"Boss, what do we do with this girl?" Tiger asked.

Shaun Breyne was wrapping a strip of cloth strip around the wound on his palm. He glanced at the woman who was balled up next to the wheel of the car, quivering in fear. His face was blank as he gave his instructions, "Be clean, don't leave anything behind that can come back to bite us."

His voice sounded very pleasant. It was clean and a little deep, yet it exuded a chilling coldness.

"Haha, of course! Leave it to me!" Tiger answered. He grabbed a metal rod that was slightly longer than a foot and walked toward the woman.

The rebar was about as thick as a man's thumb. Emilie Audron had picked it up from the construction site and put it in the toolbox on the front passenger seat. She had intended to use it for self-defense. She didn't think that it would fall into the hands of these people and become the weapon that they would use to end her life.

She wanted to survive; she wanted to live on no matter what!

Emilie's body trembled like a shivering kitten in winter. There was a voice screaming and wailing inside her. Both her parents were alive and healthy, and they had been kind, good, ordinary people all their lives. There was no way that they could take the shock of her death. There was also Kevin Cannavale, he was still waiting for her to return home to him.

She should not have driven the car alone through this road in the middle of nowhere. She should not have assumed that she was safe just because she was in a car. She should not have stepped on the brakes when she saw a person lying in the middle of the road... She should have stepped on the gas pedal instead and just drove right over him!

But now was not the time to regret what she had or hadn't done. She was facing the imminent threat of death.

"Please, please, I'm begging you, don't kill me. I'll give you everything, the car, all the money I have! I swear I won't call the police, just don't kill me, please!" Emilie sobbed as she inched toward the man while still on her knees. His expression was still as cold and cruel as it was before. She begged, "Sir, please, please don't kill me. I stopped my car to try to save you, would you please let me go for that? I swear I won't ever tell anyone about this. I didn't see anyone, I didn't see anything today, I swear to the heavens, I swear!"

This was a pretty smart woman. Shaun Breyne raised his eyes and looked at her. Although her face was covered in tears and snot, her facial features were well-proportioned, and overall she was rather good-looking. Her face was slightly distorted from fear. Tears welled up in her eyes and drowned her pupils which were glimmering with a pleading expression. However, that wasn't enough to soften his heart as it was frozen solid. He didn't react to her begging. He lowered his head again to dress the wound on his hand. He had injured his palm when he jumped down from the truck. It had scraped over the sharp edge of a rock on the roadside and was nearly sliced in half.

The woman was still kneeling at his feet, hitting her head on the floor and begging him repeatedly. He started to feel a little frustrated. It was rather inconvenient to tie the strip of cloth around his palm with just one hand. He reached his arm out to Monkey who was seated beside him to get him to help with it. Then he turned to Tiger. "What are you waiting for?"

Tiger walked over and picked the woman up by the back of her collar like a helpless kitten. He dragged her toward the bush at the side of the road.

Emilie struggled with every last bit of strength that she had. Yet, she didn't dare to scream. This was the middle of nowhere. No one resided within a three-mile radius. No one would come to her rescue even if she screamed; it would only accelerate her death. All she could do was to continue sobbing and begging for her life.

"Tiger, wait!" It was Monkey, who was helping Shaun wrap his wound. He had taken pity on the woman. He called out and stopped Tiger. He carefully asked Shaun Breyne, "Boss, can we maybe leave this woman be? It doesn't look like she can do anything to threaten us, right?"

Shaun Breyne frowned. He pressed his lips together but didn't say a word. Tiger couldn't help but mock his buddy, "Hah, you must want something else from her, don't you?"

Monkey let out a sinister laugh, his gaze circled her chest which looked more attractive than before as it jiggled with her movements when she struggled. He didn't bother to hide his lust. Instead, he asked Tiger, "So what? I haven't touched a woman for more than a month now, don't you want it too?"

Tiger looked down at the woman. He couldn't help but feel tempted as well. This was indeed a young and pretty woman. Her face was nice, and she had an attractive figure to match.

Both of them were tempted, so they looked toward their boss in unison.

Shaun Breyne's cold, fierce eyes swept across Emilie, who was almost petrified with fear. The words that came out of his mouth were even more cold and cruel than his eyes, "We're running for our lives right now. If you want a woman, you can do whatever you like when we're safe."

Emilie trembled uncontrollably when she heard that. She tried her best not to faint from fear, and with pitiful eyes, she looked at the man who was as thin as a monkey. She tried to grasp this chance for her survival. "Please, as long as you don't kill me, I'm willing to do anything you want. I still have parents who are alive, I'm their only child."

Monkey was indeed moved by her offer. He pulled the most fawning smile on his face and tried his luck with Shaun Breyne again. "Boss, we won't waste too much time playing with her for just a while now."

Before Shaun Breyne could reply, Tiger laughed. "Damn, dude, you really can't control yourself can you?"

Despite his words, he had stopped dragging the woman toward the bush. Instead, he turned and looked at Shaun in anticipation.

Shaun Breyne looked at the two men who would put their lives on the line for him. This was the first time that his poker face broke. He said rather irritably, "Be quick about it!"

Monkey cheered and jumped up to his feet. He walked straight to Emelie. Tiger smiled and let go of her very generously as he said, "Alright you can go first, I guess."

Emilie didn't try to hide or run away. She went along with Monkey's grasp and continued begging, "Please don't kill me, please, please don't kill me. I swear I won't tell anyone."

"Alright, alright, I won't kill you, as long as you listen to me!" Monkey answered, and he groped her breasts forcefully. The soft, tender flesh filled his palms. It made him even more desperate and lustful than before. He looked around for a brief moment, then quickly dragged her toward the bush beside them.

"The car, let's get in the car first." Emilie's voice was as soft as the hum of a mosquito, but it still alarmed the man who was sitting a distance away from them. His freezing gaze landed on her, which prompted her to explain herself in a panic, "The backseat of the car is more comfortable, there's no prickly grass."

Monkey's mind was filled with lust at this point. He went with her suggestion and walked toward the car parked in the middle of the track. He pulled open the car door and shoved her inside. Shaun looked at the car coldly, then tilted his head toward Tiger and nodded. Tiger immediately understood what he meant. He followed them with his arms crossed.

The car was a white SUV, with a large frame and a rather spacious interior. Tiger leaned on the side of the car and joked with Monkey through the half-open car window. "You alright there bro?"

Monkey immediately replied, "**** off" as the rustling of clothing and muffled groans of the woman came from inside the car.

"****!" Tiger couldn't help but curse. He stood upright and walked a few steps away from the car. He turned and yelled at the man inside the car, "Monkey, you better not fucking overdo it!"

"Wait, this chick is still a ******!" Monkey exclaimed, there was a mix of thrill and excitement in this voice. He shouted again while panting, "Damn, I really got lucky today!"

Tiger was startled for a moment, then he spat on the ground as he laughed and turned to Shaun who was sitting a distance away in silence. "Boss, look at this motherfucker, I hope he doesn't spoil the car again!"

She's still a ******? Huh, that's rather unexpected. Shaun's lips curved up a little as a mocking smile appeared on his face. He slowly retracted his gaze from the car.

Emilie bit on her lips as she endured the humiliation. She took a deep breath as she hugged the man's back with one arm and inconspicuously pressed his head down toward her. At the same time, her other arm reached into the pocket behind the front passenger seat.

There was a knife in that pocket. It was a small but very sharp fruit knife. She had left it there when she went on a road trip with Kevin. On the way back, she got lazy and lay on the backseat of the car. She peeled and cut fruits for him using that knife. She would lie on the backseat and cut apples into small pieces, then feed them into Kevin's mouth. He would sometimes nibble gently on her fingers and not release them, and lick her fingertips as she gasped.

She had to survive this, Emilie told herself over and over again. Dad, mom, and Kevin. They were all waiting for her. She couldn't die here. She couldn't die a humiliating, inhumane, shameful death.

Emilie finally found the fruit knife. The man was still on top of her, thrusting and moving frantically, but she had never been calmer than she was right now. Her fingers ran across his back as she tried to discern the position of his heart. But she couldn't be sure. She was afraid that the knife would be too short, and it wouldn't be able to pierce his heart in one strike. She might not be able to kill him instantly.

But Emilie knew that she didn't have time to hesitate. She pressed on the back of his head while raising her head a little to kiss him. The man was completely unaware of what she was trying to do, he was even pleasantly surprised by her reaction. He hugged her waist tightly and kissed her passionately.

Just that moment, Emilie ****** the knife downward and stabbed it into his back.

There was another spot on the body that would instantly kill him. The man's thin body froze as he was stunned for a brief moment. He struggled to raise his head as his eyes popped and his pupils started to dilate. He tried to look at the woman who was under him, however, he no longer had the chance to. Emilie's legs wound tightly around his lower body as she pressed on the back of his head with all her strength with one hand. Her other hand sliced downward with as much force as she could muster, through his spine, arteries, windpipe... all of it was so fragile under the sharpness of her blade.

This was a pretty good knife, it was worth her effort bringing it back home all the way from Switzerland.

Monkey's blood squirted out like a fountain. She had no choice but to reach her hand out and press on the gaping wound. Half of her body was soaked wet, and her vision was covered in blood. The man on top of her finally stopped struggling, and she could now only feel a faint convulsion and the occasional twitch. But Emilie didn't dare to let go, she looked out the car. The tall, fierce-looking man was standing not too far away. While the "Boss" was seated further away in front of him.

The engine of the car wasn't shut off, she hadn't done so when she got down to check the body. She had to climb to the front of the car without alerting them. Then lock up the car door and drive away to safety. This was her only chance of surviving.

Emilie took a deep breath and pushed the thin man off of her body.

Shaun Breyne had his eyes closed. He was taking a break. He was also thinking about where they should head to after this. They had been running for more than 700 miles now. Southton shouldn't be too far ahead, but their future was still very uncertain. Perhaps he shouldn't have let Tiger and Monkey release their urges right now. But the two of them slaughtered their way out together with him and had been on the run for more than 30 days. They hadn't been able to relax for a single night. What's the worst that could happen from allowing them to do whatever they wanted for an hour?

He was lost in his thoughts, and his nerves which were tightened like the string on a bow loosened a little. He didn't even hear the light thud of the car door as it locked. Suddenly, the headlights of the car turned on. He was confused and shocked as he turned around. The next moment, he saw the white SUV charging toward him as if it had lost control.

The luminance of the headlights caused him to temporarily lose his vision, but he was immediately able to tell who was driving the car. It was the woman who had only been able to cry and beg just a moment ago. Right now, half of her face was covered in blood, while the other half was as pale and ghastly as a ghoul. Yet her eyes were still pitch black. It was no longer covered in tears. Now, it was filled to the brim with hatred.

"Boss!" Tiger yelled and pounced forward without a second of hesitation. He shoved his boss aside without even thinking. Shaun's body rolled to the side of the road as the car's wheels brushed his shoulders. But Tiger was sent flying by the impact of the car. He landed with a heavy, muffled thud against the ground.

The car didn't stop at all, it ran straight over Tiger's legs and left the area.

Emilie gripped the driving wheel with great force. She slammed down on the gas pedal as the car sped across the rural road. She only stopped when she reached the urbanized streets, which were lit up brightly by the city lights. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably, her hand was shaking so much that she could barely hold up her phone, let alone dial Kevin's number.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" She let out a hysterical, feral roar. She opened her mouth and bit down hard on her wrist until the pain stopped her from trembling. She was finally able to dial his number. "Call the police, Kevin, call the police, something bad happened," she said, her voice barely coming through her sobs.

She had been driving to the city where he was in the middle of the night. She had just wanted to give him a surprise.

Kevin Cannavale arrived quickly; even earlier than the police. He carried Emilie out from the car and wrapped her in his suit jacket. He carefully moved her into his own car. Emilie couldn't stop trembling, so he hugged her as tightly as he could while putting his lips at her ear and consoling her, "It's okay, Emi, Emi, it's okay, I'm here. The police will be here very soon, once they're here I'll bring you to the hospital."

The police arrived soon after. The lights on top of the police car shone flashed rapidly as the officer carried the corpse of the thin man out from inside the car. They put the body in the bag and took it away. A female police officer came over to check on Emilie and tried to get more information about what happened. Kevin Cannavale suppressed his anger while trying his best to control his emotions. "My girlfriend has been hurt, very, very badly," he said, "She needs to receive treatment at a hospital, now."

The female officer was very understanding. She quickly went to get someone to bring Emilie to the hospital. The police also allowed Kevin to remain by her side. Emilie's body gradually calmed down and she stopped trembling, but her voice was shockingly coarse and husky. "Don't tell my parents, don't let them know about this," she said repeatedly to Kevin.

Kevin's eyes were even redder than hers. He held her hand as tightly as he could and replied gently, "Yes, don't worry about it, I won't let them know. Don't worry, it's all okay, I'm here now."

It was almost as though Emilie's soul had been completely drained from the fight for her life. All that was left of her now was an empty shell of a body that simply obeyed the officers' instructions. She went through the checkup, had her injuries diagnosed, received treatment, and even answered the female officer's questions. Her gaze only livened up a little when she looked into Kevin's eyes. She mumbled and asked, "Kevin, did I just have a really bad nightmare?"

Kevin hugged her tightly and firmly answered, "It's just a bad nightmare, it'll be over very soon."

He had never lied to her, and this time seemed to be no different. Things kept getting better over the next few weeks. Every time he came over, she would receive good news. On the fifteenth day, he told her when he came to visit, "The man called Shaun has been caught by the police. All three of them were wanted criminals who have committed atrocious crimes. Every single one of them has committed murder. A death sentence would be merciful for them. It's okay, Emi, nothing is going to happen to you."

Emilie was initially startled, then she wailed in immense pain. It was as though the terrifying fear looming over her heart finally had an opening to escape from. She sobbed, "I'm scared, Kevin, I'm really scared. I'm scared that that man will come back to take his revenge against me. You didn't see the look in his eyes... he's sure to kill me."

Kevin continued to hug her tightly. He told her with a slow and firm voice, "He won't. He can never come out to hurt you ever again. He will be sentenced to death. The lawyer said that there's no way he can escape the punishment of the law. Don't be afraid Emi, I'll be with you all the way. Once this is all over, we'll get married. We'll move into a bigger house, have two children, and we'll get a dog and a cat. Our home will always be lively and fun!"

Emilie's gaze landed on an empty spot as she spaced out. The image that he had described slowly unraveled before her eyes.

"It's alright, Emi. Time will heal all of this. Slowly, there will be one day when the nightmare will be forgotten," Kevin said gently.

...

Four years later, Southton City.

Southton was a scenic city surrounded by mountains and rivers. It was historically known for its mesmerizing views and closeness to nature. Emilie's parents hadn't wanted to leave their hometown and move to a new place so close to their retirement. But the environment and scenery here were just too beautiful. On top of that, Emilie had settled here together with her husband. In the end, the two of them decided to sell the house in their hometown and move to Southton City together with their daughter.

Their new house was just across the street from Emilie's current estate. It was only a 10-minute walk away, separated by a road that was not very wide. Even Kevin joked about how close they were. "Well, my in-laws are nearby, which is convenient. But I can already see you getting sick of your parents' nagging and griping about them to me."

Emilie glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. She curled her legs up on the couch as she continued to flip the magazine slowly. She intentionally dragged her voice out in a childish, lethargic way, "Hubby, I spent all my salary this month again, I don't even have money for my beauty salon membership."

A helpless smile appeared on Kevin's face, he said, "Milady, Madam Emilie, your poor hubby's salary card is in your hands. Do you even need to run it by me to spend my money?"

"Well, I think I still gotta tell you about it first." Emilie smiled at him. She reached her leg out and kicked Kevin playfully. "Oh right, by the way, Kevin, when are we going to the hospital for the fertility checkup? They say that the guy should get checked out as well. If both of us are healthy, then the baby will be strong and healthy too!"

They were married now for two years. After experiencing the sweet honeymoon period where they wanted to stick with each other 24 hours a day, they were now preparing for a baby.

"Whether there are any problems with my body..." Kevin grabbed her leg that was being a little naughty and started massaging her with just the right amount of pressure. He said in a very suggestive tone, "Aren't you already clear about that?"

Emilie chuckled at his reply. She kicked him lightly again and said, "Get off. If you're not going to go to the hospital, then I won't go too!"

Kevin always listened to whatever Emilie said. Two days later, he followed her to the hospital and they did the fertility checkup together. Both of them were healthy. The doctor prescribed some vitamin supplements for Emilie while she was preparing to get pregnant. By the time the two of them walked out of the hospital, it was already noon. After having a simple lunch together, Kevin left to drive to his workplace. Emilie on the other hand, walked around the shopping center for a while before leisurely driving back to school.

The school that she was working at wasn't very big and had only recently been upgraded to a university. The school squeezed out every last bit of resource to establish a few more faculties, but they didn't have enough office buildings in the school compound. So, they stuffed the teaching staff of several different faculties all into one building. As usual, Emilie parked her car under the shade of a tree behind the staff office building. When she got down from the car, a black SUV drove in and parked right next to her.

This car looked unfamiliar to Emilie. It didn't seem to belong to any of the staff at school. Emilie slowed down her footsteps and took a few more glances at it.

The car door opened and a man wearing sunglasses stepped out. He was dressed in a button-down shirt and jeans, was tall and lean, and looked quite slim. However, Emilie was a veteran at the gym, so she could tell that this guy had the classic physique that was a lot more muscular when his clothes were off. Although he looked slender, there was a good chance that the man had steel-forged abs hidden under his clothes.

But she wasn't interested in him at all. She loved Kevin with all her heart, to the point that she barely noticed any other man. In her eyes, their faces were blurred and vague, and it didn't matter to her whether they were handsome or ugly.

The man rested his arm on the car door and looked at her, then asked calmly, "Hi miss, may I know if the office of the School of Foreign Languages is located in this building?"

His voice was very unique. It was low and magnetic, but there was a chilling coolness that was hard to describe with words. It should be a voice that would be very pleasant to hear in the heat of summer. But when it landed on Emilie's ears, it sent chills down her spine. For an instant, those distant memories that she had buried into the deepest recesses of her memories reappeared again.

Under the moonlight, the man's razor-sharp gaze swept across her face. His expression was akin to that of ice as he said, "Make it clean, don't leave anything behind that can come back to bite us."

She could never forget that voice for the rest of her life.

Emilie felt as though she had just seen a ghost. The word "help" was stuck in her throat and she couldn't spit it out no matter how hard she tried. All she could do was stare at the man in crippling fear as she frantically stepped back, away from him. In her panic, the heel of her shoe plunged into the gap between the bricks on the ground and she lost her balance. She fell with a heavy thud.

The man reached up and took off his sunglasses as he walked toward her. He asked, "Miss, are you alright?"

Emilie continued shifting backwards. She screamed in terror, "Don't come here! Don't come near me! There're many people here, they'll come over immediately!"

The man had no choice but to stop in his steps. He smiled helplessly and tried to explain to her, "Miss, I don't know what caused you to have such a reaction upon seeing me, but I don't mean any harm. If I'm causing this much distress to you, I'm very sorry about it, I'll leave right now."

As he spoke, he slowly stepped back away from her. Then he tilted his body downward and asked her, "Are you sure you're going to be alright on your own? Do you need me to get someone else here to help you?"

Emilie didn't speak, she curled her body up and looked at him with great fear and caution in her eyes.

"Okay, okay! I got it, I'll leave right now," the man consoled her gently. He raised his wrist and took a look at his watch, then pointed at his car and added, "Miss, I'll probably be back in about half an hour to drive the car away."

With that, he walked away in big strides.

The sun was bright and the weather was warm, but Emilie felt like she had just come out from a frozen river in the Arctic. She was so cold that she was shivering. She was still on the ground, her skirt caked in dust and her palm hurting from the abrasion when she scraped her skin against the ground. But Emilie couldn't care about such things. Her hand trembled as she took out her phone from her purse and dialed Kevin's number.

"He's here! He's found me! He's here!" She was in shock, and all she could do was to keep repeating herself.

"Who?" Kevin asked.

She answered in panic, "It's him! I saw him! He's come back to find me!"

It was almost as though time had reverted to many years ago. She had woken up countless times from her sleep in tears and cold sweat. She would tell him in a panic that "they" were coming to find her. Kevin went silent for a brief moment, then consoled her gently again, "Emi, Emi, it's all okay. They're all dead now, all three of them. Don't be afraid, tell me, where are you right now?"

Perhaps her husband's deep, calm voice helped her to relax, or maybe it was the bright warm rays of sun in the heat of summer that slowly chased away the bone-chilling coldness she was feeling. Emilie gradually calmed down and answered, "I'm at school, right behind the faculty office building."

"Is there anyone around you?" Kevin asked.

She looked around her. She saw a lot of people walking across the junction a distance away. A student saw her sitting on the ground, and was slowly approaching her.

"A student is coming over," she replied.

Kevin let out a gentle laugh and joked, "Quick, wipe your face, or your students might laugh at you. The weather is really hot today, did you get a bit of heat exhaustion and mistake him for Shaun Breyne?"

That was a very convincing and logical explanation of what had just happened. "Maybe," Emilie answered, though still a little hesitant. Before she could hang up, the boy who had come over to check on her asked, "Ms. Audron, are you alright?"

Emilie knew this student. He was a junior who majored in English Language Arts. He was also a member of the student union and often came to the faculty office to help out. "I'm fine, I'm alright," she replied to him. Emilie hurriedly said goodbye to Kevin over the phone, then explained to the student after hanging up, "I wasn't watching my feet and twisted my ankle by accident."

An embarrassed smile appeared on her face as she struggled to stand on her own.

The student quickly came forward to help her up. He asked, "Can you still walk? Do you need to go to the hospital to get it checked?"

Emilie's heels weren't very high, so the sprain wasn't too bad. She stood at the spot and tried to move her feet around a little, then stepped lightly on the ground. Although it hurt slightly, it wasn't anything too serious. She waved her hand and politely refused the student's help as he tried to support her as she walked. She slowly headed for the faculty office building. The moment she entered the office, a colleague called to her, "Ms. Audron! Great timing, the parents of a student would like to see you."

She raised her head and only to see that man. He had his hands in his pockets and was leaning against the window. He turned and looked to the door. When his gaze landed on Emilie, her first reaction was to run straight out and get out of this place. But it was as though she was being stared at by her natural predator. She froze, unable to move.

On the other hand, he nodded lightly at her and greeted her in a polite, amiable manner, "Ms. Audron, nice to meet you."

Emilie's colleague didn't notice her strange behavior. She continued to introduce the man; "He is the elder relative of a student in your class. He's here to help his sister with the necessary procedures to leave the school."

Emilie didn't speak as she fixed her stare on the man before her.

There were two voices in fierce conflict inside her head. One screamed hysterically at her, "It's him, that's the guy who tried to kill you! They have the same voice, and they look exactly the same!"

But there was another voice of logic and reason telling her, "Emilie, you need to calm down. That man has already been sentenced to death, and Kevin has confirmed his death. A dead person cannot come back to life. This is another person, someone completely unrelated. He just happens to look very similar to that man."

The man laughed a little and appeared rather helpless. He said, "Ms. Audron, I'm not a tiger, I don't eat people. I'm Audrey Clendon's cousin, my name is Ian Tournox. Here, this is my ID card." As he spoke, he pulled out his wallet and took out the card. He walked toward Emilie and tried to pass the card to her so she could have a look at it.

Emilie subconsciously shrunk back. Ian Tournox noticed her action, so he halted midway and bent forward to place the ID card on the table between the two of them. He then gestured to her and said, "You may check it."

Emilie's colleague was utterly confused. He looked at Emilie, rather perplexed, as he asked, "Ms. Audron, what's the matter?"

Emilie didn't answer. She picked up the ID card from the table and glanced cautiously at the man standing in front of her. Then she looked down to examine the card. His name was Ian Tournox, male, 28 years old. The address on the ID card was located in Southton. The photo of the man looked very young. It seemed to have been taken when he had just entered his twenties. He had rather ordinary, short hair, and his face was quite handsome and rather gentle-looking.

She even checked the back of the ID. The date of issue was written there. She roughly calculated the time. It was indeed issued when he was around 20, which would match the photo on the front.

This young man seemed warm and gentlemanly, and really didn't carry himself like a criminal who grew up in a gang.

Emilie quietly heaved a sigh of relief as she calmed down. She returned the ID card to him and said apologetically, "I'm sorry Mr. Tournox, I'm at fault here. I may have caused a bit of a misunderstanding, I'm very sorry about it."

Ian Tournox smiled faintly, he didn't ask what the misunderstanding was about. Instead, he quickly got to the point and explained why he was here today. "Ms. Audron, Audrey has been frequently absent from school because of her medical condition. Her family has discussed this and has decided to have her take a year off to receive treatment overseas. Her family is in another city so her parents couldn't come over. They requested that I help her with the process on their behalf."

Audrey Clendon was a student in Emilie's class. She was often ill and took sick leave from class almost every other day. The longest medical leave that she had taken was the one right before the summer holidays. She didn't even attend the final exams. Emilie wasn't surprised at all that she wanted to take a year off from school. However, she was very cautious with Ian Tournox. She told him, "I need to give Audrey a call to confirm this."

She took out the class contact book from her drawer and flipped through it. However, Ian Tournox simply dialed the number on his phone and passed the device to Emilie over the table. "Ms. Audron, I have her number here, you may call her with my phone."

Emilie hesitated for a brief moment before reaching out to receive his phone. As she did so, she took a glance at his hand. It was clean, with slender and long fingers. It looked like the fingers of someone well-groomed who came from a decent background. Her suspicions and fear waned a little more. She took the phone from him and called the number that was already on the screen.

A ringtone came through. It wasn't long before it was picked up by Audrey. Her answer was pretty much the same as Ian Tournox's. Perhaps the girl was feeling a little nervous, as her voice sounded slightly higher than usual and a little tense. A lot of students were afraid of their teachers for no reason at all. This was a habit that formed when they were younger, and they couldn't shake it off even after they had entered college.

Emilie was used to hearing her students speak like this. She briefly asked Audrey about her condition and consoled her gently before she ended the call. When she looked up, she saw Ian Tournox, who was still standing right across from her, looking at her with a faint smile. His face still evoked fear from the deepest recesses of her mind. She pressed her lips together as she passed the phone back to him. "Thank you, Mr. Tournox. Please come with me to the office to get the request form for her leave."

She brought him to the office to get the necessary documents and informed him about what he would need to prepare. "You will need the doctor's memo and diagnosis report from the hospital for her medical condition, as well as an official letter that advises her to take a year off from school. The request form also needs to be signed by her personally. When all of that is done, you should bring the documents and the form back to me, I'll bring you to see the principal to get it approved."

Ian nodded before asking her, "Ms. Audron, would you mind leaving me your phone number?"

Emilie was rather reluctant to agree to that. "You may reach me at my office number."

Ian smiled and didn't insist.

Out of courtesy, Emilie walked him out of the office. But before he left, Ian asked her, "I'm sorry for this abrupt question, but do I look a lot like someone else to you?"

Emilie was startled for a moment by his question. He continued, "And you're really afraid of that person, am I right? Did he hurt you?"

Emilie appeared docile and easy-going on the outside, but inside, she was strong and rather assertive. She had always had a good temper, yet what he said triggered something within her - she almost wanted to snap at him and reply in the fiercest tone possible: "Mind your own business!" However, her upbringing and manners didn't allow her to do that. All she did was raise her eyebrows slightly and act as if she hadn't heard his question. She asked, "Pardon? What did you just say?"

Ian Tournox just smiled. He reached over to shake her hand before bidding her farewell, "I said goodbye, Ms. Audron."

Emilie still had an instinctive fear toward this man. The moment her hand touched his palm, she shuddered and immediately tried to pull away from his touch. She hurriedly replied, "Goodbye."

He smiled but didn't say anything more. Instead, he just turned and left.

For the rest of the afternoon, Emilie couldn't focus on anything. Kevin called to check on her and ask if everything was alright. When she was about to get off work, he even drove over to the school to fetch her. The happiness she got from her husband's care suppressed the unreasonable fear in her heart. She went down with her purse to meet him. When she got into the car, she couldn't help but ask in a playful tone, "So what do I do about my car?"

"Leave it at school," Kevin replied.

Despite already knowing the answer, she asked in response, "Then how am I supposed to get to work tomorrow morning?"

Kevin imitated her tone of voice and said, "Well, I'll send you to work tomorrow!"

The couple couldn't help but start laughing. After the fun exchange, Emilie went silent for a while, she announced out of nowhere, "Kevin, I want to get a PhD, I don't want to be a school counselor forever."

She only had a master's degree. In order to become a lecturer, she had to get a PhD, at the very least.

Kevin was always supportive of every decision that she made. Upon hearing that, he asked, "Sure, which school would you like to study at? Do you need me to contact a mentor for you?"

Emilie shook her head. "I think I'll return to my alma mater and study with my former professors."

Since she already had decided to pursue this, she decided to call her teacher to ask for her opinion the very next day. Her teacher was excited for her when she heard that Emilie was willing to study for the doctorate degree. She told Emilie that she would like her to sit for the entrance exam which was to be held in the spring of the following year. Right now, it was already mid-September. The deadline for the registration ended in October. There was already a ton of materials that she needed to prepare. Emilie soon felt like she was overwhelmed with work. She pleaded with Kevin to help her with the preparations.

The couple rolled up their sleeves and got to work together. At night, as they were sorting out the materials, he suddenly said to her very seriously, "Emi, let's work a little harder to get pregnant soon. That way, when you sit for the entrance exam next year, you can bring our kid along with you, and that could be considered preschool education!"

Emilie was startled for a second, but she thought that that was actually not a bad idea. So the couple tossed the papers aside and got into the bed to procreate.

It was one week later when she received the call. She was back at her alma mater inquiring about the PhD program when her phone rang. The number displayed on the screen was unknown. She was worried that something had happened to one of her students, so she quickly picked it up.

"Hello, Ms. Audron."

The deep voice of a man came through the phone, but somehow it contained an air of coolness which was rare in the summer blaze. Emilie felt her heart tighten a little when she heard the voice. Unable to control her reaction, her own voice became a little unnatural. She responded, "Hello, Mr. Tournox."

"You remember my voice, Ms. Audron," Ian Tournox commented.

Emilie had no intention of engaging in small talk with him. She quickly asked, "Mr. Tournox, when would you be able to submit Audrey's documents and the request form? We have regulations and procedures at school, the request for suspension of studies needs to be submitted at least two weeks before the beginning of the school term."

"I just came out of your office, Ms. Audron. Your colleague told me that he didn't know when you would be coming back, so I had to call your phone directly," Ian explained. He paused for a moment before elaborating, "I got your number from Audrey."

Based on the school rules, school counselors had to be present in school to take charge of the class. However, because counselors often had to travel to various places outside of school to help deal with the problems of different students, the school wasn't very strict about this. Emilie often went out for her own private matters without taking official leave. "I'm so sorry about that, but I'm outside right now. How about this, can you leave the documents at my office first? Is that alright?"

"No, I don't think so," he rejected her almost immediately.

Emilie didn't know how to respond.

He said, "I'll be going on a business trip tomorrow, and I won't be in Southton for the next few weeks. Ms. Audron, would you mind coming back to school right now? I'll wait for you here."

That was a rather abrupt and unreasonable request, but Emilie didn't want to start a conflict with the family of her student. Moreover, she should not have been out in the first place. She thought about it for a moment, then replied, "Alright. Then, please wait for me for about half an hour, I'll head back right now."

She got in the car and started the drive back to the school. When she parked the car behind the faculty staff office, it was almost exactly half an hour later. Just as she was getting down, a large, tall man in a black suit came out from a black car parked at the roadside. He held onto the car door and called out to her, "Mr. Tournox is in here waiting for you."

Emilie could tell at a glance that the car was very expensive. On top of which, there was the large man who looked exactly like a bodyguard. She paused for a moment before walking forward hesitantly. The window of the car rolled down slowly and revealed the handsome, perhaps even flawless face behind it. Ian Tournox nodded and greeted her, "Hello Ms. Audron, good to see you, you're very punctual."

Emilie sized him up cautiously. Upon closer inspection, this person didn't really look exactly like the man from back then. His features were more gentle and his face gave a more amicable impression as a whole. His eyes were far less aggressive, and his brows exuded the composure and mannerisms of a gentleman. There was not a hint of the cruelty and ruthlessness that she had witnessed back then.

"I'm so sorry to call you back here. But I'll be leaving the country tomorrow and won't be able to return for a while. That's why I wanted to complete all of the necessary procedures for Audrey today," Ian explained as he gestured at his assistant to pass a file containing the documents to Emilie. He requested, "Please check if anything is missing."

Emilie went through all of the documents inside the folder. After which she informed him, "You'll need to come with me and get the principal's signature before we can get this approved at the administration office."

Ian nodded. The assistant quickly came forward and opened the car door for him. Only then did Emilie notice that Ian was dressed very formally today. He was wearing a crisp black tuxedo and exuded the aura of a successful businessman. He looked like an entrepreneur who could be featured on the cover of a Forbes magazine. Ian seemed to have noticed her gaze, and explained nonchalantly, "I just attended a meeting."

He followed her to complete the necessary procedures for the request. As he walked beside her, he chatted with her casually, "Ms. Audron, you look very young, did you just graduate from college?"

Contrary to his assumption, Emilie was already 27 years old. Moreover, she had started her studies a little earlier than usual, having graduated with her master's degree more than four years ago. However, she had no interest in chatting with Ian. So she lifted the corners on her lips slightly and showed him a smile that could not get any fainter as she replied, "No."

She walked very briskly. She was even half a step in front of him despite being smaller and having shorter legs. When she went up the stairs, she walked even faster, nearly running up the steps. She only realized that he wasn't following her when she reached the turn at the end of the flight of stairs. She couldn't help but turn and look at him, feeling slightly puzzled.

He was still standing at the foot of the stairs. He raised his head and looked at her impassively, "Ms. Audron, I'm actually not in that much of a hurry."

Emilie felt a little embarrassed. She realized that her behavior was a little overboard. But she was still deeply terrified of him. To the point that even though she knew he had nothing to do with those men, she still shuddered in fear the moment she heard his voice. The sight of him evoked an uncontrollable sense of horror. Even just talking to him and maintaining a normal conversation was the result of her trying her best to control herself. Otherwise, she would have screamed and run away.

She didn't answer him. Instead, she just waited for him at the corner of where she was standing.

He walked up the stairs slowly. When he caught up to her, he asked, "I'm really very curious, why are you so afraid of me?"

"It's just a misunderstanding." Emilie lowered her head to avoid looking at him. She paused for a moment before explaining, "It's just that there's something very urgent that I need to attend to after this, so I got a little hasty."

"Oh, I see," he nodded slightly as he spoke. Then he apologized, "I'm so sorry about this Ms. Audron, for making you abandon your own matters and having to rush all the way down here just for this."

Emilie tried her best to smile and replied, "It's no problem, this is part of my job."

The whole procedure went pretty smoothly. The principal just happened to be in, and Ian Tournox had prepared all of the necessary documents. After they got the signature that they needed, Emilie brought Ian out of the office. She said to him, "Now, all we have left is to send the request form to the administration office, and we'll be done after they confirm all of the details and approve it."

When the two of them walked out of the staff office building, Ian's car was already waiting at the roadside. He turned to her and asked politely, "Is the administration office far from here? Would it be faster if we head there in the car?"

The office was indeed a distance away from the faculty staff building. She wasn't willing to go there on foot like this, walking side by side together with him. However, she was even more reluctant to get into his car with him. She pressed her lips together tightly, then thought of a workable idea. She told him, "You can drive there. Just drive along this road here, then turn left at the second junction. That'll be the administration building, it's very prominent. You can wait for me at the entrance. I'll be going over in my own car. After we're done with submitting the form, I can drive straight out to continue with what I have to do. That'll save us some time."

Ian didn't refuse this arrangement. Emilie went round to the back of the block and drove to the administration building in her own car. When she arrived, Ian was already standing by the stairs, waiting for her. His tall, slender figure and good looks attracted the attention of quite a few students. She hurriedly walked over and said to him, "Let's go, Mr. Tournox."

With her around, the request for suspension of studies was approved rather quickly. The young female teacher at the administration office could barely tear her eyes away from Ian. While he was completing some final paperwork, she pulled Emilie aside and tried to find out more about him. "Who is this man? I've never seen anyone more handsome!"

Ian seemed to sense that she was talking about him. He turned toward them and gave a smile. This smile was so seductive that the female teacher almost wanted to jump on him and declare her love. She clutched onto Emilie's arm tightly and wouldn't release her. She whispered to Emilie, "Quick! Do you have his contact number? Give me his number!"

Emilie felt both awkward and amused. She had received a call from Ian before, so of course, she had his number. However, she felt that it wasn't quite right to just give his phone number to a stranger without his permission.

Emilie's colleague shook her arm profusely and tried again. "Ms. Audron, please, I'm begging you, you're already a married woman. Couldn't you please give the single people a chance!"

"This is the cousin of one of my students, I don't really know him well enough. You should go and ask him yourself." As she spoke, Emilie suddenly had an idea. She sneakily tried to help her colleague by giving her suggestions, "How about you ask for his contact in an official capacity, then just save it for yourself? Then when the request for his cousin is approved, you can call him up and tell him to come over and get it. I believe you don't need me to teach you the rest right?"

As part of the school's standard operating procedure, the request had to be sent back to the school after it had been approved, before the counselor would inform the student. Emilie's colleague was a little unsure about this suggestion. She asked, "Is that really alright?"

Emilie tried to hide her laughter by pressing her lips together. She gently nudged her on the shoulder and persuaded, "What's wrong with that? Just treat it as helping me with my work!"

Ian had just completed the necessary paperwork. He turned and looked toward Emilie, which prompted her to ask her colleague in a very formal manner, "Is there anything else that you need from us?"

Her colleague cleared her throat and said, "Um, please leave me the contact details of the student's representative."

Ian smiled and wrote down his handphone number on a piece of paper before passing it to her.