Chapter 152

Gilmore drove his Mercedes back to the parking lot in front of Langford Tower. He parked the car and checked his phone; it was 11:30 p.m. An hour and a half had passed since he’d left. In that time, he had not only solved the danger at the Palazzo but also eliminated the greater threat, Emerson. With those problems resolved, his family was safe for the moment.

He exited the car and entered Langford Tower. Reaching the 50th floor, he went to his room, took out his key card, opened the door, and was about to enter when a young woman appeared in the corridor. Panicked, she rushed toward him, pleading in a low voice, "Sir, please save me!" She grabbed his right wrist with trembling hands, her grip firm and desperate.

Gilmore looked at her. She was an extraordinarily beautiful woman, perhaps twenty years old, almost as lovely as Claire and Christine. She wore an ordinary T-shirt and knee-length skirt, but her figure was excellent—smooth, white skin, attractive curves, and long, delicate legs. Her beauty, however, was marred by a look of terror. Her eyes shone with unshed tears; her distress was so palpable he felt compelled to protect her.

He had encountered many beautiful women, but never one who asked him for help. He briefly suspected ulterior motives, but quickly dismissed the thought; her fear was genuine. Her eyes didn't lie.

He asked, "Miss, what happened? Can I help you?"

At that moment, running footsteps echoed from the corridor. A cold voice said, "Check the other corridor. We can't let Elaine Powell escape!"

"Yes, sir!" others replied.

Their voices came from the connecting corridor, around the corner. Gilmore heard them running toward him.

The woman grew more anxious. She opened his room door and went inside. Gilmore was stunned, but quickly understood; cornered and terrified of being caught, she sought refuge in his room. He didn't mind saving a beauty.

Before her pursuers appeared, he entered his room and gently closed the door. Inside, he found her cowering in a corner, clinging to the wall, clearly fearing discovery.

He heard footsteps hurrying past his door, then fading into silence. The woman sighed with relief.

Gilmore said, "It's all right now. You can sit down." He indicated the sofa.

She sat, speaking softly, "Thank you for helping me. I'd be in trouble if they caught me."

Gilmore poured her a glass of warm water and offered it. "You're welcome. Drink some water."

She drank, visibly relaxing.

Gilmore asked, "Young lady, were those people chasing you?"

She nodded.

"Your name is Elaine?" he asked, remembering the shouted warning.

She nodded.

"Why were they chasing you?"

Elaine looked at him. This was their first meeting; she didn’t know his name, but she sensed he wouldn't harm her. He'd let her hide, after all.

With tears in her eyes, she explained. Gilmore learned that Elaine was a freshman at Oakhaven University of Foreign Languages, a highly gifted student fluent in many languages, and a stunningly beautiful campus belle—known as "Aphrodite." While admired by many, she was too focused on her studies and her impoverished family to care. She was determined to use her education to change their lives.

A wealthy man, Tobias Weston, the eldest son of a powerful family, pursued her relentlessly. She resisted, feeling no romantic interest and prioritizing her studies. Then, her father was in a serious car accident, needing nearly two hundred thousand dollars for surgery. Desperate, she’d borrowed money from Tobias, agreeing to meet him at Langford Tower to watch the meteor shower. In his hotel room, he'd attacked her; she'd bitten him, escaped via the emergency exit, and found Gilmore.

After recounting her ordeal, tears streamed down her face. Gilmore offered her tissues. "Thank you," she whispered.

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