Chapter 30 Jessica Gets Robbed
Scanning his QR code, Jessica was taken aback. His WhatsApp profile showed him in a police uniform, confidently holding a gun. So, he was a police officer. It all made sense now, his eagerness to help her.
Ever since she was young, Jessica had a fondness for the police force. Meeting this brotherly officer today who helped her out twice only increased her admiration for them.
"I've sent you a request,” she said. “When you have a moment, please accept it so I can reimburse you."
With that, Jessica took a window seat, settling in with her suitcase at her side.
At the red light, Jessica glanced out the window.
On the sidewalk, lively students hopped by, an elderly person was gently assisted across the street, and delivery riders zoomed past on their electric scooters.
Observing this tapestry of life, she suddenly felt a burst of vitality. Maybe this was the life meant for her.
Had it not been for Giselle saving Xavier, she would never have found herself in The Walton Family, nor would she have had the chance to marry Gabriel.
After graduation, she was supposed to be just another face in the crowd, commuting to and from work daily, caught in the unyielding rhythm of life and bustle.
Though it was a life filled with hardships. It was the course she was originally set to sail on. She wouldn't live in fear of loss, wouldn't have to tread on eggshells, cautious at every step.
But it meant she would never see Gabriel again.
At the thought, a sharp, sour ache started at Jessica's heart, tugging at her heartstrings until she was almost short of breath.
‘Dear Gabriel, I love you. Dear Gabriel, I love you.’ The words echoed in her head like a relentless curse.
Suddenly, the bus lurched forward as if possessed, the road ahead rough and uneven, making Jessica feel like she was about to be thrown into the air.
To make matters worse, her stomach churned violently. Emotional turmoil had been building inside her, and now her physical discomfort mirrored it. Tears suddenly fell from her eyes, dropping onto her palms, still warm.
‘Gabriel, you jerk, you blockhead, I hate you so much. Big dummy, I'm done dealing with you.’ As Jessica seethed inwardly, cursing him, her heartache grew, and the tears flowed even more freely.
She felt utterly mortified, disgraced to the point of crying publicly in broad daylight. Fumbling in her bag for a tissue, she couldn't find one, likely having forgotten it in her rush to leave.
As she scrambled, a pair of distinct, knuckled fingers appeared, offering a packet of tissues to her. Looking up, Jessica met the gaze of that man with the perpetually stoic face.
"Thank you!" she responded.
The bus ride was so bumpy that by the next stop, Jessica couldn't take it anymore. She decided to get off early, dragging her suitcase behind her. Just as she stepped out of the back door, a piercing pain struck her ear.
It was so sharp she nearly passed out.
Before she fully recovered, she saw a man with dyed blond hair and jeans pinned to the ground, wailing in distress.
Her savior was none other than the man who had just handed her the tissues.
She reached up, gingerly touching her aching ear, only to discover that it was covered in blood. She wiped her hand across it, and it came back smeared with crimson.
"Hold on, don't move. We'll go to the hospital soon," the man said, his voice a low growl.
He glanced at the bus stop sign and then took out his phone to make a call: "Yes, at the Gongnong stop. I need you here, now."
In less than five minutes, the police arrived. After a brief exchange with Jessica, they took the robber away.
"Wait." The man's shout stopped everyone in their tracks. He extended his hand towards the thief. “Where is it?”
"What? I didn't get anything," the blond man retorted defiantly.
"Hand it over, I won't ask again," he demanded, his voice icy and intimidating, striking fear into those who dared to meet his gaze.
"Here." The next instant, a slightly cool earring touched his palm.
However, the earring was stained with fresh blood, making it somewhat unsightly.
Just as the man was about to return the earring to Jessica, his phone rang.
"Hey Boss, where are you? I've been looking everywhere and can't find you," the voice from the other end said.
"Something came up unexpectedly; I'm at Gongnong."
"Alright, Boss. Hold on, I'll be there in three," the voice said.
"Okay."
After hanging up, he approached Jessica. The blood from her ear was trickling down her neck, quickly staining the collar of her white shirt red.
The small lobe, drenched in blood, concealed the extent of the injury, but it was clear there was severe swelling.
She frowned, biting her lip with such force that it was obvious she was in pain. But she didn't cry out, not a single whimper. Taking a sharp breath, Jessica felt the pain intensifying.
She had thought her ear was merely tugged by that man, expecting at worst some redness and swelling which would respond to some ointment.
But now with the bleeding and intense pain, she was struggling to endure. Clenching her teeth, she reluctantly decided to call Gabriel after much hesitation.
The phone rang — one second, five seconds, ten...
As Jessica's patience thinned with each beep, she was about to hang up when the call connected, and a wave of relief washed over her, thinking Gabriel had finally picked up.
"Gabriel, I'm..."—she was about to say she was hurt but was interrupted.
"Jessica, it's me," Oscar's voice came through.
"Is Gabriel there? Does he have a moment?" she asked.
Oscar glanced at Gabriel's gesture before responding, "I'm sorry, Jessica, Gabriel's been slammed these past few days. I’ll pass on your message later."
"No, that’s okay." Jessica hung up abruptly.
If he didn't want to see her, why should she beg? Did he think she was reaching out just to discuss the divorce again? Did he honestly think she was that aggressive?
It was almost laughable. He was the one who wanted the divorce, and now he's the one playing hide and seek.
Jessica's ears ached fiercely, and she was about to hail a cab to the hospital, only to find her phone had died. The last bit of battery life was spent trying to call Gabriel. But it was in vain; he hadn't heard a word she said.
Her ears hurt. But her heart hurt even more.
Three minutes later, Yosef Dell pulled up in a sleek black Mercedes right beside Vincent Lucas.
Rolling down the window, he called out with enthusiasm, "Boss, over here.”
Vincent nodded, acknowledging he heard.
Yosef was puzzled. Isn't he getting in the car? The next moment, his eyes widened as he watched the boss quickly take hold of a girl's suitcase.
Jessica was dragging her suitcase along when suddenly someone grabbed it. Startled by the recent robbery, she quickly looked up.
Seeing the same man who had just helped her, she smiled with relief, "It's you! Thanks again for earlier. I'll be sure to find a way to thank you properly when I get the chance."
Vincent glanced at her, his words crisp and to the point, "Get in. I'll drive you to the hospital."
