Miranda suddenly remembered that Sandy had once mentioned a pervert who lurked around Bedford College. He loved to follow female students, especially at night.

A female student had already been assaulted by him, yet the perpetrator still hadn’t been caught despite the incident being reported to the police.

At that thought, Miranda’s breath quickened. Instinctively, she picked up her pace. The footsteps behind her quickened as well.

Miranda subconsciously placed her hand at the opening of her bag.

Although Paul often accompanied her to and from the college, sometimes their schedules ended up completely misaligned when they were both busy.

Since Miranda was living alone, she had gotten into the habit of carrying a can of pepper spray in her bag for personal safety and peace of mind. She hadn’t expected she would need it today.

The footsteps behind her were getting closer. That man’s shadow loomed over her, almost overtaking Miranda’s own.

Instinctively, Miranda held her breath, her body tense. Her hand reached into her bag, touching the cool surface of the spray can.

Miranda prepared herself to strike first. Just as she mustered up the courage to pull out the pepper spray, a familiar voice called out, “Miranda!”

Miranda looked up and saw Sam standing nearby. He held an umbrella in one hand, his other hand in his pocket. His sharp gaze was fixed on someone behind her.

The footsteps suddenly stopped. The person seemed to freeze for a moment before turning and running away.

Sam strode up to Miranda. His stern expression softened immediately. “You must be terribly frightened.”

The tensed nerves in Miranda’s body finally relaxed, and she let out a sigh of relief. Only then did she realize that her clothes were drenched in cold sweat, and her limbs were uncontrollably weak.

Sam reached out to support her and then took out his phone. “Hey, Caleb. Get some people to keep an eye out around the campus. There’s a creep who likes to follow female students. Alright, let me know if you find anything.”

Miranda was still unable to speak, as she was in shock.

Sam looked at her with concern. He reached out a few times, wanting to pull her into his arms to offer some comfort. In the end, he ultimately lowered his hands. “Are you okay?” he asked.

If Calvin was present, he might have cursed in disbelief. When did Sam ever speak in such a gentle tone to anyone? It was truly a rare sight!

Miranda shook her head, her voice hoarse. “I’m fine, thank you…”

Sam noticed that her hair and clothes were already wet, so he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Let’s go. I’ll send you home.”

Miranda didn’t refuse. She simply nodded and pulled the jacket closer around herself.

The black suit jacket was still warm. Despite being a little oversized for her, it felt like a protective shell draped around her shoulders.

It didn’t smell of smoke or sweat. Instead, there was a faint scent of mint.

Sam shared the umbrella with her and matched her pace. He didn’t rush Miranda, nor did he offer comforting words. He knew that all Miranda needed was a little time to compose herself.

Sure enough, Miranda gradually calmed down. She turned to Sam. “Why were you here?”

“It’s too late, and it’s not safe for you to walk home alone from the lab.”

“So you waited here for two or three hours?”

Sam raised an eyebrow. “That’s right. As it turns out, my concern wasn’t misplaced, right?”

He chuckled and continued, “If I hadn’t waited for two or three hours, I wouldn’t have had the chance to save the damsel in distress. See, the universe is fair. One will only be rewarded after putting in the effort.”

Miranda couldn’t help but laugh at his explanation. Luckily, Sam was around. Otherwise, she didn’t dare imagine what the outcome would have been.

“Thank you,” Miranda said sincerely.

Sam responded, “Why do you always say thank you to me? Can’t you say something else?”

“Like what?”