Chapter 116 Emma, Knocked Unconscious
Mr. West's cold gaze fell on Emma's captured hand, his tone carrying undisguised threat.
"Such pretty hands. Don't want them anymore?"
Emma felt her scalp tingle, but she forced a smile onto her face. "I was just joking, trying to lighten the mood."
"I'd like to joke with you too, Miss NOVA." His deep voice sounded by her ear, tinged with mockery.
"Now you have two choices. One, keep these hands. Two, please me."
Please him? Emma's mind went blank. Why did that sound so twisted?
"Have you decided, Miss NOVA?"
His voice carried no emotion, yet she felt an invisible pressure.
"Please you?" Her voice was a bit dry. "How?"
He said nothing, but his other hand suddenly wrapped around her slender waist. His palm radiated burning heat, and even through the thin fabric, it scorched her skin.
He leaned down slightly, his sexy lips almost brushing past her hair, his warm breath spraying against her ear.
Her body trembled uncontrollably. In that instant, she suddenly gathered her strength and pushed him away hard.
"Mr. West, we can make a deal now!" She took a deep breath, her face breaking into a confident smile.
With a light flick of her fingertips, a tiny blue pill appeared between her two fingers.
Under the lights, the pill gave off an eerie glow.
"What deal?" He raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised by her move.
"You've been poisoned." Emma dropped the bombshell. "This is a universal antidote pill. It can save your life."
She waved the small blue pill in her hand.
"If you give me the badge, I'll give you the antidote. Of course, if Mr. West wants us both to go down together, I don't mind either."
"After all, Mr. West, your life is much more precious than mine, right?"
Her tone carried a reckless determination.
"I've only heard that Dr. N can save people, never that she kills them." He curved his lips, as if watching a joke.
Emma remained unfazed, her manner aggressive. "Ability is a double-edged sword, just like Mr. West—you can protect peace in one place, but you can also easily take lives."
Mr. West stared at her, his eyes hard to read. This woman really had something. He fell silent for a few seconds, the air thick with tense confrontation.
Suddenly, he laughed—a low sound tinged with amusement that Emma couldn't quite figure out.
His slender fingers pinched the golden badge and casually tossed it toward her.
A flash of gold, and Emma caught the badge firmly with quick reflexes, clutching it tightly in her palm.
Not daring to let her guard down for a second, she quickly placed the small blue pill on the nearby table.
"Thank you, Mr. West." She said this and, not daring to linger, turned and ran!
Watching her almost panicked retreat, Mr. West's gaze fell on the small blue pill on the table.
He reached out to pick it up, rolling it lightly between his fingertips, his lips curving into a meaningful smile once more.
This woman had quite the survival instinct. It seemed she had the ability to protect herself.
He was actually starting to see her in a new light!
......
Night had fallen, yet the arena was packed with people, the heat wave almost igniting the air.
On the ground, dark red bloodstains crisscrossed, telling of the cruelty just ended.
The last warrior, covered in blood, had finally slain the huge wolf with his blade. He stood on the platform, sweat rolling down, accepting the thunderous cheers from the crowd.
Suddenly, the ground in the center of the arena split open, and a huge iron cage slowly rose up.
In the center of the cage, Evelyn huddled, her hands tightly bound with coarse rope, her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth that cut painfully.
She was tonight's prize for the victor.
Despair engulfed her like a tide. She struggled futilely, the cloth cutting deep into her flesh. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of that man on the high platform.
He wore a silver half-mask, only his cold, hard jawline visible. Number Seventeen? Was it him?
Evelyn grasped at this last straw. She waved her hands wildly toward him, making muffled sounds through the gag, making pleading gestures.
However, the man merely glanced at her coldly, then stood up and walked away without looking back.
Behind him followed seven or eight black-clad bodyguards, their steps steady and imposing—clearly someone of high status.
Evelyn's heart sank bit by bit.
Soon after, Evelyn was dragged out of the cage by two burly servants and sent into an extremely beautiful and luxurious room.
The door was locked.
The strong warrior who had won in the arena walked in, bare-chested, his eyes greedy like a wolf's.
"Little beauty." His voice was hoarse as he lunged forward impatiently, roughly tearing at her clothes.
The sound of fabric ripping was harsh.
Just as she thought humiliation was about to descend, the door was suddenly kicked open violently.
A short man walked in, expressionless, casually throwing a heavy money pouch on the ground with a dull thud.
"This woman—Mr. Zane has bought her!" The short man's voice was shrill and emotionless.
Upon hearing "Mr. Zane," the lecherous look on the strong warrior's face instantly vanished, replaced by deep fear.
He didn't even dare look at Evelyn again. He picked up the money pouch and left in embarrassment.
Before Evelyn could recover from her shock, she was hoisted up by the short man's people and taken away to another unknown place.
......
Deep in the night, no one should underestimate the terror of Luminous City, especially newcomers.
Because you might get kidnapped while you're sleeping.
At this moment, Emma had returned to her small room.
She took a quick shower, put on a bathrobe, and threw herself onto the bed.
Her slender fingers unconsciously twirled the golden badge, its cool touch helping to settle her chaotic thoughts a bit.
Mr. West...
The masked man floated into her mind.
Friend or foe, still unknown, but her sixth sense told her this man seemed intentionally approaching her!
Suddenly, an unusual fragrance drifted into her nostrils.
Sickeningly sweet, a bit overwhelming.
Emma's eyelids grew heavier and heavier, her mind foggy. She wanted to struggle, to call out, but her body felt like it was filled with lead.
Gradually, she fell into deep sleep.
Her hand loosened, and the golden badge fell to the floor with a soft sound.
The door opened silently.
A tall, burly man walked in, his footsteps light, completely at odds with his build.
He walked to the bedside and, by the faint moonlight coming through the window, looked at that pretty face on the bed. He grinned smugly, revealing a greasy gold tooth.
This woman was really beautiful!
His heart itched, but he still restrained those dirty thoughts.
After all, an intact woman was worth more money.
He chuckled, roughly grabbed the blanket, wrapped Emma from head to toe, slung her over his shoulder, and carried her out.
As for the unlucky man in the other room who had come with her, he'd long been knocked out by the sleeping incense and was out cold.
That's right, this small hotel was a trap. Originally Emma was supposed to stay at a hotel under the Harrison Group, but was told she was on a blacklist and couldn't check in. So she ended up here.
The hotel owner had long been in cahoots with local thugs, specializing in this dirty business of trafficking women from out of town.
Just as the big man carrying Emma walked out of the hotel entrance, suddenly, a blinding beam of headlights shot toward him from ahead.
So bright he couldn't open his eyes. He instinctively raised his hand to block it. "Damn it, who is it?" he cursed irritably.
When he finally squinted and could see clearly ahead, he froze completely.
That golden mask gleamed coldly under the headlights.
Behind the mask, the man's figure was imposing, his presence commanding and undeniable.
And behind him, four top experts, each with eyes sharp as knives.
It was... it was Mr. West!
The big man was so scared his legs cramped, and he dropped straight to his knees.
Emma on his shoulder nearly slid off. He fumbled to hold her tight, his hands shaking like sieves.
"Don't let go! If she falls to the ground, I'll turn you into mincemeat!"
Mr. West's cold voice rang out, devoid of any warmth.
A simple sentence, yet it made the big man suddenly feel like the woman on his shoulder weighed a thousand pounds.
He didn't dare move an inch. Cold sweat trickled down from his forehead into his eyes, stinging and painful.
Mr. West strode forward, step by step, slowly approaching.
He personally took the bundled figure from the big man's trembling hands.
His movements were steady and gentle.
He gently folded back a corner of the blanket, revealing that small face.
Flushed cheeks, even breathing, sleeping quite soundly, even with a hint of an unconscious smile at the corners of her mouth.
Mr. West looked at her, feeling both amused and annoyed.
Earlier tonight he'd been thinking this woman looked delicate but was actually quite clever, with some ability to protect herself.
And the result? She couldn't even make it through one night safely before nearly getting packaged up and sold. Really didn't let him worry!
"You dared to touch what's mine?"
Mr. West held the person in his arms, his voice still light but carrying bone-chilling coldness as it reached the big man's ears.
He turned around. The instant he turned, a cold light flashed swiftly.
"Ahh!" A heart-wrenching yet forcibly suppressed scream of pain.
The big man who had been carrying her—both his hands had been severed at the wrists, falling to the ground.
Blood gushed out.
"Shh!"
Mr. West, holding Emma, didn't even look back, only uttered one word lightly.
Afraid that scream would wake her up! But Emma in his arms wasn't affected at all.
"Are you a little pig? Sleeping so soundly?" The corners of his mouth curved into an indulgent smile!
Who would have thought that this Mr. West was actually...