Chapter 38- touch
The midday heat was stifling. As Janet stepped out of the restaurant, a wave of dizziness hit her. She leaned against the corner of the building, steadying herself for a few seconds before forcing her legs to move forward. The office wasn’t far from here, but under the blazing sun, she was strangely determined to walk back on foot—almost like she was punishing herself.
Even she found it baffling. Whether he was with Elvira or Ivanka, why was she so angry?
Lost in her thoughts, Janet wandered down the street in a daze. Suddenly, a sharp screech of brakes pierced her ears, snapping her back to reality.
In the next moment, she realized she was standing where the traffic lights changed, but she had already stepped into the middle of the road. The roaring engines of speeding cars zoomed past, making her instinctively cover her ears and freeze in place, too scared to move.
"FUCK! Where did this woman come from?" Janet caught the harsh curse from a passing driver. Cars rushed back and forth in front of her, while she stood like a lost child, helplessly staring across the red light.
"Damn it, how dare you curse my woman?" A deep growl echoed. Before Janet could react, a long leg kicked the sports car that had just sped past her. She was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace, the faint scent of tobacco wrapping around her. Gripping Manfred’s shirt like a lifeline, she heard another urgent screech of brakes behind her. Her body twisted ninety degrees, but those strong, warm hands held firmly at her waist as she was safely set down at the curb.
"Janet, are you trying to get yourself killed?!" Manfred scolded, knocking her gently on the head as he released her. Seeing her suddenly run into the middle of the street had nearly stopped his heart.
A player she once saw as just a game suddenly cared more about her safety than his own. Manfred told himself it was just responsibility that made him worry so much.
"Thank you," Janet whispered, her face pale enough to break anyone’s heart. She knew if it weren’t for Manfred, she would have been hit by that car. Instinctively, she thanked him, the grudges she held before instantly forgotten.