Chapter 141: Donât worry,Iâm pretty strong
âKatherine, please believe me!â Aria sat at her vanity, resting her forehead on her hands, her voice lowered, âI have a good read on men, and heâs really dangerous.â
She had emergency contraception in front of her, which she had picked up from the pharmacy that morning.
Just thinking about the scene made her blush with embarrassment.
But Aria didnât dare not take it.
After she returned to her room last night, she spent a long time in the bathroom, frightened by the amount of semen left inside her.
On the other end of the phone, Katherineâs voice was icy: âOkay, I got it. Iâm still busy right now, weâll talk later.â
âButââ Aria started to say.
âEnough.â Katherineâs tone grew angrier: âItâs always like this with you, Iâm really tired of it. Canât you stop overthinking things?â
With that, the line went dead with a beep.
Aria stared at the phone in her hand, then slammed it down on the vanity, covering her eyes with her hands, her shoulders shaking. In just a moment, tears seeped through her fingers.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âSob.â
Ariaâs crying grew louder, her pretty cheeks streaked with tears.
She rested her forehead on her hands, crying silently.
Thereâs no greater injustice than giving your all for someone and not being understood.
Aria thought about how she had been threatened by that man last night, even performing oral sex on him, all for Katherineâs sake, and now Katherine was treating her like she was just meddling.
At that moment, she didnât know whether to hate Ethan, or Katherine for her lack of understanding, for not trusting her.
âSobâsob.â
Aria buried her head in the vanity and wept.
Meanwhile.
After hanging up the phone, Katherine leaned back in the driverâs seat, her expression full of helplessness, surrounded by the statements she had just recorded.
She had a lot of complicated work to deal with, and here was Aria, disturbing her with her paranoia.
Katherine rubbed her temples, looking at her phone screen with a pained expression.
She felt she had been too harsh just now.
But every time a man appeared around her, Aria showed hostility, and this time, she was even jealous of a high school student.
Even outright calling him dangerous.
Katherine knew Aria had special feelings for her, but she couldnât reciprocate.
Should she call her back?
Katherine held her phone, hesitating.
âKatherine.â Ethanâs voice came from beside her, his expression awkward: âIs it Miss Aria? Sorry, I think I caused her misunderstanding. Iâll explain everything to her tonight.â
âItâs okay.â Katherine saw Ethanâs understanding side and couldnât help but compare him to Aria.
Compared to him, Aria, though an adult, acted like a child who never grew up.
âAre you tired? Do you need to rest?â Katherine put away her phone, deciding not to message her back for now. Aria had always been a bit neurotic.
It was getting on her nerves.
âAh, no worries, Iâll just sort out these documents first.â Ethan sat in the passenger seat, picking up the testimonies they had collected from the victims today, and began to organize them diligently.
Katherine watched his serious expression, thinking how they say a man who is focused can be very charming.
To her, Ethan was just a kid, of course not charming in that sense, but despite being seriously ill, he was tirelessly helping her with the paperwork.
Katherineâs work was complex and involved battling powerful figures, which sounded cool.
But in reality, most people steered clear of such challenges.
This boy was helping her out of sheer passion.
The more Katherine observed Ethan, the more her heart went out to him.
Especially when compared to the neurotic Aria.
âAh,â Katherine sighed softly, wondering why there was such a big difference.
âLetâs do this together.â
Katherine perked up, working alongside Ethan.
The tedious work became much smoother with someone to help, and her irritation eased a bit.
Time passed until the sun set, draping the sky in a veil of red.
Ethan looked up, rubbing his sore neck after sorting documents in the car for three hours.
He had only intended to pretend, not expecting Katherine to be such a workaholic, but he played along for the sake of maintaining his image.
Katherine noticed his discomfort, looked outside at the setting sun, and realized how much time had passed.
Seeing Ethanâs tired expression, she showed a look of apology: âSorry, I often lose track of time when Iâm working.â
Katherine gathered the organized documents, buckled up again: âLetâs go have some dinner. I know a nice French restaurant.â
âItâs okay,â Ethan waved his hand: âJust some bread will do, I havenât finished organizing these yet.â
âNo,â Katherineâs eyes softened, âAt your age, you should eat something substantial.â
She found herself increasingly fond of this young man.
Just then, her phone suddenly rang.
Katherine answered it, and after a few words, her face turned pale: âIâll be right there!â
âKatherine, whatâs wrong?â Ethan frowned.
âWe need to go to the hospital.â Katherineâs face was grim as she started the car.
The car drove through the cityâs vibrant night lights.
Katherine and Ethan entered Capitol City Hospital and arrived at the surgery room, which was already crowded.
Katherine hurried to the door, facing a middle-aged man with a tense expression: âMinister Carter, how is Lucas?â
Minister Carter, serious and in his forties, looked grim: âLucas was attacked from behind with a baseball bat on his way home from work. His hands are fractured, but his life isnât in danger. There were no cameras on that small road, and the police are investigating.â
âAttacked from behind?â Katherine looked towards the surgery room, only seeing the âIn Surgeryâ sign.
Her face turned sour, and after a moment she asked, âThe work of a gang? Is it because of the case Iâm handling?â
âWe donât know yet, he was also handling cases involving gangs,â Minister Carterâs face darkened. âThese guys, daring to attack a prosecutor, whoever they are, Iâll make them pay!â
Katherine clenched her fists, sitting back down on a metal chair.
Then, a cup of water was handed to her.
Ethanâs expression was calm: âKatherine, have some water.â
Katherine looked up into Ethanâs sincere eyes, silently taking the cup: âThank you.â
Ethan sat down beside her, his gaze firm: âDonât worry, Katherine, whatever happens, Iâll protect you.â
Katherine looked up, surprised: âArenât you afraid? You said, even psychics fear guns, and weâre dealing with an organized crime group.â
âOf course, Iâm scared,â Ethan tapped his thigh, âHonestly, Iâm still shaking.â
As he spoke, his eyes grew resolute: âBut if everyone stays silent, the truth will forever remain in the dark. Katherine, youâre the hero who speaks out, so if anyone wants to harm you, theyâll have to step over my dead body.â
Hearing this, Katherineâs eyes suddenly welled up, and she patted his head: âStop trying to be a hero. If it gets dangerous, you must protect yourself first.â
âDonât worry,â Ethan pointed to himself, âIâm pretty strong.â
Confidence flashed in his eyes.
True to the Salvatore name, he was efficient in his actions.