The Billionaire Who Saved Me

No matter how much Elice pleaded, it seemed to have no effect on Ariel, whose eyes had gone dark. His reason was gone, all blinded by the dark desire that forced Elice to resist relentlessly. He continued, undeterred, even when his efforts caused the table to break, he persisted. All to free himself from Ariel’s grasp.

“Ariel, please. Stop!”

Instead of stopping his actions, Ariel became more eager. One of his hands moved, grabbing the sleeve of Elice’s shirt, and ripping it with a single tug. He did not care if his nails left scratches on her smooth skin.

Elice screamed. The pain and fear made her even more afraid.

“No, Ariel. Please don’t do this.”

Ariel grinned and held the torn piece of shirt to her nose, sniffing the scent.

A shiver ran through Elice’s body. Stiffly, she tried to shake her head, knowing she was hoping for the impossible.

“Don’t, Ariel. I beg you, don’t do this to me.”

But these pleas would be useless. They could not touch the conscience covered by that loveless desire. For the umpteenth time, the sound of the torn cloth resounded.

The sound of the torn cloth aroused Ariel’s lust. His eyes moved wildly, staring, clearly witnessing how his actions were deforming Elice’s clothing. The shirt tore in several places, revealing the skin beneath, a sight that made Ariel salivate.

Elice shook her head. She knew exactly what was going to happen to her. Something terrible.

“You’re so beautiful, Elice. Oh, God. I won’t let you go again.”

Hope that was clearly different from what Elice wanted. Because when Ariel said that, his hand on Elice’s waist pulled, bringing their bodies even closer together.

Elice tried to avoid it. When Ariel tried again to grab her lips for a desired kiss, Elice dodged and prevented the man from getting what he wanted.

But Ariel did not give up. Maybe he could not enjoy Elice’s lips now, but that did not mean Ariel would not be grateful for the kisses he could plant on her neck.

Elice closed her eyes. Refusing to see the reality that was happening to her right now. Trying to push Ariel’s chest with her clenched fists, Elice realized that her strength was clearly no match for Ariel. The man remained relentless.

Ariel, in turn, pushed Elice back until her body hit the wall, causing pain in her head. She winced. But Ariel did not care. He cornered Elice, giving him the strength to explore Elice’s body with his hands.

A muffled scream escaped Elice’s throat. When she felt Ariel’s fingers probing her belly roughly and heartlessly, she shivered. Tears unconsciously fell from her eyes.

“Ariel, please.”

Ariel did not hear the plea. He continued to do what he wanted. Kissing Elice where he wanted. With hands that touched her body more and more wildly and insolently.

“You used to love it when I touched you like this, Elice.”

Ariel’s face was right in front of Elice’s. He could clearly see the tears wetting that beautiful face, but it remained unyielding, untouched.

“You remember, don’t you?” Ariel asked with a panting breath, caressing Elice’s face and instilling an unimaginable fear in her. “You never refused me, Elice. Or have you forgotten? How I could give you incomparable pleasure?”

Elice shook her head. The memories made her disgusted with herself. Until, for some reason, Elice finally opened her eyes.

“I never thought I could have given my love and my life to a scoundrel like you, Ariel.”

Ariel’s face changed. His jaw tightened.

“I truly regret ever loving you,” Elice said, breathing heavily. “You are never worthy of love.”

Silence followed without a word from Ariel. His eyes glared sharply at Elice, conveying various threats of the horrors he could inflict upon her. Elice returned his gaze with eyes full of hatred that Ariel refused to acknowledge.

Ariel shook his head, returning to his original determination that had led him to end up in Elice’s unit.

“You’ll see for yourself, Elice,” Ariel growled with a stern warning. “When I make love to you for the umpteenth time, you will realize that only I can possess you.”

Elice would not allow it. She would not let Ariel touch her again, even if it meant risking her life.

Because if Ariel pressed her again, Elice knew that she could not resist him with the same strength. So, her hands went to another point. With her thumb tensed, Elice did not hesitate to press on Ariel’s eyeball with all her might.

Ariel’s cry sounded like a howl. Whether he liked it or not, it forced him to retreat as Elice continued to press on his eye.

Elice was free. But she knew she did not have much time. She ran quickly to her room while Ariel still screamed in pain and rage.

As fast as she could, Elice locked her bedroom door. But it was not enough. She pushed her dressing table against the door when the pounding caused strong vibrations there.

Elice jumped, her body shaking. She swallowed saliva.

“Open the door, Elice! Open the door! Let me in! Hahaha. Were you waiting for me in your room?”

It was unimaginable how scared Elice was at that moment. Even though she knew that Ariel could not possibly get into her room, the fear still dominated her body. She was trapped in tremors that almost made her mind go blank.

“G-Garrett.”

Stuttering, Elice called out Garrett’s name, causing her to immediately shift her gaze to find the phone she needed.

The device lay on the bed. Elice quickly grabbed it, her panic growing as Ariel’s pounding and screaming continued to fill her ears. She pressed Garrett’s contact with a sense of urgency.

Elice waited with a heart that seemed ready to explode at any moment. She even bit her nails, feeling like she was about to die.

Then the call came. And before Garrett could speak, Elice’s moan slipped out.

“P-please, Garrett.”

*

There’s no need to ask how pale Garrett’s face became when he heard Elice’s voice on the phone. He was sure that something bad was happening to Elice. But as Elice continued to speak, Garrett felt his life being sucked out of his head.

“A-Ariel is here, Garrett. P-please help me.”

At that moment, Garrett had just arrived with Amber. They had just arrived at the parking lot, preparing for the next meeting that was always on his agenda.

Something was wrong. Amber knew when she saw the change in Garrett’s face. But just as she was about to ask, Garrett acted. Preceded by his voice on the phone.

“I’ll be right there.”

Garrett put the phone in his jacket pocket, ignoring Amber’s questions. Instead of answering, he opened the driver’s door. Without hesitation, he pulled Dariel behind him. He got in. He sat down. And without any explanation to Amber or Dariel, he drove off.

It was the longest trip Garrett had ever taken. No matter how hard he stepped on the gas, it never seemed fast enough to propel him over the asphalt.

Garrett was almost going crazy. His chest felt hot and tight. Until repeatedly, whether he was aware of it or not, his hands moved. He slapped the steering wheel, uttering various curses.

“I’ll never forgive you, Ariel. If anything bad happens to Elice, I won’t let you get away with it. I swear!”

Garrett’s car had not stopped perfectly. But when he reached the parking lot, he did not care anymore. He got out quickly. He ran as fast as he could until he reached her apartment.

The door to Elice’s apartment was open. It made Garrett freeze for a moment for every possible bad scenario he could not erase from his mind.

What if I’m too late?

Garrett entered. The chaos of the living room greeted him. A broken glass table. A sofa out of place. And… Garrett’s eyes moved.

Where is Elice?

There was no sign of Elice. Garrett immediately searched for her.

“Elice? Elice? Where are you?”

Garrett entered and immediately searched the room he thought was her bedroom. With the door closed. And he braced himself.

Garrett’s hand pressed against the door. Still. Creating a glimmer of confidence in his heart. Elice was inside.

“Elice? Are you in there?”

Garrett tried to open the door again. But he really could not.

“G-Garrett?”

There was a faint voice. It made Garrett pause for a moment in his efforts to open the door. Hope appeared.

“Elice? Are you in there?” Garrett asked again. “It’s me. Open the door, Elice.”

Inside, Elice stared at the door with a frightened look on her face. In a hesitation that kept her from moving from where she was standing.

“A-are you really Garrett?”

Elice did not want to take any chances. She clutched her hair and stifled a grin. In a state of panic and fear, she doubted her sanity. She might have misheard. It might not be Garrett behind the door. It could very well be Ariel.

“It’s me, Elice. Me. Garrett. Oh, God. Are you okay, Elice?”

Tears fell down Elice’s cheeks. Her chest was pounding. She tried to hold on, but in reality, Elice felt more and more helpless.

“A-Are you really Garrett?” Elice asked again. This time her feet moved with an uncertain step. Her eyes never left the tightly closed door, the vanity table still providing an extra layer of protection.

“Elice, it’s me. I’m Garrett.”

Elice bit her lower lip. Her feet moved back, though hesitantly.

“H-how can you prove you’re Garrett?”

Because Elice knew. Opening the door was a huge risk. She could not risk her life just because panic had blinded her.

“Proof?”

The voice sounded hesitant, and that made the suppressed grin on Elice’s face finally break free. The doubt almost confirmed her worst fears.

It’s not Garrett. It’s not Garrett. It’s Ariel trying to deceive me.

Elice shook her head and stepped back. She did not want to open the door without being sure that Garrett really was behind it.

Garrett closed his eyes, his hand clenched on the door, trying to find the proof Elice wanted.

“Remember what I told you that night, Elice?”

Garrett asked, waiting for Elice’s answer with mixed emotions. An urge to find out about Elice’s condition as soon as possible and the patience he had to endure. He knew that Elice was terribly afraid inside.

“W-What?”

The counter-question Elice threw at him was a bit of a relief for Garrett. His face lifted, as if he could see Elice behind the closed door. His eyes stared straight ahead, unblinking.

“You have the most beautiful nose I’ve ever seen.”

The answer caused a moment of silence, leaving Garrett unsure of what to do. If those words were not proof enough, he would have to resort to another option. Anything to make sure Elice was okay. He had to see Elice’s condition with his own eyes.

Then a small noise was heard. Garrett tensed. The door opened, revealing Elice in a terribly disheveled state. But Garrett could not dwell on Elice’s suffering any longer. It only took a moment for Elice to run to him and hug him tightly. Making Garrett feel the moisture on his shirt. Moisture that ignited a fire in his chest.

*