Chapter 73
Nora stood under the headlights of several cars, barely able to open her eyes.
Gripping the fruit knife in her sleeve, Nora trembled as she backed away.
She wanted to run, but her legs felt too heavy, completely out of control.
And she couldn't escape anyway.
Actually, she could have called Walter.
But Nora gave up on that idea.
She didn't want to cause Walter any more trouble.
"Nora, you're quite something." James's eyes were full of disappointment as he spoke sarcastically. "A woman who sleeps around like you, and Walter actually went for it."
Nora numbly backed away, trying hard not to care about James's sarcasm.
"Nora, I told you to run far away." Aiden lit a cigarette, leaned against the car, and watched coldly.
James approached Nora step by step.
Nora felt like her whole body was falling into an ice pit.
"To think you could get Pearl sent to the police station, I underestimated you." James laughed sarcastically, reached up and grabbed Nora's hair, dragging her to the first car.
In the car, an elegant and wealthy-looking woman looked at Nora with cold eyes, full of disgust. "Name your price. How much will it take for you to drop the charges?"
Nora's whole body was shaking. "Assault is a crime. That's just how it is."
Pearl's mother, Eloise Clark, sneered. "Nora Adams, do you think I'm doing you a favor here?"
Nora's hand gripped the knife handle, holding it tight. "My name isn't Nora Adams. My last name is Thomas."
Nearby, Aiden's hand holding the cigarette froze for a moment. He instinctively looked up at Nora, wanting to say something. His throat moved, but in the end, he said nothing.
"Three million dollars. Is that enough?" Eloise frowned as she spoke.
"No." Nora endured the pain, her voice hoarse.
"You think it's too little?" Eloise got out of the car and looked at James. "She won't listen. What can you do about it?"
"To deal with this kind of woman, you need other methods. She's already with Walter, so she really doesn't need this three million dollars." James laughed sarcastically, dragging Nora and shoving her into the car.
"James, I'm leaving this to you. Don't kill her, but before the Emerald City business dinner ends tomorrow, make sure she drops the charges." Eloise looked at James.
James nodded. "Okay."
Nora gripped her phone, secretly trying to call the police.
Aiden saw Nora sneaking her phone out and frowned, but didn't stop her.
But James still noticed. He snatched Nora's phone and threw it out the car window.
"Want to call Walter? He doesn't have time to save you right now." James leaned back in his seat, rubbing his forehead like a maniac. "Nora, keep running."
Nora curled up on the car floor, hugging herself tight, not knowing what James was planning.
"When did you hook up with Walter? Six years ago, or seven? Is that bastard child actually Walter's?" James laughed, his laugh somewhat crazed.
Seeing Nora stay silent, James grabbed her hair and yanked her toward him. "Nora, are you disgusting or what?"
"Wasn't I good to you? And you went behind my back to seduce other men?" James was losing it.
Nora looked at James in fear, not saying a word.
Nora's attitude clearly enraged James.
"So dirty."
James clearly found her disgusting, thought she was dirty, but wouldn't let her go.
"Walter really isn't picky." James said irritably, violently slamming Nora's head away.
Nora's head hit the car door, making her very dizzy.
In the passenger seat, Aiden rubbed his forehead, his voice low. "Don't go too far. We're here to make her drop the charges."
James sneered and said nothing.
The car drove to an abandoned mine in Silverlight City, very far from downtown—they'd been driving for almost an hour.
Dragged out of the car by James, Nora stumbled and fell several times on the ground. Her knees were scraped, her pants stuck to the bloody flesh, hurting with every movement.
"I'll ask you one more time, will you drop the charges or not?" James threw Nora into the warehouse.
Nora struggled to get up and shook her head.
She wouldn't drop them.
James frowned and kicked Nora away.
Nora lay on the ground, coughing for a long time.
Aiden stood at the door, rubbing his temples, saying nothing.
Nora coughed for a long time, tasting blood in her throat.
"I'm asking you one more time, will you drop the charges or not!" James's voice was cold.
"No." Nora looked at James with hatred, her voice hoarse but firm.
"Nora! You think just because Walter's protecting you, you can talk to me like this?" James lost control and grabbed Nora's collar. He just couldn't stand seeing Nora like this.
"You won't drop the charges?" James glanced at the people behind him.
There were more than ten bodyguards in the warehouse, waiting there in advance.
"After they all rape you, do you think Walter will still touch you?" This time James wasn't bluffing Nora.
Clearly, Nora being with Walter had completely enraged James and made him lose his mind.
Several bodyguards stepped forward. James said in a low voice, "Don't forget to take photos."
Nora backed away in terror, crying helplessly. "Get away."
Aiden frowned and grabbed James. "Are you serious?"
"You think she'll be scared if we're just bluffing? With Walter backing her up, will she be afraid of you or me?" James shook off Aiden's wrist.
"James, don't go too far!" Aiden thought this method was too despicable.
"She's already this dirty, does she care about a few more men?" James grabbed Aiden's collar. "You better not mess this up."
Aiden pushed James away, stayed silent for a moment, then turned and left.
Nora leaned against the pillar, watching Aiden walk away in despair.
She should have given up on him completely long ago.
Why did she still hold onto a shred of hope?
James left after giving instructions. He naturally wouldn't stay and dirty his eyes.
"We're just doing a job for money. If you agree to drop the charges now, we don't want to touch you either." The lead bodyguard said.
Nora sat there numbly, looking up at the men. "Rape is a crime that gets you jail time. Especially with this many of you."
"Out here in the middle of nowhere, who's going to know?" One of them laughed. "If you guys won't do it, I'll go first. Even Mr. Wood dared to touch her, so she definitely doesn't have any diseases. Besides, with the money Mr. Smith is paying, even a few years in jail would be worth it."
The men laughed and joked.
After speaking, the man started to unbuckle his pants.
Nora gripped the knife and pressed it against her own neck. "But what about murder?"
The bodyguards frowned, looking at Nora whose face was pale but no longer trembling.
What did she mean by that?
Nora dragged the knife hard across her neck. Dark red blood instantly gushed out.
The men looked at each other in horror. "This woman is crazy."
They naturally couldn't bear the crime of murder.
Smiling weakly, Nora leaned against the pillar.
After everyone had run far away, she pressed her scarf against the wound and got up, walking outside step by step.
When James had dragged her into the car, she'd lost her shoes while struggling. Now walking barefoot on the road, gravel cut into her feet, the pain numbing.
The scarf was already soaked with blood. Nora had been careful with how deep she cut, but she also knew that if she didn't get treatment soon, she would still die.
She didn't know how long she'd been walking. Nora felt like dawn was breaking.
Finally, she saw someone jogging by the roadside.
"Can I borrow your phone?"
The person looked at Nora in horror. Out here in the wilderness, Nora was covered in blood. "I'll call the police for you!"
Nora shook her head, her voice trembling. "Can I just use your phone?"
The passerby quickly handed Nora the phone.
Nora thought for a moment and dialed Michael's number.
That day when Michael gave her his business card, she'd memorized it.