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"It's a surprise. Just be patient, okay?" Ethan smiles, but something about it doesn't quite reach his eyes. As we venture further down the hallway, my nerves start to fray, and I can't contain my apprehension. "Ethan, where are we going?"
His grip on my wrist tightens, causing a wince of pain to escape my lips. I try to turn around, but he yanks me forward, bruising my wrist in the process. Before I can react, he opens an exit door and throws me into a cargo van parked behind the mall.
"Help!" I scream, my voice hoarse and desperate. But Ethan climbs into the van after me, fury etched across his face.
"I knew you were a filthy whore when you opened your legs for me in the store," he snarls, unbuttoning his pants. "I've been wanting to fuck you since that day, and now I'm going to."
I kick at him, clawing and fighting to keep him away, but he slaps me hard across the face, stunning me into silence. My ears ring as I hear the sound of his belt buckle clinking, and I realize he's stroking himself while pushing my skirt up and trying to shove my panties aside.
Giovanni, I need you, I think desperately, tears streaming down my cheeks. I don't know what to do, but I know this man is going to rape me if I can't get help. I continue to struggle, but every time I do, Ethan hits me, eventually covering my nose with his hand so forcefully that I can barely breathe. He attempts to shove himself inside me, but I keep twisting and fighting against him.
My vision blurs, and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold on.
Just as I feel the edges of my consciousness slipping away, a sudden burst of light floods the cargo van, accompanied by a flurry of commotion. My heart lurches in my chest; is this some twisted fantasy or is help really here?
"Get the fuck off her!" Giovanni's voice booms, somehow reaching my ears despite the ringing that still lingers.
A muffled sound catches my attention – it resembles a silenced gunshot – and then the van shakes violently with a deafening thud. Ethan releases his grip on me, and I gasp for air, adrenaline coursing through my veins.
I barely register hands gripping my arms before I'm pulled out of the van into the blinding daylight. My vision flickers, threatening to fade completely, but I fight to stay conscious. As my eyes adjust to the light, I see Giovanni towering over me, his face a mix of fury and concern. A part of me wonders if this could all be a cruel dream, but the intensity in his gaze feels too real.
"Lucia, are you okay?" he asks urgently, his voice shaking slightly.
"Y-yes... Thank you," I stammer, tears streaming down my cheeks, relief washing over me.
I'm not sure exactly where I am. I think he might be holding me and walking us back to the office. My thoughts are a jumble, but one thing is clear: Giovanni saved me. He might have forced me into this life, but today, he was my hero.
"Lucia," Giovanni calls my name once more, his tone softer now, "Let's get you inside. You need to rest."
Weakly, I nod, allowing him to take me away from the nightmare that almost unfolded. I know our relationship is far from perfect, but for now, all I can think about is how grateful I am for his presence.
"Thank you," I whisper one more time, my voice barely audible as my vision starts to completely fade away.
ChapterTwenty-Five
The door to Lulu's room creaks open, and Evelyn steps out into the hallway where I'm pacing like a caged animal. Her face is etched with concern, but her eyes hold a flicker of reassurance.
"Stop worrying so much," she tells me, though she must know it's an impossible request. "Lulu's fine. She wasn't harmed."
"Did he touch her?" I demand, my blood boiling at the thought.
"No," Evelyn replies, shaking her head. "But she's delirious from the shock. I gave her some medicine to help her sleep. You need to let her rest and not push her to talk about what happened."
I run a hand through my hair, frustration clawing at my insides. I need answers. I want to understand what Lulu was doing with that man, how she allowed him to get her into a van. But I know Evelyn's right; Lulu needs to recover first.
"Okay," I concede, and Evelyn narrows her eyes at me, emphasizing her point.
"Promise me you won't wake her up just to interrogate her."
"Fine!"I almost snap, but catch myself in time. Evelyn's only doing her job, after all. "Thank you," I say instead, my voice low and strained.
She nods.
"I'll be back tomorrow to check on Lulu," she says before leaving.
As she passes Teddy leaning against a wall, he straightens up and saunters over to me. "Van situation's taken care of," he says nonchalantly, his blue eyes searching my face for a reaction.
"Yeah," I mutter, my mind still racing with thoughts of Lulu.
