As Calla closed her eyes, resigning herself to her fate, a loud and angry male voice came from outside the alley. "Stop!"Both of the vile men immediately halted and stood up. They looked toward the figure walking into the alley. Calla opened her eyes and saw a tall figure approaching. The man appeared to be wearing a leather jacket, tall and burly. He projected an intimidating presence even before taking action.Seeing the figure, Calla felt a glimmer of hope. She didn't know who he was, but maybe she had a chance of being saved. Hastily, she pulled up her pants and sweater, hugging herself tightly. The bitter cold penetrated her thin clothing, causing her to shiver uncontrollably. Her fear only made it worse.The figure stopped less than ten feet away from the fat man and the skinny man. Though Calla couldn't see his face, he seemed strangely familiar.The fat man tilted his head and said, "Hey man, I advise you not to disturb us. If you're looking for a woman to warm you u
Seeing Calla's disheveled state, he frowned. He retrieved her coat from the ground, helped her up, and draped it over her trembling shoulders.Stunned by fear, Calla let him assist her. Her legs felt weak, and she couldn't stand. Her heart was pounding, relieved to be saved but still unable to walk.Noticing her state of shock, he held her shoulders and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"Calla could no longer hold back her emotions and burst into tears. His brow creased deeply as he drew her into his embrace, allowing her to weep without restraint.Calla never imagined that he would arrive at such a critical moment. If those two creeps had violated her, she'd have no idea how to deal with herself after that.Despite her strong demeanor, she was still a woman. When she found herself in such a situation, she was so scared that her legs turned limp. She even started bawling her eyes out.She wasn't as strong as she thought she was. After everything that transpired, she was just
Calla soaked in the bathtub for nearly an hour. When the water was about to turn cold, she wearily got out. She dried herself with a towel and looked at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Her cheeks and the corners of her mouth were bruised and her hair was messy. There were also bruises on her arms and legs. Seeing those injuries, Calla frowned. She reflected on how harrowing the night had been. At least there were no broken bones or more severe violations. It was a stroke of luck in such an unlucky situation. In her darkest hour, when all hope seemed lost, a knight in shining armor arrived in time to save her.Remembering that the knight was still outside, Calla put on a bathrobe and tied it securely. Considering the traditional distinctions between genders, things could never get too complicated between them. She had learned from past experiences and couldn't repeat those mistakes.As soon as Calla left the bathroom, Pierre, sitting on the couch, glanced at her for
Seeing Pierce's thoughtfulness, Calla accepted the ice pack with both hands. She gratefully said, "If I hadn't met you tonight, I don't know what would have happened. Thank you!"Pierre's face reddened, and he said sheepishly, "It was nothing. You don't need to make a big deal out of it.""It may be a small gesture to you, but it was life-saving to me," Calla said, looking earnestly at Pierre.Pierre didn't continue retorting and instead motioned for Calla to put the ice pack on her face. Calla obediently placed the towel-wrapped ice pack against her cheek. Despite the warmth in the room, the ice was especially cold to her sensitive skin. When the ice came into contact with her face, she couldn't help but wince slightly."By the way, how did you end up here?" Calla asked curiously after a moment, looking at Pierre."I... was bored during Christmas, so I decided to go on a solo road trip. When I reached that alley, I suddenly felt that something was off, so I went to check it o
At this point, Calla suddenly felt the temperature in the room rise. She quickly forced a smile and said, "You must have a lot of free time. Don't you need to visit relatives during Christmas? Your family must be unhappy with you running around like this.""My mom passed away a long time ago, and my dad has already started a new family. I'm all alone with no relatives to visit," Pierre immediately responded.Hearing this, Calla realized that Pierre was a man with a past. Feeling the tension in the air, she stood up. "It's already 2:00 am. How about you take me back to my hotel now?"Pierre sat on the couch without answering her. After a moment, he suddenly rose to his feet, walked over to Calla, and grabbed her by the shoulders. "What are you doing?" A shiver ran down Calla's spine as she met his piercing gaze. She felt as though he could devour her with his eyes alone."Why are you always avoiding me?" Pierre's expression twisted in displeasure as he stared at Calla with frust
Pierre would beam at the door for ages that night. He was drawn to Calla's genuine nature. She was honest, headstrong, resilient, and yet, sometimes fragile. From the moment he got close to her, he was captivated.He had always resisted these feelings, partly because of Wanda and also because of Mercer. But now, none of that mattered anymore. He had mustered the courage to come to Greendale in search of her.Yet, she wasn't interested in him. But that was okay; he had plenty of time and energy to pursue her. Pierre had never failed to get what he wanted, and women were no exception.Despite knowing that the lock posed no real obstacle to a strong man, it offered her a sense of security. Afterward, Calla quickly put on her tattered clothes. Though barely intact, they were still better than the bathrobe. Then, she lay down to sleep, covering herself with the thick blanket.Perhaps due to the shock of the fight and nearly being assaulted by those two thugs, Calla tossed and turned,
Calla quickly grabbed her phone. She noticed that the screen was cracked, but fortunately, it was still usable.Holding the phone in her hands, Calla froze for a moment because this phone was a gift from Mercer. That day when she was in the hospital, they had argued, and he had thrown her old phone against the wall, shattering it. So he had Simon buy her this one. Thinking back, those moments seemed as vivid as ever.Snapping out of her momentary daze, Calla glanced at her phone. As expected, Piper had texted early that morning. Her stomach was feeling better so she would be back to lead the tour group for the day.The news was such a relief to Calla. At least, she had the rest of the day to herself."Let's have breakfast." Pierre smiled seeing Calla's expression return to normal. "Come sit down.""Thank you." Calla sat on the couch, her mouth watering at the sight of the delicious food."What are you waiting for? Dig in." Pierre smiled, reminding her when he saw her staring at
Pierre burst out laughing once more. Today, Calla was being especially humorous, cute, and endearing—making him feel at ease. He was particularly touched by the underlying strength and resilience she showed. Even in the face of adversity, she remained unwavering.Pierre paused before suggesting, "Calla, have you considered changing jobs?""Changing jobs?" Calla frowned at him, not understanding what he meant.Pierre continued, "You've obtained your CPA certificate. With that, you can find a stable and promising job. Working at the travel agency doesn't suit you and is somewhat a waste of your talents.""How do you know I got my CPA certificate? Did Natasha tell you that too?" Calla asked, eyeing Pierre."You guessed it right," Pierre admitted, spreading his hands in defeat.Hearing this, Calla muttered, "Natasha is such a blabbermouth. She's trying to please you, her boss, by telling you everything.""You're well aware, so don't blame her too much. I can ask her anything, and sh