“Hey! Where are you going!?” a voice barked sharply as a strong hand gripped Florentina’s shoulder.
She winced in pain from the sudden force.
“Flora!?” the man exclaimed in surprise.
Florentina turned, her heart still racing, only to recognize the familiar face.
The man immediately loosened his grip, his expression shifting into confusion as he looked her up and down—especially when he noticed she wasn’t wearing any shoes.
“Oh… Mr. Teddy…” Florentina breathed, relief washing over her.
The man was Teddy Todd, the neighborhood security guard she knew well.
“Where are you going at this hour? And why aren’t you wearing any shoes?” Teddy asked, his tone firm yet concerned.
“I… I… yes… m-my mom is sick,” Florentina stammered, struggling to steady her voice.
“Sick? What’s wrong with your aunt?” Teddy asked, his brows furrowing.
He knew Theresia quite well and immediately grew concerned.
Teddy, a young man from Sulvar, had a reputation in the neighborhood for being helpful and dependable.
Hearing that Theresia was ill clearly troubled him.
“Um… she has stomach cramps,” Florentina replied quickly, avoiding his eyes.
She had no intention of telling him the truth.
What her stepmother had done could be considered a crime—but it wasn’t something she could prove.
Telling Teddy might only complicate things and drag the authorities into it.
All she wanted now was to get away.
“Stomach cramps? Why not take her to the hospital?” Teddy asked again.
“No… she asked me to call Mrs. Indy. She’s a traditional midwife who usually treats her. She knows how to handle it,” Florentina said, the lie coming more smoothly now.
“A midwife?” Teddy frowned, clearly puzzled.
For a brief moment, a strange thought crossed his mind—was Theresia pregnant?
At her age?
Sensing his suspicion, Florentina quickly added, “Just… you know… a woman’s issue. Monthly problem.”
Teddy nodded slowly, seeming to understand.
“Where does this Mrs. Indy live? I’ve never heard of her,” he asked again.
“She lives in Cannary,” Florentina answered, mentioning the area where Melanie’s boarding house was located.
“In Cannary? That’s quite far. How are you going to get there at this hour?” Teddy pressed, glancing at the empty street.
“I don’t know… I was just about to figure that out. There probably aren’t any taxis this early,” she admitted.
Teddy checked his watch.
“It’s only three in the morning… Alright, I’ll take you.”
“Yes—thank you!” Florentina replied quickly, barely able to hide her relief.
*Thank you, God… this must be Your help,* she prayed silently.
She followed Teddy to the guard post.
“Rhin, I’m taking Flora somewhere,” Teddy said to Max Rhin, who was sitting and watching TV.
Without much reaction, Max only glanced briefly before returning his attention to the screen.
Moments later, Florentina was riding on the back of Teddy’s motorcycle, heading toward Cannary.
But as the wind brushed against her face, a new worry crept into her mind.
*What if he finds out where Melanie lives?
What if he tells Theresia?*
Her stepmother would definitely come after her—drag her back home and hand her over to those men.
It would be the easiest way for Theresia to get money.
Florentina’s grip tightened slightly as anxiety filled her chest.
*Oh no… what should I do?*
As they approached the area, an idea suddenly came to her.
“Sorry, Mrs. Indy’s house is in that alley,” Florentina said, pointing to a narrow passage about twenty meters away from Melanie’s boarding house.
“I’ll wait here,” Teddy said, stopping his motorcycle.
“No need. Her son has a car—we’ll go together. You can head back,” Florentina insisted, hoping he would leave immediately.
Teddy hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Alright, I’ll go back.”
“Okay. Thank you for the ride,” she said, quickly stepping off and walking into the alley.
However, her relief didn’t last long.
She could feel Teddy’s gaze still on her back.
Turning slightly, she saw him still standing at the entrance, watching—making sure she was safe.
A kind gesture… but one that complicated her plan.
*I should be grateful… but please, just go already,* she muttered inwardly.
She kept walking, her mind racing, hoping to find a way out of his sight.
A few steps later, she spotted a smaller, darker alley branching off ahead.
It looked unsettling, almost eerie—but she had no choice.
Taking a deep breath, she slipped into it.
Once she was sure Teddy could no longer see her, she stopped and waited.
Minutes passed slowly.
Carefully, she peeked back toward the main road.
Relief flooded her chest when she saw Teddy was gone.
Still cautious, she didn’t move immediately.
She waited a little longer, just to be sure.
But just as she was about to step out—
“Who’s there!?” a loud voice suddenly echoed.
Florentina froze.
She turned slowly.
A man emerged from the darkness.
In the faint light, she could see he was wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts.
In his hand—was a machete.
Fear struck her like lightning.
Her body went cold.
Her legs trembled violently.
If this man meant harm… it would all be over.
She couldn’t even scream.
As the man stepped closer, her strength gave out completely.
Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground.
“Hey! What’s wrong with you? Who are you?” the man asked in shock, quickly reaching out to steady her.
Florentina was still conscious, but barely.
“M-miss… hey, wake up…” the man said, clearly confused, scanning her condition.
Summoning what little strength she had left, Florentina finally spoke in a trembling voice.
“S-someone… someone was following me…”
“Following you? Who? Who are you?” the man asked sharply, his tone turning serious.
Florentina hesitated for a split second, then forced herself to think.
“I… I was coming home from work… and someone started following me,” she said, fabricating another story.
“From work?
Where do you work?”
“At Grand Medica Pharmacy.”
“You work this late?” the man asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously as he examined her more closely.
“Our pharmacy is open 24 hours. There was a late delivery… I had to stay until everything was unloaded,” she continued, trying to sound convincing.
“Where do you live?”
“I rent a room on Cannary Street, number 98,” she answered—giving Melanie’s address.
Before the man could respond—
“Who’s there!?” another voice suddenly shouted.
A beam of flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating both Florentina and the man with the machete.