Chapter 66: An Almost Accident
With her bag tightly clutched, Nora walked out of the police station with a frown on her face. Her footsteps echoed faintly in the night, her heart pounding with unease. It wasn’t the first time she had felt this way, the nagging sense that someone might be following her, though her rational mind assured her otherwise.
Why did the police have to keep insisting that this was a prank? Did they think that the stalker would come and give them a confession? With the previous incident between her mother and herself, some even insisted that it must be her mother who was trying to stalk her. She’s been tempted to use the commissioner’s name but she knew that it was not possible. As far as anyone knew, the commissioner had just made a random stop for inspection.
She glanced over her shoulder every few steps, the streetlamps casting eerie, elongated shadows which scared her more than reassured her.
She couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was lurking nearby but there was no one there. Her space quickened and her mind went through all possible scenarios while taking into account every escape move, she could think of.
Suddenly, a cacophony of blaring horns and screeching tires filled the air. Time seemed to slow down as her wide eyes locked onto the headlights of an oncoming car, its grill inches from her trembling body. She’d unknowingly stepped into the middle of the street...
As the car came to an abrupt halt merely a few inches away from her, Nora stood frozen in fear. She could feel her nerves thundering in her ears while her legs almost collapsed under her.
Her breath came in ragged gasps as the driver’s door swung open, and a man emerged from the vehicle.
"Are you alright, Nora?" he asked with genuine concern, his voice cutting through her fear. Nora looked up into the man’s familiar face and nodded slowly.
Nora finally managed to find her voice. "I-I think so," she stammered, her trembling hand clutching her chest. "I’m so sorry, Lucien. I wasn’t paying attention."
Lucien Frost offered her a reassuring smile. "No harm done. But remember, it’s important to be careful out here, especially at this hour. Do you need a ride home?"
N hesitated for a moment, but the dimly lit street and the earlier anxiety pushed her to accept. "Yes, thank you. That would be much appreciated."
Lucien threw a glance Nora’s way and wondered what it was that had her so worried that she would step onto the road, in the way of upcoming traffic. She had even accepted a ride from him. From knowing her these past few days, he’d understood that she preferred to keep a distance from others.