Chapter 17
Eduardo stared at her, calmly wiping drool from his face.
He didn’t have a single complaint.
But then he noticed the phone in Latrina’s hand. As the call connected, he snatched it away.
“Give it back, Eduardo!” she screamed, unable to move.
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Eduardo sneered, “Still counting on him? If he knew you were pregnant, he’d be figuring out how to get rid of it by tomorrow.”
He hung up and tossed the phone aside.
“He wouldn’t! Not everyone is like you!” Latrina retorted.
“I did it all for you, Latrina! I love you!” His breath reeked of alcohol.
“Eduardo, I believe you love me. Let go of me. Let’s talk…” she begged, afraid of making him angry.
But his eyes were bloodshot, and he was already out of his mind.
He leaned over, looked at her, and tore off her already tattered clothes.
She felt her whole body go cold as her bare skin was exposed, and a long red scratch appeared on her fair shoulder.
“Eduardo, are you crazy?”
“I’m just crazy!” he yelled.
At that moment, there was a loud banging on the door.
“Help! Help!”
Latrina’s mouth and nose were covered by his hand, and she e was smothered.
Her mind was in chaos.
“Shut up!”
Eduardo pressed so hard that it hurt, and her cheeks were squished out of shape.
It felt like the world went dark.
But soon, Latrina felt her body get lighter, and fresh air rushed in.
She coughed and came to her senses.
Eduardo was dragged to the ground by a figure, with heavy thuds and painful wails.
When she got up from the couch, she realized Gerhart was standing in the living room.
His
eyes were fierce, with drops of blood on his rimless glasses and his white shirt stained red.
He calmly wiped the blood off his hand with a tissue.
Eduardo lay on the ground, groaning in pain.
His blood was flowing on the floor, and the whole room was filled with a disgusting smell of blood.
“Gerhart? Latrina whispered.
This wasn’t just a dream.
It was him.
It’s me. He glanced at her.
Her tears, long dried, welled up again.
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At that moment, Kelvin rushed in, stepping on the removed door.
“Call 911. Let someone from the Gillespie family know,” Gerhart said.
“Okay…”
Kelvin, out of breath, pulled out his phone and dialed 911.
Gerhart let out a barely noticeable sigh, picked up his suit jacket, and walked toward her.
He knelt on the couch, threw a coat over her, and pulled her toward him.
‘I’m asking you one last time, are you coming with me or not?”
He grabbed her collar, trapping her in his coat.
His tone was so tough that if she shook her head, he’d leave.
‘I’m yours.
She looked at him with teary eyes, and her broken voice came out of her hoarse throat without hesitation, making people feel sorry for her.
Gerhart’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He thought he’d misheard and just stood there, stunned, for a few seconds.
“Are you sure?”
Latrina didn’t say anything, got on her knees, and kissed his bloodied lips.
Their warmth clashed for a moment–then their lips pulled apart.
Gerhart wiped the tear stains on her face and pulled her into his arms.
Soon, the cops arrived, and the questioning went smoothly.
The medical staff took Eduardo in the ambulance too.
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“I’ll take her back first. Get someone to carry the luggage,” Gerhart said.
He reached out his hands and pulled her close, hugging her tight. He ran his fingers through her hair, which was damp with sweat. Then he bent down, lifted her gently into his arms, and carried her out the door.
“Okay,” Kelvin replied.
Latrina glanced up at Gerhart, catching his unique scent,
He held her all the way to the car and drove her to his apartment. He didn’t let her down until they reached the bathroom.
“I can do it myself,” she said, feeling uneasy in the confined space.
“Alright, I’ll get you some clothes. Just make do with these for now,” Gerhart said, turning to leave.
Latrina sighed in relief. She looked at herself in the mirror, still shaken by what had happened.
She took off the coat, kissed it, and whispered, “Thank you.”
There was a knock on the bathroom door.
Latrina opened it a crack, and a big hand handed her a white shirt.
She picked it up, and Gerhart also tossed a pair of slippers onto the floor.
“Thank you.”
“Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay.”
She had no idea how long she’d been in the bathroom. After drying her hair, she let her long hair fall over her chest, covering just enough. With no bra underneath, his black shirt clung to her, pressing against her nipples and leaving little to the imagination.
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Simply put, she didn’t wear anything inside.
She took a deep breath and walked out.
The room was empty. She passed through the study, by the cloakroom, and finally reached the familiar spot from that night.
She clenched her fists, and all the nervousness. and fear hit her.
At that moment, she heard a rustling sound outside the door and quickly hid under the blanket.
There was a knock.
“Come in,” she called out carefully.
Gerhart walked in, pulling a suitcase. It was hers.
“All the luggage is back. I got you a day off tomorrow, so rest up before heading back to work. Change first and let me know when you’re done. I’ll put some medicine on you later,” he said.
“Okay.”
He had already showered and was in clean clothes.
His tone was still cold, emotionless. He walked out and gently closed the door without even looking at her.
Latrina just stared at the door.
She admired his calmness, his gentlemanly ways. If she loved him, he’d be a great partner.
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She opened her suitcase. She usually lived alone, so all her pajamas were pretty skimpy. She put on her underwear under his big shirt and called him in.
Gerhart came in with a medicine box and set it down by the bed.
Latrina hadn’t noticed her hands were all scratched up.
He was super gentle, holding her with one hand while carefully putting ointment on with the other.
Her wrist was all red, and her face was a bit swollen too.“How did you get there so fast?” she asked.
She was curious. She just called him and then he came.
“We followed you back from the hospital. We only left af
you, so I came back. I got your call right then.”
“You followed me back?
“Yeah,”
“Good thing you came…” she replied softly.
Gerhart’s ears turned bright red.
“But, I took your door off again.”
Latrina chuckled.
r you went upstairs. I saw Eduardo get into the elevator and thought he might bully
This was the second time he’d taken the door off, and another 500 dollars was gone.
“I’m going to put ointment on your face now,” Gerhart said, putting down her hand and grabbing a new cotton swab.
Latrina swallowed hard, feeling awkward.
Gerhart still had that ice–cold expression, and she couldn’t read him at all. He gently held her chin and dabbed ointment on her face.
Their breaths mingled, and the air between them started to feel intimate.
Latrina could faintly hear both of their heartbeats and realized how close they were.
It was the first time she’d ever looked at him this close, and she could see the tiny pores and fine hairs on his face clearly.
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