Chapter 25: Chapter 25 – The Silent Acknowledgment

A few months prior, Claudina had heard whispers regarding her parents' whereabouts prior to their leaving her at the orphanage. With an eagerness to discover the truth, she set off to investigate further.

Claudina made a conscious decision to come by herself, wanting to remain as discreet as possible. After completing his tasks for the evening, she arrived, wearing a mask and sunglasses to hide her identity.

She arrived in a residential area that was in stark contrast to the city's flashy downtown area; its houses and apartments were aged and worn, with peeling paint and unkempt yards.

Just as she was about to step out of the convenience store to ask the cashier for directions, she was suddenly intercepted by three men who had rapidly moved to surround her.

"Wow, take a look here! There is an attractive woman in this area at night - what a pleasant surprise!"

He reached out to caress Claudina's cheek tenderly, but she stepped back, her expression unreadable. "What is it, my love? Why are you so distant? All we want is to show you how much we care about you."

"Would you like to join us, darling? We would be delighted to get a chance to see your beautiful face and take in your delightful scent."

Peering into the store, Claudina noticed the cashier inside silently staring back at her. As she surveyed the street outside, there were only a few cars driving by and no one else paying attention.

As Claudina tried to pass by, the three of them quickly grabbed her hand and held it firmly in their grasp.

"Release me, please," she whispered, her voice trembling with desperation.

"Hey, what's going on here?" One of the men was surprised when he heard Claudina's voice. "Just hearing her speak has stirred up such strong feelings in me that I want to make love to her," he exclaimed.

"Her hands are as soft as velvet," the others agreed, "and I can almost feel my body trembling with anticipation just at the mere touch."

Claudina frantically tugged at her tightly bound wrists, her voice echoing in desperation as she screamed for help. "Please, somebody help me!"

Three men in front of her, however, were simply laughing at her attempts.

"No one will be coming to save you," one of them declared, his face contorted in a look of disdain. "Come with us, and I can guarantee you will find joy."

Claudina peered into the convenience store, desperately hoping that the cashier would be able to help her, yet her pleas were met with a swift head-turn away.

"No, please, let me go!" she implored, her voice quivering, yet the three men continued to forcefully tug at her body.

Claudina fought back and pulled her body downward, yet the men's grip on her wrists remained strong. "Let me go," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

At that very moment, Claudina saw a man running towards her. He was a tall man with dark brown hair and clothes that were disheveled. He was pushing one of the men, and with a stern voice he shouted, "Let her go!"

"Can't you see she's begging for help?!" the man shouted desperately. With an intense expression, he pleaded with the others, "You can go looking for prostitutes out there, I'll pay for you, so please just let her go!"

"So what?" The three men menacingly confronted the man, their eyes darting around his disheveled hair. "What kind of trouble are you trying to stir up?" With a swift motion, one of them punched the man, causing him to stumble backward and his nose to start gushing blood.

The man stumbled to the ground, where he was viciously beaten by the three others. He was kicked in the stomach and then, one by one, had his body stepped on.

Claudina, desperate to help, ran to intervene, but was harshly shoved aside. "Help!" she desperately screamed out, praying that somebody would come to their aid.

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"Please, let him go!" Claudina shouted desperately, her eyes wide with fear as she saw the man lying on the ground, severely beaten by the three other men. "I'll give you whatever you want, just let him go!"

A number of black cars hastily screeched to a halt outside the convenience store and, almost simultaneously, Leo and a group of men wearing black suits emerged from their vehicles.

"Please, Mr. Leo, you have to help that man!" Claudina shouted desperately, prompting Leo to rapidly dash towards her.

The three men quickly fled the scene upon sighting Leo and the others coming in.

"Claudina, you can't be serious! You know exactly what could happen to you in a place like this on a night like this," Leo exclaimed, his frustration growing. "What would you have done if I hadn't come to help you?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Leo," Claudina said, turning to the man sprawled on the ground. She stepped forward, trying to offer her help, but Leo quickly grabbed her wrist.

"Come on, Claudina," Leo said, firmly but sympathetically. "You don't have to stay in this place any longer. Leave that poor guy alone; he's just a homeless person."

"No wait. Let me help him." Claudina said pleadingly.

Despite her protests, the other three men forcibly took hold of her and pulled her into the car.

Ever since the fateful event, Claudina was weighed down by a heavy sense of guilt, and she had not had the opportunity to thank the kind man who had come to her rescue. Nevertheless, she never forgot what he had done for her.

Claudina recalled the man's voice distinctly; it was authoritative and commanding as he scolded the other three men. Not only that, she remembered his face too, despite his disheveled appearance.

***

Arthur nodded in response to Claudina's request for him to take off his mask, and she nervously complied.

Claudina hesitantly raised her arm and glanced over at Arthur, who was sitting in the driver's seat. With trembling hands, she gingerly pulled off the mask that had been obscuring his face.

"Mr. Glitzy," she began, her voice trembling with anticipation, "I encountered someone a few months ago who had an identical voice to yours."

Claudina firmly believed that the man she had encountered before was the same one now sitting beside her. She found it peculiar that the man she had seen before had looked like a beggar, not as dignified as he was now.

However, Claudina still clearly recalled his voice and was certain what she had heard. The memory had been haunting her for months, leaving her with a sense of regret that she had not had the opportunity to express her gratitude.

The moment Claudina saw Arthur's face, her heart raced. His strong jawline and piercing, yet calming eyes made him appear exceptionally handsome. She had been eagerly awaiting this moment when the mask was finally lifted and she could behold his true features.

Claudina hesitantly asked Arthur "Mr. Glitzy. Did you ever help a woman in front of the convenience store a few months ago, at night?"

Arthur paused and, still focused on driving, he slowly turned towards Claudina. Studying her for a moment, he noticed her eyes glimmering in anticipation of his response.

"Please answer my question," she implored.

Claudina confessed, her voice full of regret, "I've been feeling guilty ever since that incident. I didn't even take the time to thank the person who helped me. Your voice is so familiar, and when I look at your face I can easily see the similarity between you and the person who helped me." She paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on Arthur's face.

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