At the same time, another man and woman jumped out of the SUV. The woman had her eyes locked on Seraphina and made a beeline for her, grabbing at her bag.
Zachary quickly yanked the dazed Seraphina back, causing her head to bump against his solid chest.
The woman went nuts, dumping everything out of Seraphina's bag. She picked up a lipstick, realized it wasn't what she wanted, cursed under her breath, and got back in the car with her partner.
Seraphina, just coming to her senses, angrily demanded, "What the hell are you doing with my stuff?" Before she could finish, Zachary whispered urgently, "Get behind me and don't move."
The woman, seeing this, yelled, "Grab her!"
Her eyes were wild, like she wanted to rip Seraphina apart.
Two men immediately charged at Seraphina.
Zachary's eyes turned icy. He knew the top priority was to protect Seraphina. Everything else could wait. He grabbed her wrist and bolted towards the forest, shouting, "Run!"
Seraphina quickly grasped the danger. The three people were clearly after them, their eyes like predators zeroing in on their prey.
Though she didn't know them, her gut told her to flee. She yanked her hand free from Zachary's grip and sprinted into the forest.
Zachary was momentarily stunned but quickly got it. She didn't want him to be targeted. He turned to face the two men chasing them.
With a swift move, he threw one man to the ground. The other charged but was kicked down the slope by Zachary.
The woman, seeing her men down, glared at Zachary and ran after Seraphina.
Zachary moved like lightning, catching up to the woman. She pulled out a knife and swung at him, showing she wasn't a novice.
She sneered, "Stay out of this."
She aimed to slash at Zachary, but he dodged, surprising her with his skill.
Realizing she just needed to stall Zachary, she kept attacking.
But Zachary didn't want to waste time. He disarmed her, ready to stab her leg to immobilize her.
Just then, the man he had thrown down earlier pulled out a gun and fired at Zachary.
Zachary dodged the bullet but had to abandon his plan to stab the woman. He ran after Seraphina.
He quickly caught up to her. Seeing him, Seraphina shouted, "Help!"
A man had grabbed her arm. Zachary, holding the knife he had taken, threw it at the man, hitting his arm. Blood splattered on Seraphina's face, making her go pale with fear.
The man let go in pain but reached for her again. Seraphina struggled and fell to the ground.
The man grabbed her collar, lifting her like she was a helpless kitten.
As Seraphina felt faint from the pain, she saw Zachary rush in, knocking the man down and punching him fiercely. The sound of his punches made her shrink back.
To Seraphina, Zachary no longer seemed like an ordinary bodyguard. His cold, terrifying aura made her shiver.
The other man and woman caught up. Zachary let go of the man and pulled Seraphina up, pushing her to the ground. Her head hit the dirt, making her cry out in pain.
Gunshots rang out, making Seraphina's heart race with fear. What was happening?
Before she could think, Zachary pulled her into his arms, rolling them both on the ground. Seraphina was dizzy from the sudden movements.
They ended up near a ditch. Without hesitation, Zachary pushed Seraphina into it.
She tumbled down, water splashing all over her. She screamed in frustration.
Zachary, ignoring her cries, faced the three attackers without fear.
The woman, seeing his calmness, demanded, "Who the hell are you?"
Zachary smirked, "You don't need to know."
Angered, she shouted, "Kill him!"
A man raised his gun and fired at Zachary.
The bullet missed as Zachary rolled away.
The woman cursed, grabbing the gun herself. Just as she aimed at Zachary, she felt a gun pressed to her neck.
The sound of the trigger being pulled was clear.
She closed her eyes in despair, knowing her fate.
Seraphina, soaked and muddy, felt a mix of anger and fear. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Covered in mud, her hair clinging to her face and neck, the smell made her want to vomit.
What angered her most was Zachary's actions. He had pushed her into the ditch without regard for her safety.
Even if it was to protect her, he shouldn't have made that decision alone.
As the noise above quieted, Seraphina, despite her discomfort, climbed out of the ditch.
She heard the sound of helicopters approaching.
Looking up, she saw three helicopters flying overhead, their powerful presence shaking the trees and grass.
Seraphina was puzzled. Why were there so many helicopters in this remote area? They looked like special helicopters.
Her mind was filled with questions. Why were these people after her?
She had never done anything illegal. What had she done to anger these dangerous people? She couldn't figure it out, her fear and confusion growing.
The three helicopters formed a triangle and landed. Two landed in an open area, and the third on nearby grass.