Chapter 9: How can I help you Mr Willard?

Chapter 9: How can I help you Mr Willard?

Emily

I am seated in my apartment, staring at nothing and everything all at once, my mind refusing to rest as it keeps replaying the moment in the elevator over and over again like a cruel reminder that I cannot escape, the way his voice dropped low without warning, the way his eyes lingered on me like he was seeing something he should not, something that made my skin crawl even now as I sit here alone, trying to convince myself that it meant nothing, that I am overthinking it, that I am safe, but the feeling refuses to leave me and instead settles deeper into my chest like a quiet warning I cannot ignore

I sigh again, the sound heavier this time, slipping past my lips without permission as I lose count of how many times I have done that in the last hour alone, it feels like I am trying to breathe out something lodged too deep inside me, something that refuses to move no matter how much I try to push it away, and eventually I force myself to stand because sitting here is only making it worse, my thoughts growing louder in the silence as I drag myself toward the kitchen in search of something simple to ground me

Ramen sounds easy, something warm, something familiar, something that does not require thinking, and right now that is exactly what I need because I need something normal to remind me that tonight is just another night and not something waiting to break apart

The knock on the door startles me more than it should, my entire body going still for a second as the sound echoes through the apartment, sharp and sudden against the quiet, and I frown slightly because I am not expecting anyone, no one knows I am home this early and even if they did, they would not just show up unannounced like this

“Who is it?” I call out, my voice steady enough but edged with uncertainty as I wait, my eyes fixed on the door as if it might answer me on its own

Silence answers instead

A small crease forms between my brows as I step closer, cautious but curious, my fingers brushing lightly against the door before I bend slightly to look through the keyhole, catching sight of an expensive suit, polished shoes, and for a brief second my heart stutters before reality settles in

It is not Adrian

“Who is it?” I ask again, sharper this time, the unease in my chest growing just enough to make me step back slightly

And then I hear it, that God damn voice, familiar in the worst way possible

“It’s Willard... Tom Willard”

My stomach drops instantly, something cold and heavy settling deep inside me as my grip tightens unconsciously at my side, a dozen questions rushing through my mind all at once, what is he doing here, how does he know where I live, did he follow me, has he been watching me this whole time without me even noticing

“Open up sweetheart, it’s me”

I physically cringe at the word, my face twisting in disgust as my hand instinctively pulls away from the door, the way he says it making my skin crawl like something is trying to crawl beneath it

“How can I help you Mr Willard?” I ask, forcing my voice into something flat, something controlled, even though the unease in my chest is growing stronger with every second that passes

I hear him chuckle on the other side, low and slow and completely wrong, the kind of sound that does not belong anywhere near me

“You can just open up the door so we can talk yeah?”

My mind immediately rejects that idea, every instinct in me screaming that something is not right, that I should not open this door no matter what he says

“It’s after working hours, anything you might need from Mr Kingsley, email it to me in the morning” I reply, keeping my tone monotone, distant, as if that will somehow create a barrier between us

“It’s business related princess, open up the door so we can talk” he insists again, his voice pressing against the door like he is already too close

Princess

The word makes my stomach turn as I shake my head even though he cannot see me, my instincts louder now, sharper, refusing to be ignored as I step back completely

Something is wrong

I grab my phone quickly, my fingers moving faster than my thoughts as I try to switch it on to call the police but the screen stays black, dead, and my heart drops as panic begins to creep in, slow at first and then all at once as I rush to plug it into the charger, staring at it like I can force it to come back to life faster

Come on, please

But before it even lights up, the banging on the door starts again, louder this time, more aggressive, the sound echoing through the apartment as the cheap wood trembles under the force

My breath catches as I take a step back, my heart racing now, fear beginning to settle in fully as the hinges start to give slightly, the door no longer feeling like protection but something fragile, something that will not hold for much longer

“What do you want!” I shout, my voice breaking despite my effort to keep it steady, the fear slipping through no matter how much I try to hold it back

His laughter follows, low and unsettling, sending a chill down my spine that makes my entire body tense

The next bang is louder and stronger and then the door gives

The sound of wood cracking fills the room as it swings open and everything happens too fast for me to process properly

He charges toward me without hesitation and I react on instinct, jumping back and trying to run but his hand is already in my hair, yanking me back with a force that sends a sharp pain through my scalp, my scream tearing out of me before I can stop it as my back collides with his chest

His breath is against my neck, too close, too real, making my entire body shake with fear and disgust as his voice drops into something quieter, something far more dangerous

“You should’ve just opened the door, you know”

My body reacts before my mind does as he throws me onto the bed, the impact knocking the air out of me as everything begins to blur at the edges, the moment feeling unreal like I am watching it happen from somewhere outside myself

I hear the sound of fabric tearing, sharp and violent as the buttons of my shirt give way under his hands, my skirt following soon after and the reality of what is happening crashes into me all at once, heavy and suffocating

I have never felt fear like this before, it is not just fear, it is helplessness, it is anger

It is something raw and desperate clawing its way out of me and I refuse to let it end like this

I push against him with everything I have and manage to kick him hard, the reaction immediate as his grip loosens just enough for me to break free, my body moving on pure instinct as I run toward the door

Run

Just run

But I do not make it far

His hand catches my foot and I am pulled down instantly, my body hitting the ground hard as pain shoots through me and everything goes quiet for a moment, my ears ringing as my vision blurs

“You’re gonna pay for that you little bitch” his voice reaches me faintly, distant and warped

And then suddenly there is noise, loud and chaotic

Voices shouting, bodies moving, something shifting in the room as someone rushes in and everything turns into a blur of movement and violence

Through the haze I see him

Adrian

Surrounded by men, the room filled with the sound of fists and struggle as Willard is forced down, held back, restrained, and for a brief second our eyes almost meet

And then everything fades

__

Adrian

I scoop her into my arms the moment Patrick has Willard pinned to the ground, my movements quick, controlled, but something beneath that control is breaking apart violently as I take in the state she is in, her body too still, too light, her head falling against me as if she does not have the strength to hold it up

Something dark settles in my chest, eomething dangerous

I do not waste a second, I move, fast... Very fast

Out of the apartment, down the stairs, into the car, my grip on her tightening unconsciously as if letting go is not an option, as if it never will be

The drive to the hospital is nothing but a blur, my focus locked on getting there as fast as possible, every second stretching too long, every red light an inconvenience I ignore completely as my mind refuses to settle, images flashing that I do not want to fully process

Fear

Pain

What she must have felt in that moment, I push it away and press harder on the accelerator

__

I needed the minutes from today’s meetings, something routine, something simple, and when she did not answer the first call, I tried again, then again, both her personal number and the company line, but there was nothing, no response, no indication that she had even seen the calls and that alone was enough to put me on edge

This would have been the first time I called her personally and she did not answer

Something about that did not sit right

I called Patrick and asked him where she was, my tone calm but sharp, and the silence that followed was enough to confirm that something was wrong before he even spoke

The curse that left him seconds later only made it worse

Yes, I had men watching over her, she is my employee and the closest one at that, which means she is exposed in ways others are not, walking beside me makes her a target whether she realizes it or not and I do not leave things like that to chance

But this

This was not supposed to happen

By the time I got there, Patrick and the others were already handling Willard, forcing him down, the sound of fists connecting filling the room, but none of that held my attention for more than a second

My focus went to her immediately

Blood, too much of it

Running down her face, staining her skin, her clothes torn just enough to tell me everything I needed to know without asking a single question

Something in me snapped then, not loudly, not visibly but completely

__

I rushed her into the hospital, my voice cutting through the air as I called for assistance, every movement precise but urgent as they took her from me

“She was attacked just a few minutes ago, I’m sure it’s a few scratches but please make sure she’s okay”

Dr Martin looks at me, surprise flickering across his face as recognition sets in

“Adrian… who is this?”

My jaw tightens instantly, the question hitting a place I do not allow people to reach

“Just do as I say, I’ll pay the bill”

I do not wait for anything else

I turn and walk out before another question can follow, before anything else can be said, because I cannot be seen here again

Not like last time, not like before

I reach my car but I do not get in immediately, my hands resting against it as I try to steady myself, my breathing uneven despite my effort to control it, my mind refusing to quiet down as the image of her on that floor refuses to leave

For the first time in a long time, something feels out of my control and somewhere inside that hospital, Emily might wake up alone

Or worse

She might not remember who saved her at all