Ch. 184: Mr. Edwards’ Unraveled Life chapter 184
Chapter 184Hearing the commotion, Norah instinctively slammed on the brakes. Her gaze darted toward the alley, and she spotted a group of scruffy men, their hair dyed garish shades of yellow, huddled together. Something about their demeanor felt off—thin, unkempt, and radiating trouble.
And then her heart sank. She recognized the frightened figure in the center of the group. It was Elodie.
Elodie looked terrified, her face pale and her movements jittery. Surrounded by these men, she was clearly out of her depth. Her trembling voice broke through the tense atmosphere. “Don’t come near me! If you so much as touch me, my grandfather won’t let you off!”
The men, clearly hardened by a life on the streets and unfazed by her threats, chuckled darkly. One sneered, “Look at her, all dolled up. She’s gotta be loaded. We’ve hit the jackpot, boys.”
Elodie stumbled backward, desperately trying to put distance between herself and the advancing men. Her frantic eyes scanned the alley, but there was no one to help. Jamie, who had been with her earlier, was nowhere to be seen. Panic set in as she realized she had wandered too far into this desolate area without her phone or any cash.
The men closed in, emboldened by her helplessness. One leered, “C’mon, sweetheart, just hand over the cash. We’ll make this easy for you.”
Elodie stammered, “I—I don’t have any money!”
“Oh, we’ll find another way to get it,” another one said, his voice dripping with menace. “Call your parents. They can pay for your safe return.”
Just as one of the men reached for her, a sharp voice cut through the tension.
“Hey! Leave her alone!”
The men turned to see Norah and Tessa standing at the mouth of the alley. Norah’s face was calm but stern, masking the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Tessa stood behind her, visibly less composed but unwilling to abandon her boss.
“Well, well,” one of the men drawled, his eyes scanning Norah and Tessa. “Looks like we’ve got two more pretty little things joining the party.”
Tessa leaned closer to Norah, whispering, “Why are we even helping her? She’s nothing but trouble.”
Norah ignored her, stepping forward with controlled confidence. She pulled out her wallet and held up the cash inside—about $1,000 in bills. “Here,” she said, her tone firm. “Take this and let her go. You don’t want to escalate this.”
One of the men snatched the money but scoffed. “A thousand? That’s it? A girl like her is worth way more.”
Norah’s patience thinned. “That’s all the cash we have. Don’t push your luck. Take the money and walk away before things get worse for you.”
But they weren’t satisfied. Another man sneered, “Worse for us? You think you scare us, lady? How about we take all three of you? We’ll get a better price that way.”
Seeing the situation spiraling, Norah reached into her pocket and pulled out a canister of pepper spray. She held it up, her voice cold. “I tried to be reasonable. You made your choice.”
Before the men could react, she sprayed a stream directly into the face of the one closest to her. He screamed, clutching his eyes. Tessa, emboldened by Norah’s actions, grabbed her own spray and began dousing the others.
“Take that, you jerks!” Tessa shouted, kicking at one of the men who stumbled forward blindly.
“Run, Elodie!” Norah yelled.
Elodie, still in shock, hesitated for a moment before scrambling toward Norah. One of the men, barely able to see, lunged and grabbed her ankle. She shrieked, struggling to free herself.
“Let go of me!” Elodie cried, her voice trembling.
Norah didn’t hesitate. She stomped down hard on the man’s hand with her high heel, forcing him to release Elodie with a howl of pain. “Keep moving!” she urged.
The trio dashed toward Norah’s car, their breaths coming in short, panicked bursts. Behind them, the men, though temporarily incapacitated, were regaining their composure and shouting threats. One picked up a rock and hurled it, shattering the rear window of the car with a deafening crash.
Norah didn’t flinch. She threw open the driver’s door, barely waiting for Elodie and Tessa to climb in before starting the engine. “Seatbelts on later!” she commanded, slamming her foot on the gas.
The car lurched forward, tires screeching as they sped out of the alley. In the rearview mirror, Norah could see the men chasing after them but falling behind. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened as she maneuvered through the narrow streets, heart pounding.
Elodie, huddled in the back seat, was shaking uncontrollably. Tears streamed down her face as she muttered, “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause trouble…”
Norah’s voice softened, though her eyes stayed fixed on the road. “You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.”
Tessa exhaled shakily, finally letting herself relax as they merged onto a busier street. “Ms. White, remind me never to question your instincts again,” she said with a weak laugh.
Norah didn’t respond. She was already thinking about what to do next, her mind replaying the terrifying events. Whatever trouble Elodie had caused before, she didn’t deserve this.
As they drove away from the chaos, Norah glanced at Elodie through the rearview mirror. “Next time,” she said gently but firmly, “don’t wander off alone.”
Elodie nodded, her tearful eyes filled with gratitude—and newfound respect—for Norah.