vaguely saw the words “Malgrave Hotel”.

If I could just get there, I’d be safe.

I was about to walk out of the alley and head toward the hotel when a human shadow suddenly appeared at the entrance of the alley.

Fear flooded me, and I instinctively covered my mouth.

It was a dead-end. If that man came in, there’d be nowhere to run.

I pressed myself flat against the wall, silently praying he hadn’t seen me.

The alley was deathly quiet. My whole body was tense with fear.

Under the moonlight, the shadow crept forward like a ghost.

He had come in!

I nearly screamed.

I clamped both hands over my mouth, trembling uncontrollably.

Still, he had spotted me. Step by step, he approached.

The sound of his footsteps pounded on my nerves like a hammer.

As he got closer and closer, I couldn’t take it anymore. I screamed and ran toward the exit of the alley.

Just as I passed him, he reached out with a long arm and yanked me back.

A wave of terror exploded in my head. I struggled desperately, screaming, “Let me go! Let me go!”

But in the very next second, he slammed me hard against the wall.

His strength was overwhelming. My back hit the wall, and my whole body trembled from the pain.

But I didn’t have time to feel the pain.

I kept struggling, screaming frantically.

Then, above my head came a cold chuckle, “Now you’re scared? You should’ve thought about this before running around at night.”

That familiar voice pierced straight through me like music from heaven.

I froze, unable to process what had just happened.

He crushed his lips onto mine, the kiss harsh, punishing, furious.

His hands roamed my body, and fingers hooked around the strap of my top as he growled, “Out here dressed like this in the middle of the night… How much do you want some creep to get ideas?”

It was him.

It was Reynaldo.

Only he could say such cruel things to me in that tone.

The fear that had gripped me just moments ago dissolved, and with it went all my strength. My legs gave out, and I collapsed toward the ground.

He caught me by the waist and snorted, “Weren’t you just running like hell? What’s with the jelly legs now?”

I didn’t answer. Not because I didn’t want to, but because I physically couldn’t.

He slipped an arm under my knees and lifted me up.

As we walked out of the alley, the moonlight lit up his face. I finally saw him clearly.

His brows were tightly knit, his cold face filled with rage.

Staring at him, I started to sob for no reason.

He glanced down at me, scoffing as if trying to suppress some deep-seated fury.

But shouldn’t I be the one who was angry?

If he hadn’t voted for Amelia, I wouldn’t have lost that 500 thousand dollars and gotten upset. Then I wouldn’t have gone to my parents’ or encountered that pervert.

Just thinking about that 500 thousand dollars I’d lost made my chest ache.

Reynaldo shoved me roughly into the car.

Soon, the car sped off.

I sat there blankly, staring ahead with tears streaming down my cheeks uncontrollably.

He drove fast. Before long, we were home.

He threw me onto the bed. Before I could even move, he was already on top of me.

His eyes were filled with fury and aggression.

But thinking about those 500 thousand dollars, I no longer felt afraid of him, only full of resentment.

I pushed hard against his chest. “Get off me!”

He sneered coldly, “When you were scared out of your mind in that alley, why didn’t you tell me to get off?”

I stayed silent.

He narrowed his eyes, a lustful heat burning within them.

His gaze roamed over me from head to toe.

I felt uncomfortable, instinctively tugging down my miniskirt.

He scoffed, “Didn’t you wear this for men to see? Why are you covering it now?”

My heart clenched sharply.

He used to be so gentle and submissive. I never imagined he’d say something so mean to me one day.

I turned my face away, biting my lip, holding back the urge to cry.

But he grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him.