Chapter 69 p1
The Alpha’s crude scent, like a cockroach lurking in a sewer, made Shen Shu’s stomach churn. She couldn’t scream, couldn’t even gag, her throat constricted by a rough hand.
Panic seized her, the suffocating grip triggering a flashback to a past trauma.
Her body trembled uncontrollably, her hands and legs shaking.
The Alpha’s other hand shoved her roughly against the car, her back hitting the door handle, the impact strangely painless as she struggled frantically, a choked gasp escaping her lips.
The hand tightened around her throat, silencing her.
She felt like she was drowning, the world turning dark, a wave of despair and helplessness washing over her.
Xu Jinnan.
Her mind clung to the name, a lifeline in the suffocating darkness.
Xu Jinnan, where are you?
—
The secluded corner of the parking garage, hidden behind a van, offered a measure of privacy.
It wasn’t quite quitting time, nor was it late enough for those working overtime to be leaving.
The few cars that passed by didn’t notice what was happening.
Shen Shu’s face was flushed, her body struggling against the suffocating grip, desperate to break free.
She hadn’t given up, her muffled whimpers echoing in the enclosed space as she clawed at the Alpha’s arm, her nails digging into the rough skin.
But the difference in strength between an Alpha and an Omega, compounded by her recent illness, made escape almost impossible.
“I love the way you struggle. It excites me, just like that time,” the Alpha whispered, her face close to Shen Shu’s neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her pheromones.
Even in this precarious situation, the Alpha wasn’t worried, her eyes gleaming with a perverse excitement.
The corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled, revealing yellowed teeth. “Darling, you have no idea how long I’ve waited for this opportunity… you’re so cautious, you and your little wife. I was so angry when I heard about your marriage. How could you betray me like that? How could you give yourself to someone else?”
“Such purity shouldn’t be tainted. It’s a shame you’re not a virgin anymore, but it doesn’t matter. I don’t mind. Even if you’ve been with someone else, I still love you… See? I love you so much.” She pressed her fingers against Shen Shu’s throat, the touch almost tender.
Shen Shu’s nails dug deeper into the Alpha’s skin, the repulsive scent of her pheromones filling the air, suffocating her.
She felt like she was dying.
The Alpha winced at the pain, tightening her grip on Shen Shu’s throat. “I’ve never forgotten you, not after all these years. I almost marked you back then, but… it doesn’t matter. I’ve waited so long for this opportunity, and now it’s finally here.”
“Let me mark you.”
“I’ve been dreaming of this for so long.”
Shen Shu’s vision blurred, her lungs burning.
Perhaps sensing she was about to lose consciousness, the Alpha loosened her grip slightly.
Shen Shu gasped for air, then, seeing the Alpha’s leering face approaching, she screamed, the sound echoing through the parking garage.
With a surge of adrenaline-fueled strength, she punched the Alpha in the face.
The Alpha instinctively closed her eyes, and Shen Shu, seizing the opportunity, shoved her away and ran.
But the Alpha reacted quickly.
As Shen Shu turned to flee, she tripped and fell, her knees and elbows scraping against the rough concrete floor, the pain a sharp contrast to the earlier numbness.
Then, she heard the sound of a car approaching.
Tears streamed down her face as she cried out, her voice muffled by the Alpha’s hand covering her mouth.
The Alpha dragged her back, her voice cold and emotionless, like a true psychopath. “You’ve been a bad girl.”
Shen Shu saw a box of grapes, the ones Xu Jinnan had given her earlier.
“Mmm…!” she whimpered, tears streaming down her face.
The Alpha placed the box on the floor, opened it with one hand, and picked through the grapes. “I was looking for the one you touched, but I couldn’t find it, so I took them all. You have no idea how much trouble I went through…” She took a grape, rolled it against Shen Shu’s tear-stained cheek, then popped it into her mouth.
“Let me mar—”
The screech of tires echoed through the parking garage as a car came to a sudden stop.
The Alpha turned around, startled, just as a fist connected with her nose, the bone cracking, blood spurting out, her face instantly covered in crimson.
Then, she felt a sharp tug on her hair, her body lifted off the ground and slammed against a car.
Bang!
The impact made the car shudder.
Xu Jinnan’s face was a mask of fury as she slammed the woman against the car again, then, as she fell to the ground, kicked her hard in the chest.
A scream echoed through the parking garage.
Tong Jia, approaching from a distance, saw the scene and her blood ran cold. She ran towards them.
“Shu Shu!”
But before she could reach them, the Alpha scrambled to her feet and ran.
Tong Jia, seeing her attacker fleeing, instinctively wanted to stop her, her fear momentarily forgotten.
But a hand grabbed her wrist.
Viola, running towards them, pulled Tong Jia aside. “Stay back,” she said, then, with a swift kick, sent the Alpha sprawling to the ground.
Xu Jinnan, after a brief glance at Viola, rushed to Shen Shu’s side.
Shen Shu was slumped against the car, her hands on the ground, her body shaking, coughing and gagging, flinching at Xu Jinnan’s touch and instinctively recoiling.
“Shu Shu,” Xu Jinnan whispered, her hand hovering over Shen Shu’s shoulder, her brow furrowed, her breath catching in her throat.
Hearing her voice, Shen Shu’s ragged breathing slowed slightly.
Xu Jinnan gently touched her shoulder, then pulled her into a hug.
Shen Shu collapsed against her, sobbing softly, her body trembling.
It wasn’t a loud, dramatic cry, but it tore at Xu Jinnan’s heart, a wave of anger and protectiveness washing over her.
She gently patted Shen Shu’s back, her voice soothing. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
Shen Shu clung to her, her fingers digging into Xu Jinnan’s back, her body still trembling, her voice hoarse and barely audible, but she still whispered Xu Jinnan’s name, as if seeking reassurance, or perhaps just instinctively seeking comfort.
“I’m here,” Xu Jinnan murmured, her face buried in Shen Shu’s hair, the close contact a silent promise of protection. “I’m here,” she repeated.
Viola had apprehended the Alpha, pinning her arms behind her back.
Tong Jia rushed to the van, her eyes filling with tears as she saw Shen Shu in Xu Jinnan’s arms.
She bit her lip, her heart heavy with guilt.
She shouldn’t have been so careless.
She had thought it would only take a few minutes to retrieve the keys, hadn’t anticipated the delay, or the missing grapes.
She couldn’t imagine what Shen Shu had endured during those few minutes alone.
Seeing Shen Shu’s trembling form and the blood on the ground, she couldn’t bear to think about it.
And Xu Jinnan had warned her not to leave Shen Shu alone…
She was consumed by guilt.
Xu Jinnan held Shen Shu tightly, her attention focused solely on her, feeling her trembling subside slightly. She gently cupped Shen Shu’s face, wanting to see the extent of her injuries.
Her fingertips brushed against Shen Shu’s tears, and she flinched… If only I had arrived a few minutes earlier.
“Shu Shu,” she whispered, her voice gentle but firm, “let me see if you’re hurt.”
Shen Shu shook her head.
Xu Jinnan’s lips brushed against her hair. “Just let me see, okay?” she murmured.
The familiar, comforting scent of her pheromones, like warm sunshine, eased Shen Shu’s fear, and she slowly lifted her head, her eyes red and swollen, her face streaked with tears, her long eyelashes wet.
Her face was flushed, the redness a lingering effect of the Alpha’s chokehold.
Xu Jinnan’s gaze fell on the dark red marks on Shen Shu’s neck, the imprint of five fingers, like the scars of a knife, a painful sight.
She took a deep, shuddering breath, suppressing the rage that threatened to consume her.
Her thumb gently wiped away Shen Shu’s tears. “I’m sorry I’m late,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
Shen Shu’s eyes fluttered, her throat tight and sore.
“Xu Jinnan, let’s go home,” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
The sound tore at Xu Jinnan’s heart. “Okay, let’s go home,” she replied, helping Shen Shu stand, then, seeing her legs buckle, scooped her up into her arms.
Shen Shu, seeing Tong Jia standing nearby, her face pale and her eyes filled with tears, coughed, trying to catch her breath. “Jia Jia, I’m fine,” she said, her voice raspy.
Tong Jia looked like a child who had been caught doing something wrong.
Hearing Shen Shu’s attempt to comfort her, her guilt intensified.
“Tong Jia, open the door,” Xu Jinnan said.
The van was more spacious and comfortable than her car.
Tong Jia immediately opened the back door, and Xu Jinnan gently placed Shen Shu on the seat, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead.
“Wait here for me,” she said.
Shen Shu’s eyes, still red and swollen, met hers, her silence a clear sign of her fear and anxiety.
“I’ll be right back. I promise,” Xu Jinnan reassured her, touching her hair gently, then, leaving Tong Jia with her, got out of the van.
The door closed.
The gentle warmth in Xu Jinnan’s eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling coldness.
As she walked towards the woman Viola was restraining, her heel crunched on a stray grape, and she glanced down, remembering seeing this woman before.
The one who had barged into Shen Shu’s dressing room. She had assumed it was a mistake, but now, it seemed like a deliberate act.
She reached the woman and gestured for Viola to pull her into a more secluded corner.
As the woman struggled, her glasses fell to the ground, and Xu Jinnan, without a second thought, stepped on them, the lenses shattering, the frames twisting beneath her heel.
As she stood over the woman, a wave of powerful Alpha pheromones, like a tsunami, filled the air.
The woman screamed, collapsing to the ground, her body trembling.
Even Viola, despite being an Alpha herself, felt a surge of fear, the instinctive recoil of a lower-ranking Alpha in the presence of a dominant one.
The woman’s mind reeled from the psychic assault, but she wasn’t afraid, her eyes still wild and frantic, her voice shrill. “Let me go! She’s mine! Shen Shu is mine! I almost had her back then! Let me go!!!” She didn’t seem to comprehend the danger she was in.
Hearing her words, Xu Jinnan finally understood the depth of Shen Shu’s fear. This wasn’t just a random attack; this woman was a ghost from her past – the Alpha who had assaulted her, the one Cai Ying had mentioned.
The one who had triggered Shen Shu’s aversion to Alphas.
Xu Jinnan’s eyes narrowed, her fingers curling into a fist. “CEO Xu, should I call the police?” Viola asked.
Xu Jinnan unclenched her fist, her voice devoid of emotion. “Call an ambulance first.”
Viola paused, then, understanding Xu Jinnan’s intentions, her eyes widening slightly.
Xu Jinnan, wearing a beige trench coat, the sleeves secured with cuffs, unbuttoned them, freeing her wrists.
A few seconds later, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from the corner of the parking garage.
—
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