Whispers of Destiny: His Belated Love

In the parking lot, Rosemary's phone flew out of her hand, crashed to the ground, and the screen instantly shattered into a snowflake pattern.

One of the guys unceremoniously stepped on it, stomping a few times, "Are you freaking asking for trouble? We just wanna snap a few pics, and if you don't play ball, don't blame the boys for not playing nice!"

After saying that, the dude eyed Rosemary up and down with lecherous glances, sneering through his teeth with a grin, "Damn, you're built like a brick house; must've had a lot of...you know."

All kinds of filth were being hurled at her, and the looks they were giving her started to take on a different flavor.

Rosemary was dressed casually today, with a crossbody bag slung over her shoulder. She asked them coolly, "What kind of pictures do you want to take?"

"The kind you see in those adult videos, we'll shoot that kind."

"Alright, but we gotta do it in the car. I don't want to be seen." She removed the bag, holding it in her hand, "I've got plans for late-night grub with someone, so make it quick. My friend can't find out I got these kinds of pictures taken."

The guys snorted at that, thinking a pic was meant to go viral, and she was still worried about not being seen?

But their original plan was to shoot in the car anyway; in this pitch dark, the quality would be crap!

"Fine, but you need to hand over the car keys."

Rosemary pressed her lips, reluctant to hand them over, and the ringleader reached out to grab them.

Suddenly, she raised her hands and whipped her bag strap around the guy's neck, coiling it tightly with a quick wrap.

Taking advantage of the others being off guard, she maneuvered the guy around, backing herself up against the hood.

Rosemary looked like a demure lady with no fight in her and no weapons in hand, so these men seriously underestimated her. Turned out, she was one tough cookie with a spine of steel!

"You are doing this for money, aren’t you?"

"You think you can buy us off with a fat stack? We've got our own code on the streets. You think a little strap can threaten us? We'll see who drops dead first, you or our boss."

The talker pulled out a switchblade from his pocket, the blade gleaming ominously in the light. Rosemary didn't show a trace of fear, loosening her grip just enough for the guy to breathe. It took two minutes to strangle someone, but a mere second to stab her to death.

"The person who sent you for my nudes didn't tell you who I am, did they? Maybe you should check out Mrs. Maxwell."

"There are cameras here, and with the resources of the Templeton Group, before you try to off me, think about how you'll run, where you'll run, and you better take your whole damn family with you. Maxwell's known for being ruthless, and there's no rule that says the family gets spared."

Hearing this, the guy with the knife couldn't resist pulling out his phone to do a quick check.

Rosemary licked her dry lips, adding, "I made the first move, clear as day on the security footage. It'll just look like a scuffle to the cops, no serious harm done, and it's unlikely to,"

Before she could finish, a thunderous boom ripped through the quiet of the winter night! Two blinding headlights beamed straight at them, and as the screeching brakes sounded, a black car came to an abrupt stop right in front.

The door swung open, and a tall, imposing figure stepped out. The car's high-beams were on and so close that everyone squinted against the light, unable to see who was approaching.

Rosemary stared at that person, and with every nerve on edge, didn't know if the newcomer was friend or foe. If it was the latter, her bluff would be in vain.

But as the figure drew closer, a glimmer of hope sparked within her. Could it be Maxwell? She couldn’t discern the figure; everything was a blur.

Not until the man flipped the outermost guy over like a sack of potatoes did Rosemary's tense body relax. It was then that she realized her hands were shaking terribly, barely holding onto the strap.

The newcomer took down the ragtag bunch in no time, with cries of pain echoing around. Rosemary slumped onto the hood, looking up at the man standing before her.

"Hogan."

Hogan towered over her, the glaring light casting a halo around him.

Her voice trembled with post-shock jitters, "How did you get here?"

"I was worried about you, called Yolanda for your work address, knew this area was a bit isolated, so I came to pick you up."

Hogan let out a long sigh, sitting down beside her with his legs spread, embodying a relaxed posture, "Lucky I did. All those years in the military weren't for nothing, even sharpened my instincts. When I couldn't reach you on the phone, I knew something was up."

Rosemary managed a faint smile, "Thanks."

"Next time, just stay put and wait for me to pick you up. Don't even come down from the building; damn it, you had me scared stiff."

"Sorry."

He muttered to himself, "Wonder if my legs give way due to stiffness, what am I gonna do, just use my hands to walk from now on?"

Rosemary instantly felt her “sorry” was superfluous. His distraction, though, helped ease her mind and dissipate some of the fear.

While they chatted, the guys who were holding their legs and bellies began to sneak away, only to be kicked far off by Hogan, each letting out a pitiful yelp. Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.

"What should we do with this bunch?"

"Let's drop them off at the station."

There was no better option. Just as Rosemary spoke, a car sped towards them, coming to a sudden stop.

Dressed in black, Maxwell stepped out, his gaze falling on the man and woman seated close together.