2. The Stalker

Emily brought the phone closer to her ear. Louis was still bombarding her with questions.

“Emily, what happened? Did someone attack you? Are you okay? Emily? Don't make me worry."

Instead of feeling guilty, Emily let out a tired sigh. "I'm fine, Louis."

Louis snorted. “Don't lie to me! I clearly heard the commotion just now.”

“It was just an old lady who suddenly lost her balance. Maybe she's not so healthy. Nothing happened to me, okay? People here don't even know me. You don't need to worry. Have you forgotten? I can defend myself and defeat the enemy."

"If only one enemy," Louis continued. "What about two or more? You think you're the Supergirl who can beat them? Not to mention if your opponent is stronger and bigger. You're not safe there alone."

Emily snorted. "You underestimate me. Do you remember how I beat Russell during the last training?"

"That's because he gave in to you. He's a sweet little brother. He wanted to make you happy and was afraid of hurting you."

"I also managed to defeat Orion."

Louis sighed lightly. "He's your sweet cousin and bodyguard. It's natural that he gave in. Besides, Uncle and Aunt will definitely scold him if he slams you."

Emily put on a sullen look. "You always think I'm weak."

"You are weak, especially with those skinny legs of yours. I even lost count of how many times you've fallen or tripped this year. That's why you have to go home as soon as possible!"

Emily raised her chin as if Louis was on the other side of the round table. "I don't want to."

"Then tell me where you are. I'll send a bodyguard to look after you."

Emily's eyebrows twitched. "To drag me home, you mean?"

"No. I'm serious. Your safety is my priority. I don't want to take care of Savior without your help. Russell can't be relied on yet."

Emily shook her head slightly. "I don't need a bodyguard. I ran away here to find peace. I wouldn't feel free if they were around."

"I don't need your approval. Protecting you is my duty. So tell me. Is it France? You are a productive person. You must have another mission besides avoiding the press. Are you looking for inspiration for your latest design?"

Emily froze. Her eyes flickered to the sketchbook she had just slipped into her bag.

"Don't act like you know. You could end up sending guards to the wrong place," she said stiffly.

"Is it T City? You went looking for Cayden? But I don't think that's possible. Your dignity wouldn't allow you to meet him first. Then, did you go looking for Sky? You always confide in her whenever you have a big problem. But you haven't contacted her for a long time. Where is she now? You guys didn't secretly arrange a meeting without me, did you?"

Emily's eyebrows met again. "I said, don't act like you know. Arghhh, you're so annoying!"

Without further ado, Emily hung up the phone. She put it on the table, then finished her hot chocolate.

"What kind of twin is Louis? He should understand my feelings, instead of annoying me."

Emily wiped her mouth and slammed the napkin. Then, she packed her things on the table. During her tirade, she started to yawn.

"Who would dare attack me here? People don't even know who I am. Besides, it's crowded enough here. Who dares to kidnap me?"

Emily yawned again. Her eyes even closed. That's when she realized that her sleepiness was unnatural.

"Why am I sleepy? Is this the effect of jetlag? But I rested all day yesterday," she muttered as she checked her watch. The night was still long.

Once again, Emily yawned. Her eyelids drooped, her head got heavier. “What's wrong with me?"

Suddenly, her gaze fell on the cup she had emptied. In an instant, a bad feeling filled her heart.

"Could it be that ... the old lady put drug in my drink?"

Wasting no more time, Emily left the cafe. Unfortunately, after only a few steps, the rain started to pour.

"Oh, no."

While covering her head with the bag, Emily tried to walk faster. Unfortunately, the yellow dress she was wearing restricted her steps. She had to pull it with one hand so that her legs could move more freely.

"Why did I choose this costume? I should have worn a simple outfit. It would be much more useful in a critical situation like this," she thought to herself.

Suddenly, Emily felt someone following her. She looked back. A man wearing a hat and a black jacket was walking quickly towards her.

"This is bad!" Emily cursed in her heart. Forcing her eyes to open wide, she saw a hotel at the end of the street.

"Come on, Emily. Just a little longer. Don't let Louis' words come true. That would be a big disaster."

Unfortunately, the man was getting closer. Emily's heart was beating more and more erratically. Moreover, her wet dress began to feel heavy, just like her eyelids that were lulled to drop longer.

Worse still, the effects of the drug had spread. Her body began to feel weak. Her distance from the stalker was easily reduced. Five meters, four meters, three meters. Emily's hair stood on end.

"Should I just scream? But who's going to help me? I don't want to cause a useless commotion."

Shaking her head quickly, Emily opened her bag. Before she could get the pepper spray, a flash of light suddenly came from the front. Emily spontaneously screamed. Either because the sidewalk was slippery or her legs were too weak, she fell down and sat near the stalker's feet.

"Akh! Ahh ...."

Emily winced. Her waist hurt. At that moment, a man bent down, handing her a mic that had been wrapped in plastic.

"Hello, Miss. Are you Emily Harper? What are you doing in Paris? Are you running away?"

Between the lull of sleep and the drizzle of rain, Emily blinked. The face in front of her was blurry, covered by the shadow of an umbrella. Only his camera was clearly visible, hanging from his neck with a yellow strap.

Not getting an answer from Emily, the man turned around. His move made the stalker look down while pulling his hat closer.

“What about you, Sir? Are you the person sent to pick Miss Harper up? Or perhaps, you are Brandon Young’s man assigned to guard her?”

The stalker did not answer. While holding the brim of his hat, he glanced left and right. His feet moved back slightly.

“Well then, I hope you don’t mind if I take your picture. This will be an exclusive coverage.”

A burst of light illuminated again. Feeling dazzled, the stalker covered his face with one arm. After a snort, he finally stepped back and turned to leave.

“Sir? Where are you going? Our interview isn’t over yet. I haven’t even started. I have a lot of questions for you. Sir?”

The man in the black jacket started to run. Seeing that, the cameraman smiled. “I think you’re already safe, Miss Harper,” he said while making sure the stalker was really gone.

Emily tried to make a sound. However, she had no strength left. She couldn’t even maintain her position. Two seconds later, the world seemed so dark to her. She didn’t know what was happening anymore.