Chapter 80

Just as I was about to despair, the man in front of me collapsed, his eyes rolling back. In my shock and terror, a familiar face appeared. I knew it, but my panicked brain couldn't place it.

"Monkey! Monkey!" The other men nudged their unconscious companion, their expressions turning vicious at his unresponsiveness. "That little punk! How dare he—"

"L—Lukas?" The name surfaced through my daze.

"Are you okay?" He gave me a concerned glance.

I shook my head, but he grabbed my wrist, inspecting the scrape and oozing blood. "Does it hurt?" His face was full of worry.

I acknowledged the dull pain, but shook my head again. The danger wasn't over, and I couldn't afford to dwell on a minor wound.

Lucas gently pushed me behind him, his gaze turning icy as he faced the remaining two men.

One scoffed, stepping forward with a sneer. "What are you gonna do?"

The man reached to shove Lucas, but Lucas grabbed his fingers and twisted them sharply. The man's face contorted in pain. "Ah! Ow! Ow! Ow! Stop! Save me!"

The second man lunged, but Lucas swiftly delivered a precise, powerful kick. The man crumpled, writhing and groaning.

"Who sent you?" Lucas's voice was cold and menacing. "What are you after?"

The two men exchanged a glance, feigning ignorance. "We were paid to do a job. We won't tell you more."

"Oh, really?" Lucas raised an eyebrow, a chilling smile playing on his lips.

With brutal efficiency, he tightened his grip on one man, who screamed, while pressing his foot on the other, cutting off his air. The man's face turned blue, his eyes bulging as he struggled to breathe.

A wave of fear washed over me; I took a step forward to stop Lucas. But before I could speak, the man whose fingers were being crushed finally cracked.

Only then did Lucas release his hold. The man clutched his injured hand, tears streaming down his face, while the other gasped for air, coughing violently as he regained his breath.

"We only know their surnames," the first man stammered, his face contorted in pain.

Lucas's sharp stare urged him to continue.

"There are two women. One's surname is Harper, and the other is Harrington."

"Get lost!" Lucas commanded coldly.

The two men scrambled to their feet, only to slink back moments later to drag their unconscious companion away.

Still shaken, I turned to Lucas, pale-faced. "Thank you so much for saving me."

"No problem," he said, his tone now light and casual.

I was momentarily stunned. The commanding and ruthless Lucas from moments ago felt like an illusion.

I nodded. "Why are you here?"

"I ran into you earlier," he said with a smile. "I saw you in the car and wanted to say hello, so I followed you here. But just as I parked, I heard you yelling for help."

Chapter 81