Chapter 201

"Get in the car! Let's get back to Greyport as soon as possible!"

Joanna checked her watch. It was already past four in the afternoon. Without traffic, they wouldn't reach Porash until after six. She hadn't been home in two days and needed to return tonight.

"Wait, I need to use the restroom!"

"Okay!"

"I'll go with you!"

Joanna and Cora went to the restroom. Cora was quicker. Joanna, preoccupied with her thoughts, was slower. As she opened the restroom door, a man wearing a cap and mask stood outside.

Before Joanna could react, the man, wielding a dagger, lunged, stabbing toward her chest. She quickly raised her bag to block the blow. The dagger pierced the crocodile-skin leather bag, demonstrating the force behind the attack. Had it struck her heart, she would have died.

"Ah! Help!"

The man, seeing the dagger hadn't found its mark, pulled it back and stabbed again. This time, Joanna reacted, grabbing his wrist. The blade sawed against her skin.

"Help! Someone help!" she screamed. She was no match for his strength. He broke free, stabbing her several times. Her self-defense training was useless in the confined space, especially against a knife. Her arm was cut, blood soaking her shirt.

Joanna frantically threw her bag at the man.

"Ah!" The man panicked, having failed to inflict a fatal wound.

Cora, hearing the screams, rushed in.

"Miss Haynes, what's wrong?"

Horrified, Cora grabbed a mop and struck the man hard on the head, shouting, "Michael! Nicholas! Come quickly!"

The blow dazed the man. Seeing her opportunity, Joanna grabbed a trash can and slammed it on his head. "Somebody! Help!" The man, disoriented, dropped his dagger. Michael and Nicholas, ignoring the location, burst in.

"What happened?"

"This is a killer! He tried to kill me! Call the police!"

Michael and Nicholas immediately subdued the killer.

"Miss Haynes, are you alright?" Cora tended to Joanna's arm.

"Call the police! And security!"

"Okay!"

The killer lay helpless.

"Who are you? Why did you try to kill me?"

"Miss Haynes, let's take him to the station!" Nicholas disarmed the killer and dragged him from the bathroom.

As they waited for security, Nicholas lowered his guard. Seizing the opportunity, the killer broke free, jumped from the second-floor railing, and escaped.

Chapter 201

"Go after him!"

Nicholas's pursuit was futile.

"Where is he?" Michael arrived with security guards.

"He got away," Nicholas said dejectedly.

Joanna was terrified. She had narrowly escaped death. She realized the attack might be connected to the car accident a few days ago, when Bruce had chased her.

The police arrived, and Joanna gave her statement. She suspected Ingrid or Bruce, but Bruce seemed unlikely to hire a killer. Ingrid remained the prime suspect, though without concrete evidence.

"The statement's recorded. We'll contact you if there's news."

"Thank you!"

Cora urged Joanna to go to the hospital, but Joanna refused, fearing another attack in unfamiliar Greene Town. Cora bought bandages and iodine. They drove back to Greyport, arriving after eight.

"Miss Haynes, we're here," Nicholas said, opening the car door.

Joanna, exhausted, got out.

"Miss Haynes, call if anything happens," Cora warned.

"Okay. No need to walk you upstairs."

Joanna felt safer in her high-end Greyport neighborhood.

"Be careful!"

"You too!"

As Joanna approached her building's elevator, a large shadow enveloped her.

"Ah!" She screamed, fearing another attack.

"It's me!" Bruce said, seeing her fright.

Relieved, but still shaken, Joanna said, "Bruce, you scared me half to death!"

Unaware of the attack, Bruce mistook her agitation for rejection. "Where have you been?"

Joanna replied coldly, "It's none of your business!"

Enraged, Bruce responded angrily. He had been so accommodating, and she was becoming increasingly arrogant.

Still shaken, Joanna pleaded, "Bruce, I'm exhausted. I don't want to argue. Please let me go."

Bruce, in a fit of anger, grabbed her arm, accidentally tearing her wound.

"Ah!" Joanna cried out in pain.

Horrified, Bruce saw the blood seeping through her bandages.

"What happened? Why are you injured?"

"I'm fine!"

"You're bleeding profusely! Don't you know how to take care of yourself?"

Joanna insisted she was fine.

"We're going to the hospital!"

"No!" She struggled, fearing Bruce would restrict her freedom again.

"You're going whether you like it or not! You'll kill yourself if you don't take care of yourself!"

"Bruce, stop forcing me! You're so annoying!"

His grip loosened. Did she truly hate him? Joanna broke free and ran.

(The final "SEND GIFT" and website information are removed as they are irrelevant to the text cleanup.)