Chapter 7 Our Secret Will Be Exposed
1348 Words
"Is anyone here?" I banged on the door while shouting loudly, but no one responded.
My phone had no signal, and I didn't have the time to wait for rescue. I had to save myself!
But the warehouse door was locked. My only options were to crawl through the ventilation pipe or climb out the window.
The window was about three and a half meters high, and there was a ladder in the corner of the wall, about two meters tall, which could help me climb out. I quickly turned around, intending to find something to break the window.
But to my surprise, just a few minutes later, the fire spread even more! The perfume ingredients burned with a particularly pungent smell, and I covered my mouth, coughing uncontrollably.
After an unknown amount of time, I finally found an abandoned steel pipe. I rushed toward the window.
The fire was already nearly reaching the ceiling!
I set the ladder against the wall, climbed to the top, and struck the glass window with all my strength. "Bang!" I grabbed the edge of the window and started to climb.
It hurt so much! The glass shards pierced my skin, but I couldn't let go. Using both my hands and feet, I finally managed to climb through.
Outside, the ground was three meters below, and inside was a raging fire. Gritting my teeth, I jumped out, protecting my head with my arms.
*****
A crowd had gathered outside the warehouse. Limping, I walked toward the gathering, covering the wounds on my arm. The pain made me want to cry, but I held it back.
"The fire safety measures have always been impeccable in the material warehouse. How did this massive fire even start?"
Hall came striding over.
He angrily questioned Jack, "What's going on? Why is there such a massive fire?"
"Hall, I just wanted to teach her a lesson by locking her in the warehouse. I never expected her to be so crazy as to actually set it on fire!" Jack replied incredulously, his acting flawless.
"Didn't I tell you to keep an eye on her? She's the head of the Brightline Group team. If something goes wrong this early in our partnership, it could cost us millions of dollars!" Hall rebuked angrily.
Jack looked down and said solemnly, "It's not my fault. She set the warehouse on fire herself and destroyed all those materials. We'll hire a top-notch lawyer, and not only won't we be held responsible, but we can also have her team compensate for the losses."
Hall looked at him coldly, seemingly contemplating or questioning him.
"I can't believe how shameless you are." I stood behind the crowd, smirking mockingly.
Everyone turned to look at me, their faces a mixture of shock and pity.
"Oh my God! Did she just escape from the warehouse? Poor thing!" someone exclaimed.
I knew I must look terrible right now.
Strangers pitied me for my ordeal, while the one responsible was still trying to evade blame.
"Hall, I thought that, as a spoiled rich kid, you'd at least have the most basic sense of morality." My voice was hoarse as I limped toward Hall, looking at him with disappointment, my gaze steady. "I guess I was wrong about you."
Hall looked at my arm, stunned into silence.
"Jack, I swear, the slander and harm you've done to me will come back to bite you!" I declared firmly, the last words spilling from my lips as my strength finally gave out. My head was spinning, and I swayed unsteadily.
"Jolene?" Hall reached out to catch me.
Thankfully, he still had a bit of conscience left.
*****
When I regained consciousness, the smell of disinfectant filled my senses.
Besides that, there was a faint, familiar sandalwood aroma mixed in.
When I opened my eyes, I saw Eugene sitting on the sofa by the window, wearing a black trench coat. His long hair fluttered with the white curtains, and the sunlight cast a soft glow on his attractive features.
He was intently wiping the parts of his handgun, assembling them one by one. His intense eyes sparkled, captivating like enchanted gems.
'Three years ago, he had also waited for me to wake up in the hospital, just like this.'
"Eugene," I croaked, my voice still rough.
Eugene paused his movements, looking at me with a warm smile. "Jolene, congratulations on surviving."
He was smiling, but I could somehow sense his anger.
"Sorry, I didn't expect him to be so mental." He tried to kill me the first time we had met, and with such an absurd reason—this wasn't something a sane person would do.
"You're not the one who should be sorry." He caressed my hair.
A glint of anger flashed in Eugene's eyes. "It's that piece of shit."
He was angry for me.
In his mind, I was an important partner, the only teammate who played this game with him. He wouldn't allow anyone to threaten my life.
"I won't let him get away with it," I replied firmly.
Eugene smiled. "Do what you need to do. I've got your back."
He gently twirled my long hair with his fingers. "It's a shame your beautiful hair got damaged by the heat. Remember how I gave it haircare just six months ago? It's been half a year since we last saw each other..."
He paused. We were probably thinking about the same thing.
In reality, I hadn't spent much time with him over the past three years. After I was discharged from the hospital, he arranged for many people to train me.
They taught me how to adapt to high society, how to live with a new identity, and how to master various skills.
Whenever I achieved something, Eugene would make time to visit, showering me with genuine praise.
Sometimes I felt he was like an older brother. Other times, he felt like a gentle lover.
Later, I came to realize he was actually ruthless, showing patience only toward me.
Six months ago, some minor accidents changed our relationship.
He hadn't been pleased with this shift, so he disappeared for half a year.
"It's only been six months, and you've ended up in this sorry state." Eugene sat by the bedside, stroking the ends of my hair. "I don't have the time to give you haircare again. This dry mop is going to look awful if you don't cut it."
"You're so busy. You should take care of your work. I can handle my own stuff."
"Is this how you handle your stuff?" He scanned my arm.
Embarrassed, I blushed and turned my head to avoid his look. "It was an accident."
My throat was scorched from the smoke, and whenever I talked, I felt a stinging sensation. I tried to pour myself a glass of water.
"What are you doing?" He grabbed my arm.
"I'm thirsty."
"Sit still and don't move." Eugene took the glass, poured me a drink, glanced at my bandaged arm, and sat beside me, bringing the glass to my lips. "This is the first time I'm feeding someone water. For this glass of water, you need to win the competition at the end of the year."
I took a couple of sips before taking the cup. "This is for myself. I need to beat Sarah and deny her any chance to climb higher."
"I'm looking forward to that day."
After finishing my water, I noticed Eugene was staring at my lips.
His body was so close that I could clearly smell the calming sandalwood scent on him.
Time seemed to rewind to six months ago when I had fed him water as he leaned back against the headboard, drunk...
While my mind was wandering, footsteps came from outside the door.
"Who knows if this is her self-directed drama? I'll handle this, so don't worry."
'It is Hall! Why is he here? Judging from the sound of it, he is already at the door! If he pushes it open, he'll see Eugene, and our secret will be exposed!'
- Writer
