Chapter 23: Fear Not, Little Simpleton
"Ha, ha, ha!" Several burly men broke into laughter. "Well, aren't you a firecracker? But it's that spirit we find captivating!"
The man at the lead reached out for Vivian, his intentions clear.
"Come here, let's see how smooth that pretty face of yours is. Oh, it's so soft and pale!"
However, before his hand could touch Vivian, she seized it.
With a crisp snap, the man's wrist was twisted and broken.
He screamed in agony, "Ah! My hand, it's broken! You wicked witch, let go of me!"
Vivian kicked the man away, a cold sneer on her face. "Trash, you're hurting my ears with your noise."
"Are you guys just gonna stand there? Attack her!" The man howled at his companions.
The remaining five or six men snapped out of their stupor and rushed at Vivian.
Vivian stood her ground, unmoved, with no thought of running away.
She slowly pulled off her scarf, then tugged a necklace from her neck.
The necklace, made from a unique material, was flexible when worn but could be stretched taut at the press of a button, transforming into a weapon as strong as steel wire.
"Scum, you asked for this!"
They had underestimated her from the start, thinking that a seemingly defenseless woman couldn't cause any harm. They hadn't even brought weapons.
Now, they were getting a brutal beating from Vivian, armed with her makeshift weapon. However, the slender, hard necklace was cutting into her own palms as she used it.
Such a weapon was only useful for temporary self-defense. Prolonged usage would end up hurting the user.
Just when Vivian was at the end of her strength, a man whom she had previously overlooked suddenly charged at her.
It was the man with the scarred face who had been posing as a driver!
He thought he could take advantage of Vivian's exhausted state.
Vivian was indeed out of strength at this point.
As the scar-faced man advanced step by step, Vivian's heart pounded in her chest.
But just as things were reaching a critical point, two beams of light suddenly illuminated them. A car was approaching.
Even though the car was still some distance away, Vivian recognized the distinctive sound of its engine.
The car was a super-luxury car, one of a limited series. Each car was custom-made, with prices starting at a whopping one billion, and there were less than fifty owners worldwide.
And Ethan was one of them.
But why would he be here?
Half an hour ago.
Ethan had received a message from Jean saying that Mrs. Benton was ready to return to the mansion after seeing a doctor.
Jean asked if he was coming home that night, but he declined.
However, while dining alone, he found his food tasteless. On a whim, he checked the GPS location of the car little simpleton was in.
As he looked, he realized something was amiss.
The car was veering off course, not towards the mansion at all.
Without a second thought, he revved up the fastest car in his garage, a Cybele sports car.
Now, he hoped he wasn't too late.
Upon his arrival, he had spotted two people seemingly in a dispute, but they quickly vanished from sight.
Due to the darkness and his preoccupation, Ethan didn't recognize that one of the people was Vivian.
Once he got out of the car, he immediately checked the Bentley.
He found the unconscious driver and Jean in the trunk and back seat, respectively. But there was no sign of Vivian.
The driver was seriously injured and unconscious, while Jean was barely conscious.
"Master..."
Ethan's expression was chilling. "Where's Mrs. Benton?"
Jean wasn't sure if she was dreaming. She remembered seeing Mrs. Benton escaping and fighting, defeating everyone.
But on second thought, how could Mrs. Benton possibly defeat so many men?
"I..." Jean shook her head vigorously, "Mrs. Benton was taken away."
"Where did they take her? Did you see clearly?"
Jean shook her head. "No, I don't know."
Ethan didn't waste any more time with Jean, he grabbed a man off the ground and demanded, "Where is the woman? Where did you take her?"
The man winced, "Easy, easy, I'm injured! You're touching my wound!"
Ethan's grip tightened, his expression more menacing, "I asked you! Where is she?"
The man, clearly frightened, stuttered, "She...she was taken by the scarface...over there... please let me go, go find your woman..."
Ethan kicked the man ruthlessly and headed in the direction indicated.
The abandoned construction site was filled with steel and concrete.
Ethan used his phone's flashlight, advancing step by step into the darkness.
Suddenly, he heard a whimper.
The sound was faint, but he recognized it instantly.
It was too familiar - the same cry she let out the night he had cornered her against the wall.
"Little simpleton, is that you? Answer me!"
a whimpering voice came from the darkness, "Is that you, Mr. Handsome? I'm Vivian, not a simpleton, don't call me a simpleton."
"It's really you!" Ethan kicked away all the debris at his feet and strode towards Vivian, huddled in a corner.
"Little simpleton!" Recognizing that beautiful but pale face, Ethan pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly. "Are you okay? Don't be scared, I'm here to rescue you."
Vivian leaned into Ethan's shoulder, her exhausted body finding support, "Vivian was so scared. Bad men wanted to take Vivian away. They tore at Vivian's
As she spoke, she held up her bleeding hands for Ethan to see.
Actually, she had removed her clothes herself, fearing Ethan would recognize her silhouette. She showed him the wounds on her hands as a distraction.
Seeing her mangled hands, Ethan felt a wrenching pain in his heart.
"Damn it! They dared to do this to you! I'll take you to the hospital first."
With that, he scooped her up in his arms.
Upon exiting the building, Ethan noticed that all the men who had been lying on the ground had fled. But it didn't matter, he could track them down.
"Vivian, get in my car first. I'll call an ambulance for the driver and Jean." Ethan bent down to help Vivian into his sports car.
Vivian nodded tearfully, pulling her feet into the car just as Ethan was about to close the door.
But in the instant that she withdrew her feet, Ethan froze!!!