Chapter_81
Chapter 81
“Don’t worry, Mommy,” Hesperus said, offering her a reassuring smile. “The nurse will take good care of me. I’ll be okay.”
“Mm. You should rest so you recover quickly,” Emmeline said, brushing a stray hair from his forehead.
“Mm.” Hesperus nodded. “But you should rest too, so you have the energy to take care of us.”
“I’ll be going home now. Goodbye, darling, and good night,” Emmeline said, her voice tinged with sadness.
“Bye, Mommy. Good night,” Hesperus replied, waving at her and blowing a flying kiss her way.
Emmeline hesitated at the door, not wanting to leave her son alone in the hospital. But she knew that if she stayed any longer, tears would begin to fall. With a sniffle, she finally stepped out of the room.
Earlier that morning, Emmeline had ridden her electric bicycle to the hospital. Now, she made her way to the bicycle parking lot. It was late, and the chilly night wind brushed against her skin.
As she put on her helmet, she felt the tears begin to fall. Was it the wind, or was it because she missed her dear little Star?
She began her ride back to the café. The roads were quiet, far less crowded than in the morning rush hour. As she pedaled down a deserted stretch, the loneliness of the night crept in.
Ahead of her, an intersection loomed. Just as she was about to make her turn, a minivan pulled into the bicycle lane, blocking her path.
Before she could react, the sliding door opened, and seven men stepped out. Emmeline immediately understood what was about to happen—she was about to be robbed.
She lifted the visor of her helmet, her voice steady but cold. “I don’t carry cash. I only have a phone. You can have it, but leave me alone. It’ll be easy to track you down if I wire the money.”
The leader of the group sneered. “We’re not interested in your money. What we want is your body. Come with us, and you’ll give us some real entertainment.”
Emmeline’s jaw tightened. “That’s a bit much to ask,” she said, calmly taking off her helmet and placing it on the bicycle. She then stretched her wrists, preparing herself.
“Oh, so you don’t want to?” one of the thugs taunted. The men closed in on her.
“The heck I will!” Emmeline spun around, delivering a swift kick to the nearest thug’s face. She followed up with another spinning kick, knocking down the second thug.
The men shouted in surprise. “Not bad, chick!” one of them called.
“If you want some, come and get it!” Emmeline taunted, striking a confident pose as she beckoned them to come closer.
Before she could move, a black cloth sack was thrown over her head from behind.
Emmeline felt a sharp kick to the back of her knees, and she collapsed, kneeling on the ground.
A sports car parked in a dark corner nearby, and the driver’s side window slowly rolled up. Inside the car, Alena’s mocking voice rang out. “I know you’re a good fighter, Emmeline, but tonight, you’re not getting away. Those men are going to take you to a motel and pleasure you like you’ve never been pleasured before. Once the video is uploaded, you’ll be famous in Struyria for sleeping with seven men at once!”
Blinded and disoriented, Emmeline struggled against the men who were dragging her toward the van.
“Let me go, you bastards!” she yelled, kicking out with all her might.
The first kick sent a thug flying, but the second hit the curb, causing Emmeline to stumble and fall. Her heel felt like it was about to break.
“Ahh!” she cried out in pain, falling hard onto the ground.
The thugs closed in on her once again.
“Let’s beat her up before she injures us again!” one of the men said, grinning.
“She’s still fighting even without seeing! That makes her even more of a challenge,” another thug chuckled.
Emmeline knew she couldn’t escape now.
Suddenly, there were several thuds. The men in front of her yelled in pain and fell to the ground.
Someone grabbed her and pulled her into their arms, holding her protectively.
