Chapter 24: Danger
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Conrad’s reflection in the mirror stirred a symphony of astonishment within his eyes. Pupils widened and trembled like ripples on a tranquil pond, as his voice caught in his throat.
“Well, how could-”
How could such rapid improvement transpire before his very eyes? He had braced for the worst, orchestrated plans for arduous recovery, only to be confronted with the unexpected speed of transformation.
While not fully restored to its previous state, his countenance bore semblance to normality, an appearance passable without the lens of scrutiny.
“In a fortnight’s time, your visage shall mirror its former glory,” Julia assured, an air of amusement dancing in her eyes as she beheld her brother’s disbelief.
Conrad turned his gaze upon Julia, his gratitude a tumultuous river begging release through words.
“Brother, in uttering gratitude, you distance me as a bystander,” Julia admonished gently.
Stunned momentarily, Conrad then offered a wry smile, punctuated by a playful pinch of Julia’s cheek.
“Agreed, gratitude will remain unspoken.”
Their kinship rendered the words ‘thank you‘ superfluous, a sentiment implied in their bond.
Julia proffered an apple, freshly washed, a gesture of goodwill. “Fruit consumption lends to skin’s restoration,” she explained.
“Indeed,” Conrad concurred, accepting the fruit with a nod.
Observing Conrad’s regained handsomeness, Julia’s mind briefly veered to Karla, who had so recently departed with acrid words. A silent wager emerged within her thoughts–who would ultimately rue their actions?
Yet as Julia pondered this, an unexpected flutter stirred her right eyelid, compelling her to rub at it vigorously. The sensation grew, intensifying with each attempt.
“Julia, what ails you?” Conrad’s concerned inquiry broke her focus.
“Just fatigue, perhaps a restless night’s slumber,” she offered as explanation.
“In that case, return home and rest,” Conrad advised.
Nodding, Julia readied her departure. But before she could fully step away, her phone buzzed in her hand. Jared’s call, it seemed.
She glanced from the phone to Conrad, reluctant to divulge her marriage to Jared. The knowledge would weigh heavy upon her brother’s heart.
Indeed, from the start, Julia had no intention of sharing this news with Conrad. Once
her mission concluded, a swift divorce would follow, rendering their shared secret null.
Stepping aside to answer the call, Julia maintained a semblance of normalcy. “Hello.” “Are you at the hospital?”
“How did you know?” Julia’s inquiry bore the weight of suspicion. “Were you tracking me?”
Jared’s tone bore a tinge of concern, an edge of defensiveness. “Is this causing you distress?”
Julia’s words carried a detached analysis, a dissection of her circumstances. Yet to Jared’s ears, it dripped with self–deprecation, an implication that her status fell short
of his.
“It wasn’t my intention,” Jared hurried to clarify.
As she spoke, Julia suddenly found herself surrounded by a pack of grubby figures, their intentions far from benign.
“Hey there, beauty! Care to join us for a drink?”
Jared’s voice buzzed in her ear, his alarm palpable. “Where are you?”
“Low on battery,” Julia informed him before her phone succumbed to darkness.
A sudden chill swept over the car, Jared’s frigid demeanor a frost that encased him.
Joseph, their driver, felt a shiver course down his spine, urging speed.
“To the hospital, swiftly!” Jared’s command was fraught with urgency.
An icy dread took hold of him, his mind racing through scenarios. Julia’s safety was paramount.
Julia deftly pocketed her phone, assessing her surroundings. Six individuals stood menacingly, their lecherous gazes threatening to engulf her.
Not far off, Naomi reveled in malevolent glee. Recording the impending disaster, she sought to plunge Julia into a pit of despair.
“Tell them to proceed,” Julia instructed the driver, an unwavering calm masking her
nerves.
Naomi’s grin widened as the homeless crew moved in, their intentions dark and malicious. Yet Julia’s eyes betrayed no fear, no vulnerability.
In a world where ruthlessness reigned, Julia was a storm unyielding, a flame unquenchable.
The tramp, sent sprawling by a swift kick, clutched his legs as convulsions seized him. The others paused, their actions arrested, eyes exchanging incredulous glances. This seemingly delicate young woman wielded a surprising prowess in martial arts. Meanwhile, a sleek black Maybach raced towards the hospital with urgency etched
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upon its every curve.
“Step on it!” Jared’s lips thinned to a taut line, his visage an icy mask of anxiety. Joseph. was left breathless by the relentless force of Jared’s impatience. “Boss, we’re already at max speed.”
“She was…waiting…for…me!” Jared’s features contorted in a blend of frustration and concern. Every second that ticked away amplified the imagined horrors Julia might be enduring.
Images shifted rapidly.
Julia surveyed the fallen vagrant, nonchalantly clapping her hands. “Are you turning yourselves in, or should I escort you to the police station?”
Naomi, gripping her recording phone, could hardly close her gaping mouth in astonishment. Julia, once seemingly vulnerable, had turned the tables, leaving the vagrants bewildered on the ground.
“Let them escape!” Naomi’s concern was the vagrants‘ potential to implicate their Scott family upon arrest.
Originally, the plan had been to utilize these vagrants to intimidate Julia in an isolated Tocation, compensating them to vanish. In this scenario, the Brooks family’s
investigation would be fruitless. Yet the outcome surpassed all expectations. The vagrants‘ newfound martial prowess had not been foreseen.
Reacting swiftly, the vagrants scrambled to their feet.
“Running, are you?” Julia seized one of them, her grip unyielding.
“Filthy girl! Feast your eyes on this!” The vagrant brandished a spray can, a noxious mist erupting towards Julia’s face.
“Agh!” Agony wracked Julia as her eyes burned and watered. She staggered back until her back met the corner of the wall, halting her retreat.
Her vision blurred, her surroundings obscured.
The mist infiltrating her nostrils sapped her strength, weakening her limbs.
A doctor by profession, Julia recognized the effects of this potent aerosol, an incapacitating concoction.
“Brilliant!” Naomi’s jubilation was tangible.
“Naomi, the spray worked wonders. I won’t disappoint you,” the driver affirmed.
“Your efforts won’t go unrewarded. My father will see to that once this is settled.”
“Thank you.”
Naomi repositioned her phone, ready to capture every moment.
Julia shook her head, attempting to shake off the disorienting fog that clouded her thoughts, but her efforts yielded no reprieve.
Not only did her sight falter, but the noxious inhalation also undermined her physical
resilience.
As the strength waned from her limbs, her body surrendered to weakness.
Gathering around, the vagrants closed in with sinister intent, one seizing her form.
Undeterred, Julia’s determination flared, her leg lashing out with force.
Escape, the paramount goal!
The vagrant crumpled under Julia’s blow, collapsing to his knees.
An opportunity, seize it!
As Julia darted towards freedom, a hand snatched her, halting her escape, her body colliding with another’s.
