"The number you're trying to contact is currently out of reach. Please try again later."
Nancy sighed once more, putting her phone down on the table. She rubbed her temple in exasperation while looking outside. It was almost eight in the night, and Scarlett was nowhere to be seen. She had contacted Nancy earlier, stating that she would come to pick her up from her campus, but she hadn't arrived yet, and her phone was also unreachable for more than two hours.
Sighing, Nancy picked up her backpack and phone to go towards the counter. After paying the money for her cappuccino, she left the cafe. It was already dark, and the apartment was within 35 minutes of walking. Nancy decided to wait for a taxi while walking past the roadside until her head bumped into something hard and solid.
A small wince left her mouth as she looked up to yell, but her voice fell back deep into her throat as she saw a pair of familiar eyes settle across her. Her mouth dried when those fiery amber eyes ignited. She could visibly see the way those lips curled while the guy standing in front of her stared at her. Her heartbeat accelerated as his eyes pinned her to her place.
"Uh, I-"
"You don't want to get hit by a truck or something, or would you, huh, four eyes?" His dark and velvety voice vibrated through his chest. Nancy stared at him with widened eyes. She looked around to see the busy road, and her mouth went dry again. Wasn't it obvious? Who, in their sane minds, would want to die?
"Or would you rather let me do this favor to you?" His smirk grew wider as he took a step closer to her, sucking the life out of her. Nancy quickly pulled her steps backward to keep a safe distance from him. Her ears quickly heard the mockings, laughs, and chatter that took place behind her. She turned her head to find a group of girls and boys looking at her, whistling and laughing.
Her heart started to race inside her ribcage as she calculated all the possibilities of staying any longer. Turning around, her eyes found the guy still standing at his exact spot with an undivided attention.
"I should take my leave."
"Shall I drop you, our little junior?" One of the guys teased as all of them burst out laughing Nancy looked at the guy standing in front of him, who still had his eyes keenly set on her with undivided attention. His face was blank and expressionless.
"Shut up, Mike. Our little junior is very brave. I'm sure she can manage a walk in this pretty weather." One of the girls from the group teased. Nancy's eyes darted upwards, seeing the dark clouds gather all over the town. Her throat went dry.
"Right, four eyes? The weather is so chill; I'm sure you will enjoy your time walking home." The other girl teased as all of them burst out laughing.
Nancy's heart contracted and her palms curled before she finally hurried her steps, walking away from him and the rest of the group. She walked as fast as she could until the mocking tones of the group finally faded, and she heaved a sigh of relief.
But to make her situation worse, the droplets of rain started to pour, blurring her vision through her sunglasses. She took them off to wipe before putting them back, but it was of no use; the intensity of the rain ruined it all again. She searched for the umbrella in her backpack but cursed at herself as she forgot to pack it in the morning.
She sighed before speeding up her walk. She tried to stop a few taxis, but none of them were available. The town started to shut down because of the bad weather, and she kept walking rapidly, only to halt with shock once she found the same guy in front of her.
Right now, he was on his bike. His pitch-black clothes were drenched because of the rain. Nancy could see the slightest glimpse of his amber eyes behind the glass of his helmet.
"Want me to help you, four eyes?" He offered. Not a sane person would take such needed help in the situation she was in right now. But the one who was offering her this help was on the list of people that she would least likely cross paths with. She looked around, but to her dismay, no other person from his group was there.
"But, but your friends?" She asked uncertainly and feebly.
"Don't worry, they are all gone." He reassured.
"I-" Nancy nibbled her lower lip, contemplating whether or not to accept his offer.
"Four eyes." His tone was so authoritative and dark that she couldn't do anything anymore. It looks like the devil has set his eyes on her tonight. Accepting her fate, she got on his bike, clutching onto her backpack tightly.
"You can clutch onto my jacket if you don't want to fall." He said before starting his bike. Nancy gasped because of a sudden jerk that made her front collide with his back. She quickly pulled back, maintaining a safe distance as he picked up his pace.
"Why? Why did you help me?" Nancy asked uncertainly as he drove. She could hear a throaty chuckle that was somewhat of a blend of mockery and pity.
"Trust me, as much as me and my friends do not like you still, we can't let a needy girl walk alone down the streets in this bad weather. That is pretty inhumane." He replied.
"Do you have a raincoat? I'm all drenched." Nancy asked.
"You should be grateful I'm dropping you off at home. I don't carry shit with me." He said it curtly before focusing on the road.
"At least a plastic bag or something. My phone will be damaged." She requested.
"I don't have any, and I do not care. Buy another one once you get to your home," he spat before speeding up his bike. Nancy gasped as another jerk penetrated through her front; she quickly clutched onto his jacket for support as he drove.
~~~~~
"Do you, by any chance, have any idea about why this happened?" Louise asked while Noel sighed. He leaned on his armchair, deep in thought. His veins throbbed as the flashes from earlier crossed his mind.
The way that man tried to touch Scarlett, the way he yelled at her and called her slurs, the way he approached her like a predator, the way she got injured. It all made his blood boil. His hands itched to grab that man once again and show him who he had tried to mess with.
"Kacey Wills has some disputes going on regarding the property with Scarlett." Louise hummed as he nodded while keenly listening to him.
"I see. So that's what got you mad." Louise raised a perfect eyebrow, staring at Noel, whose expression clearly stated that he didn't care about what Louise was thinking. If he thinks that Noel is mad because that man tried to harm Scarlett,
He is...right.
Noel's hands burned to wrap around Kacey's throat and shove him seven feet deep into the ground. No one messes with Noel Walker or whatever concerns him.
Including Scarlett.
"Call Elijah. I want his help with this." Noel turned to face Louise, who nodded before picking up his phone. Elijah Manaeon is also the founder and chief executive of one of the top-notch cybersecurity companies in the country.
To find out anyone's biodata for Noel, Elijah is the best man.
"I have told him every detail. He said he would look into the matter and contact you tomorrow." Louise informed.
"Did you perhaps hear anything from Aditya?" Louise asked as Noel shook his head interestingly while looking into the screen of his laptop.
"We were in the club last time; I haven't heard anything from him since then." He informed. Louise heard a ring on his phone, indicating someone's text. He picked it up to see who it was. His eyes flickered as a small chuckle appeared on his face.
"Oh! Here he is. He texted, saying that he was leaving for India. There's an emergency." Louise informed him before pointing at his phone, indicating the text that he had just received.
"I see. Man is too frustrated right now because of his wedding." Louise let out a small chuckle at Noel's response while Noel leaned back, shaking his head absurdly.
An hour had passed since Louise left. Noel, after finishing some of the paperwork, decided to check on Scarlett. He went towards the room that she was sleeping in. Opening the door, his honey-amber eyes lit up with shimmer. Just a sight of her face was able to send a warm and comforting feeling to his heart that even he wasn't aware of.
He walked towards her with slow steps, careful not to make any noise that could disturb her much-needed sleep. The corners of his lips curled unknowingly at the sight of her resting face. She slept worry-free and was still flawless.
His fingers tenderly trailed across her cheek before resting near the corner of her lower lip. A flashback crossed through his mind with the speed of light. The club. The meet. The dance.
And, the kiss.
They almost kissed that night. The feel of her tender and luscious lips on his lips was still fresh. Her scent of vanilla and roses. Her trembling voice after their accidental kiss. It was all imprinted on his brain. It didn't matter that he didn't try to shake off those feelings but, they were still there. All fresh and new.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the sound of vibration. He looked around to find Scarlett's phone ringing by the side of the table. He went to see and pick it up once he saw the name "Nancy" on the screen.
"Hello?"
"I'm sorry, who's this? Where's Scar?" Nancy asked once she heard a random man answering instead of her sister.
"Nancy? Scarlett is at my house. She was unconscious, so I brought her here."
"Is she all right? What happened to her? Why was she unconscious? Who are you?" Noel's head jerked away from the phone once he heard the rain of Nancy's questions in a loud and worried tone that he, without any doubt, anticipated after what he had told her.
"Um, she's fine. She just overdrank, and don't worry, she's safe and resting right now. You might not know me, but your sister does very well. I suggest you take a nap without any worries, and you can talk to Scarlett in the morning once she wakes up." He assured. Finally, after a brief moment, he heard her sigh before she replied.
"Okay. Please take care of her." Nancy mumbled, worried.
"I assure you, I am. Good night" With that, he hung up, placing the phone back on the table. Taking last glances at Scarlett's sleeping face, he turned the lights off and went outside the room.
****

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