Zoe became acutely aware of a grim reality: Cael had descended into madness.
He couldn’t see Zoe’s kindness and gentleness; he felt no gratitude or relief. Instead, he blamed her rejection for all the consequences that followed.
In his twisted logic, it was because Zoe refused his affection that his life had become such a mess.
What absurd reasoning! Instead of reflecting on his own evil actions, he blamed Zoe for not accepting his pursuit.
It was as if in this unreasonable world, those who did wrong and faced punishment never reflected on their mistakes but resented others for not enabling their wickedness.
But Zoe had no time to ponder these thoughts now; her immediate safety was paramount.
As Cael attempted to move closer, Zoe cautiously placed her bag in front of her, watching him and trying to remain calm and collected.
"Cael... calm down. Don’t think that what happens here won’t be known to others. Even if you succeed, you’ll still face jail time. If you leave now, I’ll pretend nothing happened!"
Would Zoe really pretend nothing happened? Obviously not.
The depths of human depravity are boundless, and testing these limits can lead to increasingly outrageous acts. Therefore, her immediate goal was to keep Cael at bay. As long as she remained unharmed tonight, she would immediately contact the police and ensure this man faced the consequences of his actions.
A smile crept back onto Cael’s face.
"Calm? I lost my calm the day I lost you. Do you know how I’ve been living these days? People treat me like a perversion, everyone keeps their distance, and my parents blame me for ruining my future over a woman..."
Cael’s expression twisted into something grotesque, the veins in his neck bulging.
"All I’ve been able to do is drink. Drinking is the only way I can forget everything! I realize now, I shouldn’t have been soft-hearted. I shouldn’t have tried to drug you; I should have just tied you up and raped you!"
Suddenly, Cael’s gaze softened again, as if oscillating between the persona of a demon and a mere mortal.
"But I’ve missed you... I really missed you, and seeing you leave the restaurant tonight, I just couldn’t control myself anymore. I knew I had to find you tonight, no matter what the cost."
His words were delusional, mistaken for affection, but it was nothing more than his self-centered delusion.
Under the night sky, in the gaze of such a man, Zoe could only feel utter revulsion.
Watching Cael take another step closer, Zoe knew she had to be assertive. Running away wasn’t an option, and naively approaching a man in this situation was certainly not a wise choice.
So, she hardened her expression, trying to look as formidable as possible. Continue your journey on NovelBin.Côm
"Think carefully. It may seem quiet here, but there are people living nearby. If you take one more step, I will scream loudly. And if you try anything, I will struggle as much as I can. I won’t let you succeed, even if it kills me. Think about it, do you really want to risk everything?
Do you want to ruin your life over this?"
Cael seemed to hesitate for a moment at Zoe’s resolute expression. But soon, his terrifying smile reappeared.
"Scream? Go ahead, it might even excite me more!"
To Zoe’s shock, Cael reached behind him and pulled out a handgun.
She hadn’t anticipated that Cael would go to such deranged lengths. This was no longer mere premeditation; he might even be prepared for a murder-suicide.
Cael seemed to have abandoned all thought of a way out.
What should she do now? Use her superpowers right in front of him? But at such close range, she might not be able to dodge a bullet.
Cael raised the gun, his gaze ferocious as he glared at Zoe.
"You bitch, I’m going to have my way with you today. I’ll make you regret rejecting me! You dare refuse me... aren’t you just a plaything to be used? Others can have you, why can’t I?"
Cael seemed to lose all patience, moving closer to Zoe, the gun always pointed at her body. Zoe instinctively pushed her bag in front of her chest for protection.
But Cael, completely engulfed in madness, yanked it away with a violent pull, sending Zoe nearly sprawling on the ground.
As she turned, she saw Cael looming over her, his smile lewd and unrestrained, as if no taboos or constraints existed anymore.
"Just be obedient... I’ll be good to you, Zoe... heh heh heh."
He let out a chilling laugh, reaching out towards Zoe.
At that moment, Zoe saw no hope.
Her assailant was armed with a gun and ready to die with her.
She was so young, not ready to die, not married yet, hadn’t settled in this bustling city, and had so many things left undone.
How could it end like this? How could it?!
"No!!"
Zoe finally let out an uncontrollable scream.
As Cael ignored Zoe’s screams, intent only on viciously assaulting her to vent his frustrations, he completely lost control.
Just as he was about to touch Zoe inappropriately, a miraculous intervention occurred as if in response to Zoe’s desperate plea.
Cael, who should have been reaching for her, was suddenly flung away, slamming hard into a wall as if hit by a car. But how could a car get into such a narrow street?
Zoe then saw an unexpected figure, like a hero from a movie or a protagonist from an anime, standing under the moonlight, casting a heroic silhouette.
His handsome face bore a stern expression, standing there as if embodying hope and light, like the lighthouse Zoe had been desperately seeking in her stormy sea...
Sam was there, looking at Cael who was slowly getting up from the ground, still clutching his waist. Cael instinctively tried to shoot, but realized his gun was gone.
"You... who the hell are you! This is none of your business. I’ll kill you for meddling!" Cael threatened Sam hysterically.
Sam stepped forward, easily bypassing Zoe on the ground to stand in front of her, facing Cael directly. In Sam’s eyes, there was only contempt and disdain.
"Stalking a woman, threatening her with a gun. You’re trash, you know that?"
"I’m not trash! You are! All of you are! I... I’ll kill you!" Cael, unable to bear the provocation and without his gun, pulled out a fruit knife and lunged at Sam with it.