Chapter 105

The car drove a hundred meters away. William Johnson glanced up at the rearview mirror, where the slender figure of Emily Smith was reflected. She crouched by the roadside, curled into a small ball, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably.

His knuckles turned white as he clenched his fists.

"Turn around." The words burned in his throat, but he swallowed them down. He leaned back heavily into the seat and closed his eyes.

Passersby cast curious glances her way. An elderly man with silver hair hesitated before finally approaching and gently patting her shoulder.

"Child, even the greatest storms pass," he said kindly. "Keep moving forward. Better days lie ahead."

Emily lifted her tear-streaked face and met the old man's gentle gaze. She smiled then—a smile more heartbreaking than her tears.

"Thank you," she whispered, wiping her cheeks with a shaky hand.

Her phone had been buzzing incessantly in her bag. The fifth missed call flashed "Daniel Chen" on the screen.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," she said, taking a deep breath, her nails digging into her palms. "My boyfriend is picking me up."

Silence stretched on the other end.

"William Johnson?" Daniel's voice turned sharp.

Emily shut her eyes. "He's keeping me." The words tore through her chest like a blade.

She heard his sharp inhale.

"How much do you need? I'll give it to you!" Daniel nearly shouted. "Just leave him, please!"

Tears spilled over again. She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood.

"I'm not worth it." She ended the call and tilted her head back, staring at the overcast sky.

Her ankle throbbed painfully. She dialed Mia Harris' number, her voice feather-light. "Can you come get me?"

The streetlamp stretched her shadow long and lonely across the pavement.