Chapter 272 - 271
In a dim, claustrophobic space, emotions are amplified endlessly. Dreams and reality intertwine, making it impossible to distinguish one from the other as scenes from the past—sweet and sad—flash before one’s eyes.
Simon Lockwood could no longer maintain his gentle, harmless facade. A deep, unseemly desire churned in the depths of his pitch-black eyes. He appeared calm on the surface, but a turbulent undercurrent raged within.
The hearing aid in his ear was still blinking with blue light, illuminating half his face and making him appear all the more cold and predatory.
Meeting his pitch-black eyes, Joanna Kennedy broke out in goosebumps. She had no doubt Simon Lockwood would do something completely out of line. Stammering, she asked, "Simon, you... can you hear me?"
Simon was silent, his eyes fixed on her, unblinking. He was like a predator contemplating where to take its first bite.
The thought startled Joanna. The grip on her wrist tightened, the pain so intense it was starting to feel numb.
She swallowed nervously and gave her wrist a tentative tug, but his grip instantly tightened.
HISSS...
’Damn it...’
The sharp pain made Joanna curse under her breath, and she instinctively recoiled. At this point, she still hadn’t realized the gravity of the situation.
Her pitiful attempts to shrink away only served to arouse the man’s most despicable, primal urges.
The car window slowly rolled up, completely sealing them off from the outside world. An eerie silence filled the car, broken only by the man’s heavy breathing, which enveloped her like a net.
An alarm bell suddenly went off in her head, and Joanna finally reacted, reaching for the car door.
The instant her fingers touched the door, his large, scorching hand grabbed hers. He forcefully pried her fingers apart and interlaced them with his own.
CLICK. The soft sound of the door locking was startlingly loud in the silent car.
Simon pressed in close, his lips almost brushing her ear. His voice was low and deep, the last word a guttural hum. "Avoiding me, hm?"
Simon was trapped in a nightmare, unable to tell night from day. Or perhaps he could, and simply didn’t want to wake up. His mind was consumed by the image of the girl trying to get away from him.
There was a faint, almost imperceptible threat in his voice. As he spoke, his hot breath ghosted across her neck, and Joanna shivered involuntarily. Her body went rigid, too scared to move. "N-no."
’There’s no reasoning with a lunatic who could snap at any second.’ All Joanna wanted now was to keep him calm.
She forced herself to murmur a few placating words, trying everything she could think of, but the man behind her gave no reaction. Then it hit her. ’Right. Simon can’t hear me.’
’Shit! Is he doing this on purpose just to torture me?!’ Joanna was furious but still didn’t dare move, her mind racing as she tried to figure out a way to save herself.
Having waited so long without ’hearing’ an explanation, Simon grew displeased. ’I gave Joanna her chance, but she blew it. And she’s still trying to escape... Heh...’
The sadistic urge deep inside him struggled to break free. Before him was the girl’s fair, slender nape. Simon barely managed to restrain himself, settling for a single bite. In a hoarse voice, he said, "Joanna, speak."
The unexpected bite snapped Joanna back to her senses with a jolt of pain. When she heard his words, she almost fainted from pure rage.
’Wasn’t I speaking?! He’s the one who can’t fucking hear!’
She couldn’t overpower him, he couldn’t hear her speak, and he was threatening her. Joanna took a deep breath, feeling like she was about to shut down from sheer frustration.
Her eyes caught sight of the phone he’d set aside. A spark of hope ignited. ’That’s it, I can type!’ she thought. ’Simon might be a psycho, but he isn’t illiterate.’
With that thought, Joanna reached for the phone, only to be intercepted.
Simon unhurriedly tossed the phone into the back seat. He met her almond-shaped eyes, which were wide with anger, and chuckled softly. His tone was unreadable. "What, planning to call the police?"
"Or... to call for help?"
The man continued with his own assumptions, leaving Joanna speechless.
’Dude, does your mind have to leap to such conclusions?!’
’Can someone please tell me what on earth goes on in Simon Lockwood’s head all day?’
Joanna took a deep breath and said, "Simon, read my lips. I am not calling the police. I’m really not. Can you please let me go first?"
Simon was holding her too tightly. His hard chest pressed into her, making her ache. The slightest struggle only made him hold her tighter. Joanna could barely breathe.
"Let. Go. Of. Me." Joanna said, enunciating each word slowly as she tried desperately to make Simon read her lips.
The girl’s full, rosy lips parted and closed, revealing pearly white teeth and the faint glimmer of her tongue.
Joanna didn’t notice his eyes darkening. Seeing how intently he was watching, she thought he’d actually understood and was about to press her case when she met his black eyes, heavy with desire. Her voice caught in her throat. Dryly, she managed, "Si-Simon..."
"Just opening your mouth without making a sound... Is this some new kind of game?" Simon finally spoke, his voice slow, almost a sigh, in a way that made one’s skin crawl.
Joanna was about to retort to his "new game" comment when a scorching hand slid onto her waist. Her voice died, and her body instantly went rigid.
...
The man’s palm was scorching and dry, pressing directly against her skin, his touch roving improperly.
Joanna’s mind went completely blank, unable to process anything. It took a few seconds for her to realize what was happening.
’What the—?!’
An unprecedented sense of danger washed over her. Feeling his dry palm growing bolder, Joanna could no longer bear it and grabbed his arm to stop him.
Unfortunately, she was too weak. Her resistance had no effect; on the contrary, it only seemed to fuel his audacity. His fingers were long and slender, sending tiny shocks of electricity through her wherever they roamed.
"Joanna... so soft..." the man said slowly, sighing gently, his hands never ceasing their exploration.
When had Joanna ever suffered such humiliation? She was mad with rage, a mix of fury and vexation. Her hand moved faster than her thoughts. SLAP! A crisp sound echoed in the confined, dark space.
It was as if someone had hit a pause button. The air froze, and everything fell into a dead silence.
An unknown amount of time passed before Joanna, trembling, pulled his large hand away and flung it to the side.
The car door still wouldn’t open. Joanna turned her head and stared silently out the window. The hand hanging at her side was still tingling, a testament to the force she had used. She clenched it slightly.
A second passed, then another. Maybe it was a few seconds, or maybe several minutes. There was no sound at all.
Joanna couldn’t resist glancing at the rearview mirror. In it, the man’s face was slightly turned away, still frozen in the position he’d been in when she slapped him.
It was too dark to make out his expression, or to see if his cheek was swelling. Her own palm ached. ’He must be in even more pain.’
Realizing what she was thinking, Joanna furrowed her brow and cursed herself internally. ’How pathetic can I be? Worrying about Simon at a time like this.’
’Simon was the one acting like a creep. A slap was getting off easy.’