The run

Gina's POV:

The night seemed endless.

I stepped out of the train as it screeched to a sudden halt. The  sound was deafening, disturbing both me and everyone else who might be trying to recognize me at the station.

I readjusted my overcoat and the baseball cap I was wearing. The cloth was quite uncomfortable but perfect for a disguise—the best I could think of.

I buried my head slightly, cramming my golden blonde hair into the baseball cap. I straightened the coat’s collar and summoned the courage to move forward.

“No one would recognize me,” I whispered. For sure.

My phone chimed and I brought it out. I stared at it and frowned; a slight headache flashed through my forehead.

It was Father’s message, and I could guess it was another threatening message telling me to come back home right now.

I refused to be intimidated and left the message unread.

The sky kept getting darker, and a flash of lightning traveled fast over the resting earth. Rumbles of emerging rain echoed across the busy immediate surroundings.

I looked carefully at the surroundings like some code-scanner machine examining a QR code. The onboarding and arriving passengers, workers, people waiting for their arriving relatives or seeing them off.

I clearly had no one to wait for me because I expected no one to. Everyone who could do that all wanted me to be somewhere: home, preparing to be the bride I could never be.

Everyone would blame me for altering the loyalty of my father to the Kings Group, but I don’t care. Why wouldn’t they put themselves in my shoes and see how it goes? I just lost my fiancé, and his father kept forcing me to marry the new heir. Either way, the alliance between him and my father would grow stronger. I can’t get to the root of it, but I’m clearly just a pawn.

Even though I have done many things for my family, I can’t do this. I’ve made my father proud so many times, but not now.

I don’t know anyone here in Sunshine City. I just have to blend into the environment and live my life. Freely.

My father or the Kings’ men could be anywhere, stalking or tracking me.

I walked down the station and passed by the exit with the inscription: Crestford Station.

“Over there.”

A man’s voice shouted from afar, behind me, and a storm of footsteps ran toward me. I was quite frightened.

“Bring the young master.”

I spun around, and a league of hefty men ran toward me. All in black suits. I got on my heels.

“Get her.” Kaint, their leader and the Kings Group chairman’s personal bodyguard, shouted. “The master wants her right now.” The others marched toward me.

I ran into the busy city streets, as fast as my legs could carry me. I needed to hide somewhere urgently. If I kept running, they would get me for sure.

I looked back and saw them, hot on my trail. They would not give up. They might all lose their jobs if they did, or even their lives.

They chased after me like water penetrating a crack in erosion. I would not give up either.

“How did they find me?” I mumbled, still at full speed.

I ducked around a corner and halted. Then I realized: my phone. They had been tracking it all this while.

I removed it from my pocket and threw it to the ground. “Damn,” I mumbled, and pressed it to the ground with my heel.

“Check over there,” Kaint said, his voice shaking— probably from the fear of losing me. A step approached the corner, and I froze.

“Is this the freaking end?” I thought silently, and the steps stopped.

I sighed, but it was quite loud. He noticed and continued coming closer.

I quickly ran, and my steps attracted them all. “It’s that corner,” the man approaching shouted, and they all followed.

Then I stopped.

I reached a dead end. A tall fence with no way of escape. I looked back, panting, removed the baseball cap, straightened my hair, and faced them.

“You’ll regret this,” I shouted, still panting.

They didn’t seem moved by my threats.

Kaint entered, also in a black suit. The slightly deep scar still visible on his forehead.

“Get her to the car gently,” Kaint ordered, pointing to two of the men. He was really panting, with sweat flowing down his neck.

“Please,” I begged. Broken, I felt hopeless.

“I should beg you to cooperate,” Kaint walked toward me. “The chairman is really mad at you, so don’t make any other scene out of this. It might irritate him more.” He whispered into my ear and hissed.

“You.” He called the ones he ordered. “Be fast and let’s get going. The chairman is growing really impatient.”

I frowned as two hefty men came forward. I felt like crying and shouting at the same time. I just wished I could vanish into thin air or be swallowed by the floor.

“Just kill me,” I shouted at Kaint as the two men held my arms. I struggled, and they released me.

“That would just complicate everything.” Kaint went ahead to their car without looking back. He signaled to the men, and they all prepared to leave.

“What’s going on here?”

A voice said from the front, right before Kaint.

“Young man,” Kaint said and patted him. “Just go on your way. This is none of your business.”

I stretched my neck and saw the man. Dressed in a black suit and a white shirt. He had his tie on, holding a suitcase. Probably a hustler on his 9-to-5.

“It looks like you guys are trying to kidnap that lady.” He pushed away Kaint’s hand and readjusted his suit. “I can’t overlook someone being bullied.”

“Whoa!” Kaint sighed. “What now?”

“I’ve been in that situation before, and I can’t let anyone be a victim anymore.” He walked past Kaint and stopped in front of me.

“Are you okay?” His voice was gentle, unfazed by the number of huge men surrounding him.

I grew uneasy. My stomach clenched. This foolish man, with his steady gaze and foolish courage, would die because of me. The thought made my blood run colder than the threats from Kaint.

“Poor him,” I thought and whispered to his ear, “They could kill you. Just go, please.” I pitied him.

“No,” he whistled.

The men froze. On standby.

Kaint signaled to them, and two of them moved toward my rescuer.

They both clenched their fists and stood before him.

One of them, with a broad face and a weird beard, faced him. “Just go now.”

“Unfortunately,” he folded his arms and stared at the haggard man, “I must take her with me.” He pointed at me.

I didn’t even know him.

Why would he wish to die when they would relentlessly bring me back home to my father and the chairman?

I sighed loudly.