The man sighed deeply once more. “He sees me as a failure of a father. But what’s done is done. I don’t hold it against him.” His aura was laden with untold sorrows and regrets, reminiscent of a character from a novel, shrouded in mystery.

“Perhaps you should stay here,” Bonita suggested.

Reflecting on her own troubled relationship with her father soured her mood, diminishing her desire to delve deeper into the man’s backstory. Her own life felt messy enough.

As Bonita turned to leave, the man quickly rose to stop her. An unpleasant, stale odor emanated from him, causing Bonita to grimace.

“Thank you for your kindness, young lady,” he said, locking eyes with her. “You’ve fed me, yet I have nothing to offer in return. I do have some treats from back home, though. Please, accept them as a small token of my gratitude.”

He edged closer, retrieving a small tin box from his coat pocket and presenting it to her. “Have a look,” he murmured.

Opening the tin revealed white candies, their sweet scent momentarily overpowering the man’s disagreeable smell.

“No, really, keep them,” Bonita said swiftly, shaking her head. “I don’t need anything in return.”

“Please, take them,” he insisted, clutching Bonita’s wrist firmly, preventing her from withdrawing her hand. “These are quite delightful. Just try one.”

He selected a candy and attempted to place it in her mouth. Bonita noticed the dirt under his nails, and her stomach twisted in disgust.

“I don’t want it! Please, don’t!” She knew the risks of accepting anything from a stranger. Her struggles intensified. “Release me, or I will scream for help!”

But the man quickly covered her mouth with his hand, his sweat emitting a foul smell that made her gag. The candy neared her lips, almost slipping into her mouth.

Despite his frail appearance, the man’s grip was unexpectedly strong. He held her firmly, silencing her attempts to scream.

As they struggled, the candy came dangerously close to her mouth. Bonita was uncertain what the candy contained, but she suspected it was no mere sweet treat—perhaps a drug. It could be a sedative or something more sinister; she couldn’t be sure.

The scent of the candy filled her nostrils, her vision blurring, and the man’s face appeared to split and spin before her eyes.

Feeling her energy fading, she found herself powerless to resist. In her fading consciousness, Bonita promised herself never to act the good Samaritan again.

When Bonita regained consciousness, her head spun uncomfortably. Her vision was blurry. She rubbed her eyes vigorously until clarity returned gradually.

A cool, soothing hand touched her forehead. Lifting her gaze, she stiffened, a chill coursing through her body, snapping her into alertness.

Beckett was there in front of her.

As the confusion cleared from her mind, Bonita felt a prickly sensation across her skin. She quickly sat up, finding herself in a strange room. Checking her attire, she noted with a soft exhale that her clothes were untouched.

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