Chapter 1: The Injured Man, Save His Life

"Chase, don't let him get away!"

Melissa Ernest dragged her suitcase down the street, drenched in the heavy rain. Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps came from behind, and a group of burly men in black rushed towards her. She only breathed a sigh of relief when they ran past, but as she turned, a dark figure startled her.

"Ahh—" Melissa Ernest's eyes widened instantly, her heart racing!

Just as she screamed, a hand with a metallic scent of blood clamped over her mouth. A low, raspy voice hissed in her ear, "Don't make a sound, get inside!"

Melissa Ernest was paralyzed with fear, unable to move. The man behind her, running out of patience, urged her again, "Hurry up!"

Melissa Ernest nodded, not daring to defy the criminal, fearing his wrath. Her mind was clear, but her feet felt glued to the ground, unable to take a step.

Seeing this, the man cursed under his breath and scooped her up like a chick, tucking her under his arm. In the next second, he roughly pushed her into the deepest part of the alley.

The alley was narrow, with only a trash can at one end and a small recess for fire safety equipment at the other. They squeezed into this tight space, their bodies pressed closely together, their breaths mingling.

At the entrance of the alley, the group of men in black returned.

"Strange, where did the blood trail go?"

"The rain is too heavy."

"..."

Melissa Ernest, tense, shifted slightly, her lips brushing against the man's palm. His eyes darkened.

The footsteps at the alley's entrance grew closer, and she heard them kicking the trash can. If they moved just a bit further, they would see the man's back.

Melissa Ernest held her breath, terrified. The man suddenly released his hand from her mouth, sliding it down to her waist, lifting her off the ground.

Melissa Ernest's eyes widened in shock, her mouth slightly open. Before she could say anything, a pair of hot, male lips captured hers, swallowing any words she might have said.

This was her first kiss!

Melissa Ernest struggled fiercely, but the man restrained her. After adjusting their position, he managed to hide completely in the recess.

The men in black didn't notice anything amiss.

"Don't waste time! Let's head north; his people are over there!"

A few minutes later, once they were sure the pursuers had left, the man finally relaxed, covering her mouth again. In a hoarse voice, he said, "I will repay you."

Who wants your repayment? This was my first kiss! Melissa Ernest, furious, bit down on his hand, hard.

The man winced, about to say something, but the aftereffects of blood loss hit him, and he collapsed.

Melissa Ernest, trembling, approached him, checking his breath.

"Hmph, consider yourself lucky." Wiping her mouth, Melissa Ernest struggled to drape his arm over her shoulder and slowly dragged him forward, choosing deserted paths until she finally reached the nearest hospital.

As the operating room doors closed, Melissa Ernest slumped into a chair in the hallway, her mind filled with images of her mother's death...

That day, she had come home from school to find her mother lying in the living room, covered in blood. Her world crumbled as she cried and called her father. But the person who answered was another man, who told her that her father had been framed and imprisoned.

In just one day, she went from being the beloved princess of the Yun family to an orphan, with her mother dead, her father in jail, and her home seized, leaving her homeless and penniless.

The operating room doors opened, and the doctor stepped out. "Are you the patient's family?"

The doctor's words brought Melissa Ernest back to the present. "How is he?"

"The patient needs a blood transfusion. He has a rare Rh-negative blood type, and we don't have any in stock right now."

Melissa Ernest frowned slightly. "Use mine. I'm Rh-negative."

After the transfusion, the surgery finally ended two hours later. As the man was wheeled into the ward, he slowly opened his eyes, seeing Melissa Ernest's pale, delicate face, her elegant eyebrows, and her captivating eyes. Her small mouth moved as if to say, "You're awake?"

But due to exhaustion, he couldn't ask her name before closing his eyes again and drifting off to sleep.

The next day, Frederic Howard woke up to find only his assistant by his side. Looking at the bite marks on his hand, he spoke in a low voice, "Find out who saved me."