In the blink of an eye, Aleman was before them.
Faster than Rachel could register, Aleman clamped his gloved hand around Grayson's thick, greasy wrist and yanked it away from her.
The sound of bones cracking rang out.
"AARRGHH!" Grayson howled in agony as he fell back and clutched his mangled hand.
Rachel stumbled upright while letting out labored breaths as she clutched the torn remains of her blouse.
Before she could react, Aleman draped his long black coat around her shoulders, shielding her exposed skin.
"Are you hurt?" His voice was calm yet bore a terrifyingly deadly tone.
Rachel stared at him speechless... her body was still shaking.
"N-No…" she managed to whisper.
Aleman turned back to Grayson who was writhing on the floor, screaming in pain.
"You're making a mistake, you masked freak!" Grayson spat in fury. "I'm a powerful man! You think you can just—"
Aleman didn't wait for him to finish.
He cocked his fist back—and then swung it forward.
His punch connected with Grayson's gut.
The impact was monstrous.
A sickening BOOM echoed through the room as Grayson's body was lifted off the floor, and hurled through the air before crashing into his desk which shattered it into pieces upon impact.
Silence.
Aleman stood over him with a nacing deanor.
Grayson could faintly make out the 6'4 tall silhouette with a red glowing visor like he was in the presence of a demon.
He groaned weakly while coughing out blood.
He was barely conscious.
Aleman crouched beside him.
"I suggest," he said coolly, "that you forget you ever t Rachel Valentine."
Grayson's entire body trembled as sweat dripped down his forehead.
"And if I ever hear about you laying a hand on any woman again," Aleman's helt visor glowed ominously as he leaned in close. "I'll make sure you don't have a dick to use."
Grayson's arrogance crumbled imdiately as he shuddered upon hearing Aleman's threats.
Rachel who was still wrapped in Aleman's coat, watched silently.
Her hands clutched the fabric as her mind reeled from everything that had just happened.
Aleman turned back to her.
"Let's go," he said simply. Read exclusive content at My Virtual Library Empire
Rachel hesitated. Her gaze flickered between him and Grayson's groaning form laid out like a carpet.
Then she nodded.
Aleman walked toward the exit with his second long coat flowing behind him while Rachel followed.
And for the first ti in a long ti, she felt safe.
--
The city lights blurred past as Aleman drove the black Lamborghini down the wide streets.
The hushed purr of the engine filled the silence between them. Rachel sat in the passenger seat, staring down at the new clothes Aleman had bought her and gripping them softly.
The shopping bags resting at her feet were filled with clean, elegant clothing—much better than the torn, disheveled ones she had on before.
Her mind was still reeling.
Everything had happened so fast.
One mont she had been at the rcy of a monster... And the next? Aleman.
He had ripped her out of that nightmare like so kind of avenging phantom, not hesitating for a second.
And now here she was, driving through the city with the one person who had truly helped her when it mattered most.
Rachel glanced at Aleman's held face with an unreadable expression.
She finally broke the silence.
"How did you know?" she inquired.
Aleman didn't take his eyes off the road as he responded.
"After our eting at AM Coven, sothing about you felt... off. I don't know how to explain it, but I could sense you were hiding sothing. And when you left, I decided to follow you—just in case."
Rachel's fingers clenched on the fabric in her lap. So he had known.
"I'm... glad you did," she admitted. "If you hadn't—"
"Don't think about that," Aleman cut her off smoothly. "That bastard will never lay a hand on you again."
Rachel turned her gaze to the window, watching as the city stretched endlessly before them. The pressure on her chest loosened ever so slightly.
A few monts passed in silence before she sighed and looked at Aleman again.
"Do you want to know how I ended up in this ss?" she asked.
Aleman kept his eyes on the road, but his response was imdiate.
"Only if you want to tell ."
Rachel exhaled deeply and stared ahead.
"My mother got sick."
That alone made Aleman grip the steering wheel a little tighter.
"She had a rare illness, and the treatnt was expensive. I tried to manage with my salary, but it wasn't enough. Not even close. So I kept borrowing and borrowing, hoping I could pay it back over ti." Her voice wavered. "But it got out of control. Before I knew it, I was drowning in debt, and Grayson..." she trailed off.
Aleman completed her sentence. "Took advantage of you."
Rachel swallowed hard before nodding. "Yeah. He knew I couldn't pay it back, so he started making deals with —ones I never wanted." Her nails dug into her palms. "He used my desperation against ."
Aleman remained silent for a mont before finally saying, "I understand."
Rachel turned her head sharply toward him, blinking in surprise. "You do?"
Aleman gave a slight nod. "I used to owe a lot of loan sharks. After my parents died, I had to take care of my younger sister. No job, no money. I did what I had to. And the debts piled up." He exhaled. "It was suffocating."
Rachel felt sothing in her chest tighten. He had been there too.
"How did you get out of it?" she asked, her voice softer now.
Aleman's fingers tapped against the steering wheel. "I found another way to make money. It took quite the effort but fortunately, things are working out."
Rachel let his words sink in.
There was a mont of quiet understanding between them.
Then, Aleman added sothing else. "You'll get out too. I'll make sure of it."
Rachel swallowed down the lump in her throat.
For the first ti in a long ti, she felt hope.
After a long drive, they finally pulled into a quiet neighborhood with dimly lit streetlamps by the sides.
Rachel's apartnt complex stood modest yet neat... It was a far cry from the lavish high-rises downtown.
As Aleman killed the engine, Rachel sat there for a mont, staring at the dashboard. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind.
She turned to him with a fidgety expression.
"Aleman..." she voiced with a bit of hesitation. "Do you... want to co inside?"
Aleman glanced at her.
Rachel imdiately shook her head while waving her hands. "Wait—! I don't an it like that!" Her face flushed. "I just... I don't know. I guess I just don't want to be alone right now."
Aleman was quiet for a mont. Then, he gave a slow nod.
"Alright. Just for a little while."
Rachel let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and stepped out of the car. Aleman followed with his futuristic looking helt still lodged on his head. This made him stand out in this otherwise shabby neighborhood.
She led him up to her apartnt door and unlocked it quickly. The mont she stepped inside, she let out a deep, tired sigh.
Aleman followed her in and scanned the apartnt out of habit.
It was a cozy but simple space, decorated with soft neutral colors. There were stacks of books on the shelves, a small but well-maintained kitchen, and a warm atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the cold, cruel world outside.
Rachel tossed her bag onto the couch and turned to face him.
"Make yourself comfortable," she gestured around. "Though, I don't know if soone like you ever really relaxes."
Aleman's muffled chuckle rang out softly through the helt. "Not often."
Rachel gave a small smile before walking toward the kitchen. "I'm making tea. Want so?"
Aleman couldn't drink anything in this outfit, but for so reason, he just nodded. "Sure."
As she prepared the tea, she glanced over at him. "So, what now?"
Aleman leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Now? You get so rest. And tomorrow, we figure out how to get you out of this ss."
Rachel stilled for a mont before turning to fully face him.
"Why are you doing all of this for ?" she questioned with a tone of confusion.
Aleman tilted his head slightly. "Because I can."
Rachel exhaled sharply while shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
"I get that a lot."
She let out a small, tired laugh. "Yeah, I bet you do."
Rachel bit her lip before saying, "Thank you, Aleman. Really."
Aleman didn't respond right away. He simply gave a slow nod.
"It's alright... We have a lot in common than you realize..."
"We do? Enlighten ..."
For the next hour, they simply chatted, mostly about casual things—nothing too deep, nothing too prying. Yet, it was one of the most comfortable conversations Rachel had had in a long ti.
However, despite the atmosphere, one thing had been bugging her the entire ti.
Aleman still hadn't taken a sip of his tea.
Rachel narrowed her eyes playfully. "You really aren't going to drink that, huh?"
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