The sun started to disappear below the horizon, basking the forest in a pale red glow that passed
through the branches and leaves.
The light glimmered on the bodies of Victor and Shelia.
They had been walking since high noon and now, the sun was setting.
Their tiredness was assuaged when they saw a relatively spacious country road.
"Finally, we’re out of the forest.Maybe we’ll meet local villagers if we walk a little further.We can…"
Before Shelia could finish her sentence, she saw Victor stop walking.
She was confused.She looked at Victor, wanting to know why he stopped.
"Van?"
"Well, well, well, i didn’t expect you to come out alive."
Norton’s voice came, Shelia looked for the source of the voice.
She saw three cars that were parked not far from them.
Norton stood at the front, looking at them intently as he played with a knife.
Shelia could feel right away that they were Victor’s enemies.She instinctively moved to shield Victor,
who in turn stood protectively in front of her.
Victor didn’t take his eyes off Norton, watching his every move.
In a voice that only Shelia could hear, Victor said, "Run into the forest when I tell you to.You won’t get
lost even when it gets dark.When we were finding our way out of the forest, I put marks all the
way.Follow these marks and you can get back here."
"And then?" Shelia asked, her eyebrows furrowed.
Victor looked straight into Shelia’s eyes.
"Walk along this road.When you meet villagers, borrow a mobile phone from them, and call this
number."
Victor knew that Norton didn’t intend to let him go.
Norton just wanted to play a game with Victor by throwing him into the forest.
Victor felt that if he couldn’t escape this predicament, Shelia shouldn’t be implicated.
He had promised to give Shelia a family, bring her back to see his grandmother, and treat her as his
own family.
But it seemed that Victor could not fulfill the promise he made in the forest.
Holding Shelia’s hand, Victor wrote a phone number on her palm with his fingertip.
"Shelia, call the number once you get hold of a mobile phone," he whispered.
"This is my grandmother’s number.Call her and she will pick you up wherever you are."
Shelia just looked down at her palm.
Seeing that Shelia didn’t respond, Victor looked at her and asked in confusion, "Shelia?"
"No." Shelia pulled her hand back.
Her eyes were a little red.
"I don’t want to remember the number, nor do I want to."
"Shelia, be a good girl." Victor frowned.
He was so anxious that he coughed violently as soon as he finished speaking.
Shelia remained adamant and clenched her fists.She just didn’t want to spread her palm and let Victor
write the phone number again.
Even if Norton couldn’t hear what Victor and Shelia were talking about, he could tell that they were
reluctant to leave each other.
With a condescending sneer, he said, "Tut, tut, tut, this is so touching.Such strong feelings for each
other! I’m so moved by you."
Victor tensed up when saw Norton approaching them.He intuitively pulled Sheila behind him.
Victor was seriously injured and keeping himself standing steadily was taxing for him.
It would be hard for him to fight off Norton.
Norton deliberately walked up to them slowly.
Victor and Shelia stepped back.
Losing patience with them, Norton pulled Shelia towards him.
Norton was too fast for Victor to stop him.
"Let her go!"
Norton kept a firm grip on Shelia’s wrist.He found satisfaction in hearing vexation in Victor’s voice.
"You know you look pretty,"
Norton said as he wiped the mud on Shelia’s face with his thumb.
He knew this would all the more incense Victor, Disregarding body pain, Victor rushed over and tried to
take Shelia back from Norton.
But he stopped in his tracks when something silver flashed through his eyes.
It was a knife that Norton pressed against Shelia’s neck.
Victor spat out a mouthful of blood.
"No."
"What are you saying?"
Norton said in a contemptuous tone and gave Victor a mocking smile, pretending not to hear what
Victor had said.
Victor felt that he had difficulty in breathing.He clenched his fist and tried to steady himself.
"What you want is my life.It has nothing to do with her.So, let her go!"
"Oh, wow! This is so touching."
Norton curled his lips.
"But I don’t want to let her go.I don’t where she comes from but I find your reaction quite
interesting.Mr.Sullivan, do you think it’s boring for you to die alone? I can do something about that and
let her accompany you."
With red eyes, Victor breathed heavily.
With the tip of the knife pressed against her neck, all Shelia could do was raise her chin.Her body was
tensed up.
But when she saw Victor spat out blood and beg for mercy, she scoffed at Norton.
"Is that all you can do? Threaten kids?"
Norton kept his mocking smile plastered on his face.
Yet, his eyes narrowed in anger when he heard Shelia’s disdainful words.
"What did you just say?"
"I said you are a loser." Shelia swallowed.
"You just feel a sense of accomplishment by threatening two kids.What’s more, you don’t have in you to
do what you intend to do.So, cut the crap.If you want to kill me, then do it."
"Shelia…"
Victor desperately tried to stop Shelia.He knew that she was provoking Norton.He was afraid that
Shelia would make Norton’s hackles rise and the man would do just what she was saying.
Norton was indeed angry.He looked fierce, but he kept his voice in check as he talked to Shelia.
"Oh, really? Looks like you really want to die." Shelia rolled her eyes.
"I can help you with that," Norton said, laughing derisively.
He turned to his men and instructed them, "Tie her up."
Victor squinted his eyes and asked anxiously, "What are you going to do?"
Norton didn’t answer.He just glared at Victor.
Norton’s men did as they were instructed.
With her hands and feet bound, Shelia was taken to one of the cars.
Victor was made to ride a different car.
Victor racked his brain thinking about where Norton was taking them.
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