Maria turned her face away. "Just don't think that I'm here because of you," she said, folding her arms and turning to face Chris, who was sleeping.
Maria took out her phone and frowned, remembering she didn't have any of her classmates' or teachers' numbers. She walked over to Chris and kicked his leg, putting extra force into it to satisfy her hatred. Chris fell off the bench and rubbed his waist, glaring at her.
"Call for help," Maria said.
"No, I won't. I kind of enjoy your company," Chris replied with a smile, stunning Maria.
She sneered and moved to kick him again, but he caught her leg mid-air.
"Now, now. This isn't ladylike. With your already ugly face, if you keep acting like this, they'll start mistaking you for a man," Chris said, as if rebuking a child. He looked nonchalant—until he quickly began rubbing his hands with a handkerchief and then threw it away in disgust.
Maria remembered her past. Every time she got close to Chris, he always looked at her like this—with disgust, like she was dirt. Should she be happy he even spoke to her this time? In her past life, even a glance from him felt like a rare grace. Maria scoffed inwardly.
"Even if you wipe your hands clean, it won't change the fact that you're still dirty—both physically and mentally," Maria said calmly as she got up.
Chris tilted his head, his eyes narrowing.
"Careful, you're projecting again. Just because you're used to filth doesn't mean it's on everyone else," he said softly.
The door opened and Mike stepped in. He looked between Maria and Chris, who was now leaning on a table, waving lazily at him. Mike's eyebrows lifted slightly, his expression unreadable. Maria noticed his aura shift, becoming darker as he stared at Chris. Then, he turned and walked to Maria, taking her hand and leading her out.
Chris remained seated on the table, whistling softly as he leaned back, hands behind his head. He yawned, eyes closing again, the very image of careless ease.
Mike led Maria away. "Stay away from Chris," he said in a low tone.
Maria pulled her hand away and began walking off.
"Mike, thank you for helping me. But I only feel appreciation—nothing else. I don't want to have anything to do with you," Maria said, her voice soft but firm.
Mike looked at her, then grabbed her hand and pulled her back. Their bodies nearly touched.
He leaned down, tilting her chin up. Their faces were just inches apart. His thumb grazed her lips, his gaze locked on them as he swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He looked up into her eyes, pinning her with a look that made her breath hitch.
"And what if I don't want to be a stranger? What if I want more?" he asked, leaning in closer.
She closed her eyes, expecting a kiss.
Instead, Mike studied her face—her fluttering eyelashes—and let his index finger trail lightly over them.
"You're trembling, yet offering yourself so willingly," he whispered.
Maria's eyes snapped open. She opened her mouth to speak, but he traced her lips again, then stepped back and licked the fingers that had touched her.
"Stay away from other men. I don't know if I can control myself," he said.
Maria stared at him, then turned and walked away.
Mike headed back to the classroom. But when he entered, it was empty. He looked around, his gaze landing on the vacant seat. Then, without a word, he walked to the window.
Outside the building, on the floor below, Chris sat on the windowsill. His eyes were closed, and his fingers tapped lazily on the desk beside him. The late afternoon light fell on his hair, making him look both charming and distant—a lazy prince basking in his own world.
Back to Maria—
Instead of returning to class, she walked to the back of the school for some fresh air.
After school, Maria exited the building and waited near the gate for the driver.
That's when five large men approached, surrounding her.
She raised an eyebrow. "Have I not seen you before?" she asked dryly.
"Finally got you, bitch," came a voice.
Maria turned to see Ella's dad walking toward her, a twisted smile on his face and a knife in hand.
"If you don't want to die, follow me. Or I'll kill you right here," he growled, pressing the blade near her throat.
Maria stopped walking and faced him squarely. Her eyes were cold, sharp enough to slice through steel.
She sneered. "Lead the way, then," she said calmly.
He signaled, and the thugs dragged her to a van waiting nearby.
What they didn't notice was the slim ring on her finger. Maria pressed a hidden button on its side—pinging her location to her emergency contact and triggering a silent police alert.
The van sped through winding streets, finally stopping in a run-down neighborhood. They dragged her into a rotting house with broken windows and a damp, moldy smell.
"Bitch," Ella's father spat, shoving her into a chair. "Transfer fifty million to my account. I know you're rich. Your little friend told me. Do it—or I'll cut that pretty face of yours."
He laughed darkly.
Fifty million dollars can she afford that one of the thugs said.
If course she can she id she gives us the money we can share it I promise Ella dad said
Maria tilted her head, eyes scanning the room as if unimpressed.
"i was wondering how a useless broke Man like you could afford thugs? So Ivy's behind this, huh?" Maria said, her tone dry and mocking, watching Ella's father flinch in surprise.
"Why the hell do you care if someone sent us?" one thug growled, clearly irritated.
"This girl's got guts," another thug muttered, his eyes glinting as he licked his lips. "It'll be fun breaking her in."
"Yeah, boss," Thug Two said with a twisted grin. "After we get the money from our clients, maybe we can have a little fun. Never had a rich girl before—"
Smack!
Thug Three hit him hard across the face.
"You moron! You just admitted we were hired. Shut your filthy mouth."
Their leader glared at all of them before turning back to Maria, his voice low. "You're smart. But smarts won't save you. Not here."
"Let her transfer the money first," Ella's father sneered, his eyes crawling over Maria like vermin. "Then we'll enjoy ourselves."
Maria turned her face away, lips curled in disgust. "Talk less about money you'll never see. Fifty million? Most of you probably haven't touched a thousand. Are you still dreaming?" she taunted.
The thugs burst into mocking laughter.
"Fk you, b*tch! You've never had a real man before, huh? I'll fk respect into you!" one thug shouted, yanking down his trousers with no shame.
Maria quickly turned her face again in revulsion. Ella's dad cackled and grabbed himself. "Don't look away. This is what a real man looks like," he said with pride.
Maria raised her brow, then gave him a scornful look. "Tsk… it seems Ella's mom lost her mind if this pathetic, dried-up stick is what she calls a man. That thing's so small I need a microscope."
The thugs roared with laughter as Ella's father's face turned crimson.
"You little—!" He lunged toward her, but the gang leader held him back.
"Wait. Let's record it. Give the footage to the one who hired us—and keep a copy for our own fun," he ordered.
They moved to set up the camera. Ella's father stalked forward, sniffed Maria's neck—only to be smashed in the face by a brutal headbutt.
"Ahhh! You b*tch!" He clutched his bleeding nose, yanking Maria's hair and slapping her hard he rip her shirt button. He reached to kiss her again—thugs nearby grinning, some already touching themselves—when—
Crack!
A stone whizzed through the air and slammed into the back of his head.
---
A few moments earlier…
Jake walked into the slums, his sharp eyes taking in the decaying structures and stench of smoke and rot. He poured a trail of alcohol along the front of one building and lit a cigarette.
A tattooed thug approached him, sizing him up. "Lost, pretty boy? This place ain't for you."
Jake didn't reply. The man reached to grab him.
Bad idea.
Jake's hand twisted the thug's wrist sharply—crack!—and his elbow shot straight into the man's neck, collapsing him to the ground like a puppet cut from its strings.
Jake kept walking.
Around the back, more than twenty men were gathered. They laughed until they saw him raise a pistol. He pulled the trigger.
Pssshhh!
Water blasted into a thug's face. Confused, they all paused.
Jake dropped the water gun and smirked. Then he charged.
The first man swung a bat. Jake dodged, grabbing the bat and using it to slam the thug in the ribs. Another ran at him—Jake flipped him over his shoulder, sending him crashing into a pile of crates.
A third tried to stab him. Jake caught the man's wrist, kicked out his knee, and punched him so hard in the jaw he spun before hitting the ground.
Jake moved like a shadow—fast, precise, merciless. One man tried to blindside him. Jake ducked, lifted him by the legs, and slammed him into another thug. Bones cracked.
By the time the last of them fell, the alley was littered with groaning bodies. Jake dusted off his jacket, tossed the rest of the alcohol inside, and set it ablaze with a match.
He stepped into the warehouse.
Inside were five more men, guarding a bound, beaten man.
Jake aimed his real gun. Four dropped in seconds. The fifth—a gang leader—stood frozen in terror.
Jake sat casually on the table, crossing his legs. "Looks like you were busy."
"Who… who are you?" the man stammered.
A man crawled from the shadows, bloodied, eyes pleading. Jake ignored him and flipped open a file.
Inside were photos of Jake, unconscious, dressed in women's clothing. Jake smirked.
"My stepmother's been doing some digging. Funny how much she's willing to pay for this kind of humiliation," he muttered, showing the leader the file. "Cute."
Then he shot him point-blank in the head.
Jake stood and glanced at the tied-up man. "You're not my problem."
He walked out.
Outside, he lit a match and tossed it over his shoulder. The warehouse went up in flames.
As he reached his motorcycle, he paused. A figure caught his eye.
Maria.
His expression darkened. "Tsk… And here I thought today would be boring."
---
Inside the warehouse, the thugs turned to the door. Jake leaned casually against the frame.
"Well, this is awkward," he said coolly.
One thug snarled. "Trying to be a hero, tough guy?"
Maria didn't waste the moment—she quickly slipped her hand free.
Ella's father lunged to grab her again, but Maria drove her knee straight into his crotch. He shrieked and fell to the floor. A thug grabbed her arm—CRACK! A stone slammed into his face, courtesy of Jake.
Maria bolted, grabbing her phone and calling Mike. "Come now. Location sent. Hurry," she whispered before ending the call.
But she paused when she heard Jake screaming she thought he was in trouble and went to look for weapons then ran back to the building
She froze.
The thugs were sprawled out across the ground, bones bent at odd angles, crying in agony. Jake stood over them, stomping down on a man's chest.
"F**k, is your ribcage made of steel?" Jake growled, shaking his foot. "It's hurting my damn leg."
He turned to Maria. She had collapsed to the ground, covering her face with trembling hands.
"This scene might be scary you are tuff other girls would have been crying for help but you are tuff different you even came back to help for a girl to be like this she must have gone through a lot have to undergo pain to learn to hide emotions "
Shut up Maria said as she clean her tears
Jake walked over and sat beside her he removed his jacket and use it to cover her , silent for a moment. "I don't know how to comfort people," he muttered. "But here—do what you need to."
He handed her a knife.
Maria's fingers trembled as she took it.
She walked over to Ella's father, now whimpering in pain. Without hesitation, she sliced across his groin. He howled in agony.
She spat on his face. Then stomped it again and again.
Later, they forced the remaining thugs to confess everything on camera, trembling as they admitted who sent them.
Then—BANG! The door burst open.
Mike rushed in, eyes blazing neo and Jordan followed
Mike froze in place as he took in the sight before him—Jake and Maria sitting closely, her face buried in Jake's shoulder. His gaze turned icy, and the chill in the air became palpable. Maria noticed the shift and instinctively stepped back. Jake raised a brow, clearly amused by her reaction.
Mike's eyes swept across the groaning thugs on the floor. His aura shifted from cold to deadly. The oppressive tension made even the bodyguards hesitate. Maria stumbled slightly, and Jake instinctively held her by the waist to keep her steady.
Without a word, Mike stepped forward and pulled Maria into a tight embrace.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," he whispered into her hair. "I said I'd protect you, but this… this happened to you. I failed you."
Jake scoffed at the emotional scene, his face twisting with disdain. Without a word, he turned to leave, only to be stopped by Neo standing in his path.
"Wait, don't go yet. We want to thank you properly. What's your name?" Neo asked with a polite smile.
Jake's phoenix eyes narrowed as he tilted his head, wearing a lazy smirk. He pointed toward the burning house in the distance.
"You see that house?" he asked, voice low.
Neo followed his gaze silently.
Jake chuckled softly, then turned to Maria. "Remember, we're friends now."
Without warning, he ran toward the window, launching himself out with effortless agility.
"Stop him!" Neo barked, and several bodyguards chased after Jake.
Jake laughed mid-air, flipping once before landing and sprinting down the alley. The bodyguards pursued him relentlessly.
"You guys are slow!" he taunted, dodging a metal pipe swung at him. "Did your boss train you with biscuits?"
A shot rang out—Jake's arm jerked, blood blooming on his sleeve. He hissed but didn't stop.
"You shot my hand? Rude. Now I'm really annoyed."
With sheer determination, he vaulted over a fence, rolled, and disappeared into the shadows. The men lost sight of him as his mocking voice echoed from a rooftop.
"Tell Mike I said hi!"
Back in the building, Maria's legs gave out, her exhaustion catching up with her. Jake reappeared one last time, carrying her in a princess hold as if she weighed nothing. Gently, he handed her over before vanishing again.
Mike carried her to the car and drove her to his penthouse.
After a long, hot shower, Maria stepped out wearing one of Mike's shirts. His eyes darkened at the sight, throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. She ignored his gaze, walked over, and took Jake's jacket from her bag, tucking it away carefully.
Mike frowned, but when she turned to him, he softened.
"Come eat," he said gently, guiding her to the sofa.
As she began to eat slowly, he sat beside her, watching her every move. His voice dropped to a whisper. "Those men… the ones who hurt you—I'll make sure they die."
Maria's hand paused mid-air.
Mike noticed and touched her hand softly. "Did I scare you?"
She shook her head. "No. But before you kill them… can you make them wish they never lived?"
Mike's lips curved in a slow, dangerous smile. "Just touching you is enough reason for them to beg for death."
He fed her tenderly, wiping the side of her lips when crumbs stuck. Then, without hesitation, he licked his thumb… and leaned forward to kiss her.
He first kiss her lip softly then he took out his tongue and kick her lip then he tilt her head and kiss her savouring her lip as he rest his hand at the back of her head angling her head for better access as his tongue as let out a moan he sneak his tongue inside