Rebirth Swapped Bride; Married to the Ruthless Cursed Billionaire Chapter 197: Vicente came to Melissa’s rescue

"You promised you’d never leave alone no matter what!"

lissa pouted angrily as she stord toward the underground parking garage.

"And just because I told you not to follow , you actually listened?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Reaching the dimly lit depths of the basent, she lashed out with a frustrated kick at the concrete wall.

"Oww—!"

A sharp pain shot up from her toes, forcing her to crouch down.

The tears she’d barely managed to hold back now spilled over again.

Damn, that hurt.

She should’ve held back a little. Just then, footsteps echoed behind her.

A flicker of unnoticed relief flashed in lissa’s eyes.

She quickly wiped her tears, straightened up, and huffed with feigned indignation.

"I told you not to follow ! Why are you—"

Her words died in her throat when she turned to see a stranger’s face.

Awkwardness washed over her.

"Sorry... I mistook you for soone else."

The man smirked.

"You mistook , but I didn’t."

The lanky man suddenly curled his lips into a sinister smirk, a glint of cold steel barely visible in his sleeve.

This woman before him was a walking three-million-dollar bounty.

Catching her would an he could retire abroad and live out his days in luxury.

No wonder he rushed ahead of everyone else to make his move.

Too many hands in the pot, and the prize would shrink.

lissa wasn’t new to situations like this—she realized instantly what was happening.

"Y-you’re robbing ?"

she stamred, deliberately rummaging through her bag while taking frightened steps backward.

"I have money—lots of it!

Just don’t hurt , and I’ll give you everything!"

"Oh?"

The tall man’s eyes glead with greed as he lowered his voice.

"Then hurry up and hand it over!"

She wasn’t walking away alive anyway—might as well squeeze a little extra out of her before the end.

Trembling, lissa pulled out a thick stack of cash—ergency funds she’d prepared for running away from ho—and held it out to him.

"Here’s the cash... take it.

I—I also have a few cards in my bag..."

The lanky man glanced at the wall behind lissa, the wariness in his eyes easing slightly as he sheathed his dagger and reached out to take the money.

The mont he lowered his head, lissa whipped out the pepper spray Vicente had given her earlier and blasted it straight into his face.

"Ahhh—!"

The man instantly collapsed to the ground, clutching his face and writhing in agony, his screams raw with pain.

Seizing the opportunity, lissa ignored the throbbing in her foot and sprinted toward the exit she had co through.

But she hadn’t gotten far before two more n ca into view.

"There she is!"

They broke into a run, closing in on her fast.

Shit!

Her face drained of color, lissa spun around and bolted in a random direction.

One hand clenched around the spray, the other frantically pressed a wireless panic button.

"Vicente, hurry up!"

The n behind her were gaining ground.

"Stop running, Miss Taylor.

There’s nowhere left to go."

Gritting her teeth, she skidded to a halt—blocked by a sealed ergency door.

Her face was deathly pale, she yanked at the door with all her might, but it refused to budge.

Pressing her back against it in desperation, she clutched the pepper spray with white-knuckled fingers.

"Stay back! I’m warning you—co any closer and I won’t hold back!"

"Grab her already. We’re wasting ti."

The two n completely ignored lissa’s threats, advancing toward her from both sides like predators closing in.

A violent tremor ran through her body, her eyes brimming with hopelessness.

"Vicente," she whispered through trembling lips, "if you don’t show up in the next three seconds... I’ll never forgive you."

Though she wasn’t even sure if she’d live long enough to hold that grudge.

Then suddenly—

A blinding pair of headlights sliced through the darkness.

"Vroom—"

With a deafening roar of the engine, a black SUV sped toward them like a bolt of lightning.

Thud!

Thud!

The two n standing in front of lissa were sent flying by the impact, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Their heads twitched weakly before falling completely still.

The driver’s side window rolled down, revealing Vicente’s strikingly handso face, calm and composed as ever.

"Get in."

lissa’s wide, tear-filled eyes—still trembling with shock—locked onto him.

The mont she confird it was really Vicente, her frantic heartbeat steadied.

As long as he was here, she knew she’d be safe.

But the floodgates holding back her tears burst open uncontrollably.

Overwhelming fear and pent-up anguish threatened to drown her.

"Vicente—"

Where did all these tears even co from?

Is this little troublemaker really made of water?

"Don’t worry, I’m here," Vicente said, his voice softening instantly as he took in her pale, tear-streaked face.

"Get in the car, nice and easy."

lissa wiped her tears haphazardly, her voice thick with misery.

"I want to, but my legs won’t listen to ."

Hearing this, Vicente glanced down.

Only then did he notice her slender, fair legs trembling uncontrollably.

A faint, amused glimr flickered in his deep-set eyes.

What a scared.

Opening the car door, Vicente stepped out and effortlessly scooped her up with one arm, cradling her against his side.

After settling her into the passenger seat, he fastened her seatbelt with practice ease.

Just as he was about to pull away, a pair of soft arms suddenly wrapped around him.

"Waaah... waaah..."

lissa clung to him desperately, burying her face in his chest as sobs wracked her body.

"I—I thought I was done for!

That I’d never escape, never see the sun again!"

The man’s gentle warmth and familiar scent wrapped around her like a security blanket, instantly soothing her frayed nerves.

"You ca... *sob*... but why did it take you so long? I was terrified!"

lissa clung to Vicente just as she used to cling to her brother Taylor whenever she’d been wronged or bullied as a child—though she hadn’t done this in years.

Now, shaken to her core, she instinctively turned to Vicente as her safe harbor, burying her face against his chest.

The feel of her delicate fra trembling against him and the hot tears soaking through his shirt left Vicente montarily paralyzed.

This was unfamiliar territory.

Yet instead of discomfort, an unexpected surge of protectiveness welled up inside him.

His previously frozen hands finally moved, gently patting her back in slow circles.

"My fault entirely for being late," he murmured, scanning their surroundings even as he comforted her.

"I’m sorry."

After this emotional release, lissa gradually cald, her grip loosening.

She sniffled, catching sight of the tear stained patch darkening his shirtfront.

"Good... you’d better not do it again," she managed between hiccups, her tear-streaked face flushing pink with embarrassnt.

The words ca out in that particular blend of fragility and petulance unique to pretty girls who know they’re being just slightly unreasonable.

"Next ti this happens, I’ll... I’ll have my brother dock your pay!"

Vicente was used to lissa’s contradictory nature.

A faint smile played on his lips as he slid into the passenger seat.

"Alright," he replied, his voice still warm and steady, though his gaze darkened slightly as he caught sight of a distant figure in his peripheral vision.

"Buckle up.

I’ll take you ho."

With that, he started the car and drove off.