Chapter 74
Chapter 76 An Unlikely Rescue
Chandler sighed. “Alright. I’ll take you back p>
“No need. The bus is faster. Oh, here it comes! I have to go p>
Before Chandler could object, she dashed off and boarded the bus that had just pulled up.
He could only stand there helplessly and watch it drive away.
Tatiana, catching her breath, found an empty seat. It was the last bus of the night, nearly empty. She chose a window seat, letting the cool air rushing in soothe her frayed nerves.
Suddenly, someone sat down in the empty seat beside her – a
a plain–looking man in a jacket.
She glanced around the bus. There were plenty of empty seats, yet he had chosen to sit right next to her.
At first, she thought maybe he just preferred that spot and shifted closer to the window.
Slowly, the distance he had created closed again.
She was looking out the window and didn’t notice until a rough hand brushed against her leg. Startled, she jumped to her feet.
“What’s wrong, miss?” he asked, his face a picture of innocence.
Tatiana pressed her lips together, sat back down, and practically glued herself to the window.
But the man grew bolder. His hand reached out again, this time moving toward a more sensitive area.
“Don’t touch me!” she cried out.
Everyone on the bus turned to look.
The man put on a wounded expression. “Don’t yell, miss. I didn’t touch you. I’m old enough to be father! Why would I touch you p>
your
He looked so unassuming, so harmless, that the other passengers immediately dismissed her. Someone whispered, “Thinks pretty highly of herself, doesn’t she? Like everyone wants to grope her p>
“Young people these days,” another scoffed. “Always picking on honest folk p>
Tatiana couldn’t stand it. She stood up. “Excuse me, please let me pass. ”
The man obliged, shifting his body to let her by. But as she squeezed past, his hand darted out and pinched her backside.
Her face flushed, then went pale with fury. She spun around and slapped him hard across the face.
Crack.
The entire bus fell silent.
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Ten minutes later, at the police station.
The man, his face covered in scratch marks, sobbed, “Officer, you have to help me! I didn’t do anything, and she attacked me like this! I demand compensation p>
Tatiana trembled with rage. “You touched me p>
“That’s slander! Where did I touch you? Young lady, you need to get checked for paranoia p>
The police reviewed the bus’s surveillance footage. Due to blind spots and obstructions, the camera hadn’t captured the man’s actions, but it clearly showed her scratching his face.
Realizing there was no proof against him, the man grew bolder, crying dramatically about his injuries, demanding compensation, and insisting on a hospital examination.
Tatiana couldn’t explain. Her eyes were red with frustration, but she refused to admit she had intentionally harmed him.
With both sides at an impasse, the police told them to call their families.
Tatiana’s anger instantly evaporated. Who could she call?
After hesitating, she decided to call Chandler. He was a lawyer; maybe he could help p>
Her finger slipped. Instead of dialing Chandler, she somehow called Jasper.
By the time she realized, she fumbled to hang up, but he had already answered.
“Speak.” His voice was ice.
“Wrong number! Sorry!” This text is hosted at.net
Just as she was about to disconnect, he said, “You hang up, and you’ll regret it p>
Her hand froze on the phone.
One of the officers took the phone from her. “Hello, is this Tatiana’s relative? Could you please come down to the XX Road police station p>
She tried to stop him, but it was too late. The call ended.
Jasper wouldn’t care. He wouldn’t come.
She tried calling Chandler again, but the call wouldn’t go through.
As panic set in, the man’s family arrived. His wife heard the story and immediately put her hands on her hips, launching into a tirade. “You little bitch! You accuse my husband of groping you? Who do you think you are! So young and already lying through your teeth! You’re not leaving here today until you pay his
medical bills p>
2/
They were an unreasonable, aggressive family, their eyes vicious.
Tatiana, already struggling to speak clearly, couldn’t get a word in against their onslaught and simply shut her mouth. The woman jabbed a finger almost into her face, spitting as she yelled. Tatiana retreated step by step until her back hit a warm chest.
The woman’s shrill voice cut off abruptly.
The police station slowly fell silent.
Tatiana turned and looked up into a pair of eyes like icy depths. Her heart trembled.
Jasper was here.
“What happened p>
Seeing the girl finally had family present, the officer sighed in relief. “You must be the young lady’s uncle p>
Tatiana looked young for her age, and her thinness made her seem even more fragile. In contrast, Jasper radiated power and an aloof, aristocratic air – very much like an influential elder.
But the moment the officer finished speaking, the temperature in the station seemed to plummet several degrees.
Jasper’s eyes turned glacial. A faint, dangerous curve touched his lips. “Uncle p>
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Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.