Chapter 28

Felicia felt she had run a long way through the forest, but looking back, the gang of criminals was still hot on her heels. To make matters worse, she spotted the silhouettes of two pickup trucks ahead. She had been running in circles, ending up right back where she'd jumped from the vehicle!

Felicia hesitated. At that moment, one of the gang members fired. A bullet struck her right leg, and she collapsed.

Since and his lackeys remained tied up in the pickup truck, but they couldn't help chuckling at Felicia's predicament. Covered in blood, she crawled forward, inch by inch.

The gang slowed down, seemingly enjoying the hunt, occasionally firing shots near her and taunting, "Come on, crawl faster!" After taking a hit, Felicia lacked the strength to rise and could only drag herself forward on sheer survival instinct.

Suddenly, a pair of handcrafted leather shoes came into view. She blinked, slowly lifting her head to see a face so striking it seemed almost divine. Running into Stephan here was the last thing she expected.

Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed the hem of his pants, her voice hoarse. "Stephan... Mr. Russell, please save me."

At that moment, the criminals behind her paled. Oh, no! Stephan had extreme germaphobia! They could already envision Felicia's grim fate.

However, contrary to their expectations, Stephan didn't explode in anger. Instead, he knelt, a hint of a smile playing on his lips, and asked, "Give me one good reason to save you?"

Felicia hesitated. "Because I helped you treat your wound today."

"But I remember I already paid for that," Stephan replied, his lips curving slightly, emphasizing his lack of compassion. Having paid for Felicia's house call meant they were even—no debts owed.

Felicia couldn't think of another reason.

Meanwhile, the gang began to tremble at the sight of Stephan. They exchanged glances, knowing they wouldn't leave alive that day, and decided to go down fighting. In a swift motion, they raised their guns, aiming indiscriminately at Stephan and Felicia.

Stephan could easily dodge the bullets, but Felicia couldn't. Injured and with a bullet in her leg, she had no option but to await her fate.

Gunfire sliced through the evening air. Felicia shut her eyes tightly. But instead of the expected pain, she felt her body suddenly lighten, and in a dizzying whirl, she fell into a strong embrace.

Chapter 20

The fresh scent filled her nostrils, and she instinctively clung to the person holding her. She blurted out, "I thought you didn't want to save me?"

The next moment, Stephan's teasing voice came from above her head.

"I've heard someone boasting about being mine?"