Just as I was about to fall intoplete despair, the man in front of me suddenly copsed to the ground, his eyes rolling back. In my shock and terror, a familiar young face appeared in my view.


    I knew that face, but my panicked brain couldn''t quite ce it.


    "Monkey! Monkey!" The other men nudged their unconsciouspanion, their expressions turning vicious when he didn''t respond. "That little punk. How dare he mess with us?"


    "L-Lucas?" The name finally surfaced in my mind through my daze.


    "Are you okay?" Lucas gave me a concerned nce.


    I shook my head, but he grabbed my wrist and inspected the spot where the skin had scraped off and blood was oozing out.


    "Does it hurt?" His face was full of worry.


    I finally noticed the dull pain in my wrist, but I shook my head again. The danger


    wasn''t over yet, and I couldn''t afford to care about a minor wound.


    Lucas gently pushed me behind him, his gaze turning icy as he faced the remaining two men.


    One of them scoffed, stepping forward with a sneer, "What are you gonna do?"


    The man reached out instinctively to shove Lucas, but before he could reach him, Lucas grabbed his fingers and twisted them sharply. The man''s face contorted in pain right away.


    "Ah! Ow, ow, ow... Stop! Save me!"


    The second man lunged forward, ready to teach Lucas a lesson, but Lucas swiftly lifted his leg and delivered a precise, powerful kick. The man crumpled to the ground, writhing and groaning in agony.


    "Who sent you?" Lucas'' voice was cold and filled with menace. "What are you after?"


    The two men exchanged a nce but chose to feign ignorance. "We were paid to do a job. There''s no way we''ll tell you more."


    "Oh, really?" Lucas raised an eyebrow, a chilling smile ying on his lips.


    With brutal efficiency, he tightened his grip on one man, who screamed in agony, while pressing his foot down on the other, cutting off his air. The man''s face turned blue, is eyes bulging as he struggled to breathe.


    I felt a wave of fear and took a step forward to stop Lucas. But before could say anything, the man whose fingers were being crushed finally cracked.


    "I''ll talk! I''ll talk!"


    Only then did Lucas release him.


    The man clutched his injured hand with tears streaming down his face while the other gasped for air. He coughed violently as he regained his breath.


    "We only know their surnames," the first man stammered, his face twisting in pain. Lucas'' sharp gaze urged him to continue.


    "There are two women. One''s surname is Harper, and the other is Harrington."


    "Get lost!" Lucasmanded coldly.


    The two men scrambled to their feet and ran, only to slink back momentster to drag their unconsciouspanion away.


    Still shaken, I turned to Lucas with a pale face. "Thank you so much for saving me."


    "Do you live here?" he asked, his tone now light and casual.


    I was momentarily stunned. Themanding and ruthless Lucas from moments


    ago felt like an illusion.


    I nodded. "Why are you here?"


    "I ran into you on the road," he said with a smile. "I saw you in the car and wanted to say hi. So, I followed you here. But just as I parked, I heard you yelling for help."