Chapter 20 Meet A Creepy Man
At the sound of that voice, my brother quickly said to me, “Annie, I’ll call you back later. I need to handle something right now.” And just like that, the line went dead.
With the call ended, my question “Can you come pick me up?” remained unspoken, trapped in my throat.
I hugged myself tightly while staring into the dark sky, experiencing for the first time what it truly felt like to be homeless. Feeling completely lost, I sat on the cold steps without any idea where I could go.
I considered going to Diana’s place, but then I remembered her text from this morning saying she was visiting her mother in her hometown and wouldn’t return for several days.
The night air felt chilly against my skin, but the coldness in my heart went much deeper.
The fact that my brother was still working at this hour could only mean one thing–he was scrambling to put together that
2.5 million for our father’s gambling debt. Meanwhile, after everything I’d done today, I had absolutely nothing to show for it.
The thought of coming so close to winning that million only to lose it made me want to cry. I hugged my knees, overwhelmed by waves of bitterness and sadness.
Suddenly, a strange laugh emerged from behind me.
A shiver ran down my spine as I turned to see a man staring directly at me.
The man stood by the elevator with a drunken flush to his cheeks, not approaching but simply watching me with an unsettling smile.
His gaze was intense and fixed, with a strange expression that made him seem mentally unstable, which was truly frightening.
I didn’t know how long he had been staring at me, but his eerie look sent chills down my spine, so I quickly stood up and walked away.
I hurried out of the complex, planning to call a car to a nearby hotel, but as I pulled out my phone, I noticed another shadow on the ground beside mine.
I immediately turned around and saw that the creepy man had followed me.
A wave of panic rushed over me, and I started running toward the main road.
The creep actually started chasing me, calling out things like “hey, sweetheart” and “come here, gorgeous” in a singsong voice. His disgusting laughter made my skin crawl.
Although it was an upscale neighborhood known for its peace and quiet, the area was now pitch dark and completely deserted, with no people or cars in sight.
My only option was to reach the main road, where the constant flow of passing cars might offer some safety.
While running in a panic, I managed to pull out my phone to call my parents for help.
But the moment I found their contact, my phone battery died, and the screen went black.
My heart sank as I desperately tried to figure out what to do next.
The main road was still quite far away, and the creepy guy was running fast and getting closer.
I frantically looked for a place to hide, my eyes scanning the maze of residential buildings and narrow alleys.
Seeing that the man was about to catch up, I gritted my teeth and quickly turned into an alley on the left.
The alley ended at a fork with two paths, and I kept running hard before turning right at the junction.
After making several turns through the maze of alleys, I became completely lost and unsure if I had managed to lose him.
I was too exhausted to run any further, so I leaned against a wall, breathing heavily.
After catching my breath for a while, I finally stood up straight and observed my surroundings.
Not too far away, I could see a tall, well–lit building and barely make out the words “Grandon Hotel” on its sign.
If I could just make it to the hotel, I would be safe.
I was about to leave the alley and head toward the hotel when a dark figure suddenly appeared, blocking the entrance.
A cold dread washed over me, and I instinctively covered my mouth.
I was trapped in a dead end with no escape if that man decided to come in.
I pressed myself flat against the wall, trying to make myself as small as possible while praying he hadn’t spotted me.
The alley fell completely silent as I stood frozen in terror, watching the ghost–like figure move closer in the cold moonlight.
When he stepped into the alley, I nearly screamed. But I managed to stifle it by clamping my hand over my mouth as my
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Chapter 20 Meet A Creepy Man
body shook with fear.
But he had spotted me. With terrifying purpose, he began closing the distance between us–each step falling like a hammer blow against my fraying nerves.
As he drew closer, I finally broke and let out a scream before making a desperate run for the alley exit.
Just as I rushed past him, his arm shot out and caught me.
Pure terror shot through me as I began thrashing wildly and screaming, “Let me go, now!”
The next instant, he shoved me forcefully against the wall.
The violent impact knocked the air from my lungs and sent a jolt of pain through my back that made my whole body
tremble.
I barely registered the pain as I continued my frantic struggling and screaming.
Suddenly, a cold chuckle came from above me as he said, “Look at you, scared out of your wits. What were you thinking, wandering around alone at night?”
The sound of that familiar voice shocked me so completely that I froze in place, utterly stunned.
His mouth came down on mine in a fierce, punishing kiss that was full of anger.
His hand slid over my side while his fingers hooked into the strap of my top, and he spoke through nearly gritted teeth,” Were you trying to attract trouble by walking around dressed like this at night?”
A wave of stunned recognition hit me–it was Charles. That uniquely sharp, biting tone belonged to him, and him alone.
As the extreme fear that had been gripping me vanished, all my strength drained away, and my legs buckled, causing me to sink toward the floor.
His hand gripped my waist. “You were running so fast earlier,” he said with a cold sneer. “Why are your legs weak now?”
I didn’t answer. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to speak–the words simply wouldn’t come out.
He slipped one arm under my knees and effortlessly swept me up into his arms.
As we stepped out of the alley, the bright moonlight fell across his features, and I finally saw his face clearly.
His brow was furrowed, his expression cold and dangerous.
I stared up at him, and then, without any reason, tears began to stream down my face.
He glanced down at me and let out a low, dismissive sound, as if he were the one who had reason to be angry.
Yet I was clearly the one who deserved to feel that way.
If he hadn’t deliberately voted for Number 27, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t have lost the prize money, wouldn’t have been so heartbroken that I fled to my parents‘ place, and would never have crossed paths with that disgusting man.
My heart ached at the thought of the money I’d lost.
Charles shoved me roughly into the passenger seat, then strode around to the driver’s side and started the engine without a moment’s delay.
I stared blankly ahead as tears continued to fall without any apparent reason.
He drove home at a reckless speed, and we arrived within minutes.
As soon as we stepped in, he flung me onto the bed and pinned me down before I could even move.
His eyes burned with pure fury as he glared at me.
The thought of the money I had lost replaced my fear with resentment. I pushed against his firm chest and snapped, “Get away from me!”
“You didn’t tell me to get away when you were trembling in that alley,” he replied with cold mockery.
I remained silent, unable to deny that.
He looked at me through narrowed eyes, his gaze full of desire as it slowly traveled down my body.
I felt uncomfortable under his intense stare and instinctively tugged at the hem of my short skirt.
He let out a scornful laugh. “If you dress like this to get attention, why act so shy now?”
His words cut deep, especially since he had always been so gentle before, and I never expected him to speak to me so harshly.
I turned my face away and bit my lip, struggling to hold back my tears.
But he gripped my chin and forced me to look back at him.
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