Chapter 2

I did not go straight home. I walked the streets for a long time.

Around noon, I checked my watch. Then I went home.

The smell of cooking hit me as soon as I opened the door. Cara was in an apron in the kitchen.

"Wash up. Lunch is ready." She smiled at me.

Something twisted in my chest. If last night had been a nightmare… if I could rewind to yesterday.

However, last night had not been the nightmare. The nightmare was right now.

"Adam? You okay? Tired?"

She set down the spatula, came over, and leaned into me.

She smelled like soap. She had come home and showered.

I pushed her away. "Just tired."

She kissed the underside of my chin. "Eat. You'll feel better."

When I came back from washing my hands, the utility bills were on the table.

Cara picked them up and slipped them into her pocket. "Don't worry about these. Tips were good last night. We moved a lot of beer, and the boss tipped well. You're going to be a serious researcher. You don't have to worry about small things like this."

I lowered my gaze. A faint, bitter smile flickered across my face.

Last night, in her private room, there really had been dozens of bottles opened, every one imported.

If I had not heard them last night, I would still have been moved by what she said.

"You're not going in this morning?"

She did not notice anything. She kept glancing at her phone.

"You left so early. I missed you all night. I had to see you."

Her phone buzzed. Her face lit up.

"I have to go. The boss is rushing me."

She kissed my forehead and left.

The food on the table was still steaming, but I had no appetite.

I changed and went to campus to handle the paperwork.

The apartment we rented was far from the city. The roads were narrow, and traffic was not convenient.

Not long after I stepped out, it started pouring. Before I could even take out my raincoat, a car came from behind and knocked me hard to the ground.

My skin scraped against the rough road. Blood seeped out, washed thin by the rain.

I sucked in a breath from the pain. Before I could react, the sound of leather shoes stepping on the ground came closer.

"Don't you watch where you're going? Trying to scam money? Looking to die?"

I struggled to look up. The moment I saw the man in front of me, my pupils shrank.

It was the man who had been with Cara this morning.

He looked down at me, a mocking smile on his face.

I clenched my fist. He had done it on purpose.

Before I could speak, a voice came from the car behind him.

"Enough, Vincent. We're running out of time. Give him the money and let's go."

He clicked his tongue, pulled out a wad of cash, and flung it at my face. The bills were instantly soaked by the rain, falling into the mud.

"Heh. That’s all you’re worth."

He turned and left without another glance.

I gritted my teeth, took out my phone, snapped a photo of the license plate, and called the police.

There were no cameras nearby. I would have to wait for their investigation.

The wound on my leg kept bleeding. I called my professor to delay the paperwork, then went with the ambulance to the hospital.

In the ambulance, the nurse frowned as she looked at my leg.

"You’ll need to be admitted for this. Call a family member to stay with you."

I gripped my phone tightly. After hesitating, I still called Cara.

The call rang twice, then was abruptly cut.

Once. Twice. The third time…

Her phone was off.

I put my phone back into my pocket and forced a faint smile.

"It's fine. I can manage on my own."