But Jacqueline was there to make sure it didn't happen. She had been too panicked to realize what he was going to do. Instinctively, Jacqueline immediately slapped Benjamin as she would do to guys who crossed her red line.
By the time they realized what was happening, Benjamin's cheeks had turned red.
Jacqueline took a step back unconsciously. Her eyes were glued to Benjamin's face, watching every change in his expression warily.
She couldn't believe what she had just done when she saw the marks on Benjamin's hand.
No way, she had just slapped a mafia don, her mind had rung with sirens. Meanwhile, Benjamin did not take too long to calm down. He hadn't fully anticipated Jacqueline's reaction. This was the first time someone had slapped him; he tried to suppress his anger, pretended to smile in a friendly manner, and approached Jacqueline. Yet to Jacqueline, it was the smile of a devil. Benjamin took a step forward to approach Jacqueline. In his mind, there was a saying to make the atmosphere less tense.
However, everything Benjamin did after she slapped him was a red flag. As soon as he advanced, she immediately pushed him away and ran away.
"Jacqueline, be careful, you're wearing high heels," Benjamin shouted in an attempt to stop her.
Jacqueline couldn't hear anything; her mind was disturbed. She had only one goal, which was to get away from Benjamin as quickly as possible.
She quickly hid in a nearby bush. Taking a few minutes to understand what had happened, Jacqueline put her head down on her knees. Her tears escaped from the corners of her eyes and slid down along her cheeks.
Jacqueline despaired when she realized that she had just picked a fight with Benjamin, which meant she had just failed in her mission and she had single-handedly deprived her father of the opportunity to receive treatment.
Benjamin's voice echoed in the deserted space of the park. She heard him calling her name. Gradually, she heard his voice more and more clearly, meaning he was getting closer to where she was hiding.
Jacqueline held back her cries and breathing while her tears were still flowing.
His voice became clear and then faded. Once she was sure he was far from where she was hiding, Jacqueline crept out of the bushes.
Her face was dirty from tears that had smudged her mascara and rubbed off her makeup.
But she didn't know what she should do after that. Should she tell Madam Claire that she had just slapped Benjamin? Madam Claire would be mad at her.
At that moment, she had been most panicked and scared. She remembered her father, the only person who would protect her and give her a sense of security. Jacqueline had wanted to visit her father but hadn't known how to get there.
She had wanted to exit the park the same way they had come in. But she had stopped when she remembered that Madam Claire's assistant had still been waiting for her in the car. Once she came out, he would see her.
What should she do?
Jacqueline had pursed her lips, concentrating on thinking of a way to escape from there.
However, a feeling of deep pain from being hit by a heavy object had come from the back of her neck. Jacqueline's vision had started to dizzy. Jacqueline had collapsed, and before she had completely lost consciousness, she had still heard Benjamin calling in the distance.
"You were stupid to leave Benjamin," the guy who had knocked her out sarcastically said, then took her away.
…
Jacqueline had opened her eyes, and it had taken her a moment to regain her vision. Jacqueline had observed that it had been an empty room whose only source of light had been moonlight. There had been only one window through which the moonlight could enter.
The back of her neck had throbbed, the result of the strong blow that had caused her to faint. Moving her body, it hadn't taken long for her to realize she had been tied up. Her legs and arms had been tied with thick ropes.
Instinctively, Jacqueline had immediately sought to escape the constraints of the ropes. But they had been too thick, and the person who had kidnapped her had wrapped them multiple times to ensure she had had no chance of escaping.
Jacqueline had been startled to hear the footsteps getting closer and closer, and then the footsteps had stopped when she had realized someone had been standing outside the room, behind the door.
Her eyes had been glued to the door throughout the entire process. Sweat had broken out on her forehead and hands. Jacqueline had wondered what would happen next.
But the footsteps had sounded again, and farther and farther away. That guy had left. Until she hadn't been able to hear the footsteps anymore, she had relaxed her breath and panted.
She had been so scared that she had forgotten she needed to breathe.
Jacqueline's heart had beaten so fast and hard that she had felt it had been about to jump out of her chest.
Telling herself words of comfort and encouragement, she soon regained her reason and controlled her fear. She hadn't known why she had been kidnapped, nor could she have guessed the kidnappers' motives.
Jacqueline lived by her father's teachings, dedicating herself to a selfless life and an honest character. It was hard for anyone to hate her unless they were Satan's demons.
She had once again observed the entire room, but this time, more carefully. She had tried to find something to help her escape the ropes.
There hadn't been too many objects in the room, mainly trash. Not finding anything of use to her, she had only been able to observe the rope.
The kidnappers had tied her hands behind her back and her legs. Jacqueline had found that her ability to untie her hands had been almost zero percent, but she had decided to try untying her legs.
She had laid down on the floor, arching her back and legs so that her hands could touch the knot in her legs. She had been trying to untie her feet. It had been too tight, and her hands had been tied, making it more difficult to save herself.
But that had been the only way for Jacqueline to save herself. She had been completely focused on untying herself while beads of sweat had appeared on her forehead.
Her complete concentration had brought her bad luck in some way. She hadn't been able to hear footsteps from outside the room. And when the door of the room had been kicked open, an aggressive voice had echoed throughout the room: "Who the hell is the girl going with the f*cking Benjamin?"
Jacqueline's heart had leaped when she heard a dangerous strange voice. Looking towards the door, her heart froze as she saw a burly man with many fierce scars on his face.
He had frowned when he had realized what she had been doing. That fierce man immediately rushed towards her, making her close to him by grabbing her hair.
"What the hell are you doing, you damn woman!" Their faces had been so close that she had seen bloodshot eyes in his.
The first time she had seen such a fierce and scary guy, she had even forgotten to scream. Jacqueline had swallowed. She didn't know what she should do now.
"Why don't you answer me?" The guy had roared when he hadn't heard an answer from her.
Without hesitation, that guy had slapped Jacqueline. She had felt the roughness of his palm, along with the searing pain in her left cheek.
Jacqueline's left cheek had been burning and swollen. He had been a man willing to use force against anyone who made him angry. It had made Jacqueline's heart rate increase with fear.
She had reminded herself to say the answer before another slap landed on her right side. But her lips had moved, she hadn't been able to utter a word. Jacqueline's eyes hadn't been able to leave the face of the fierce man restraining her, while her whole body had trembled.
Jacqueline had been completely dominated by fear.
That guy had frowned at her slowness. With just one glance, he had smiled contemptuously when he had realized that she had been no different from a pitiful deer standing in front of the hunter's gun.
He had pushed her away. Jacqueline had fallen to the floor, unable to resist. She had heard his voice, "You a weakling! What made you accept the invitation to dinner with that *sshole? Weren't you afraid of death? Or did he have something that made you willing to pay with your life? Well, just tell me and I will probably be more polite to you.
His eyes didn't leave her, narrowed to assess her as the last word escaped his mouth.
The harshness of his demeanor made her feel more confused than lucky.