Chapter 17 Eduardo stared at her , calmly wiping drool from his face . He didn't have a single complaint . But then he noticed the phone in Latrina's hand . As the call connected , he snatched it away . " Give it back , Eduardo ! " she screamed , unable to move . A Eduardo sneered , " Still counting on him ? If he knew you were pregnant , he'd be figuring out how to get rid of it by tomorrow . " He hung up and tossed the phone aside . " He wouldn't ! Not everyone is like you ! " Latrina retorted . " I did it all for you , Latrina ! I love you ! " His breath reeked of alcohol . " Eduardo , I believe you love me . Let go of me . Let's talk ... " she begged , afraid of making him angry . But his eyes were bloodshot , and he was already out of his mind . He leaned over , looked at her , and tore off her already tattered clothes . She felt her whole body go cold as her bare skin was exposed , and a long red scratch appeared on her fair shoulder . " Eduardo , are you crazy ? " " I'm just crazy ! " he yelled . At that moment , there was a loud banging on the door . " Help ! Help ! " Latrina's mouth and nose were covered by his hand , and she e was smothered . Her mind was in chaos . " Shut up ! " Eduardo pressed so hard that it hurt , and her cheeks were squished out of shape . It felt like the world went dark . But soon , Latrina felt her body get lighter , and fresh air rushed in . She coughed and came to her senses . Eduardo was dragged to the ground by a figure , with heavy thuds and painful wails . When she got up from the couch , she realized Gerhart was standing in the living room . His eyes were fierce , with drops of blood on his rimless glasses and his white shirt stained red . He calmly wiped the blood off his hand with a tissue . Eduardo lay on the ground , groaning in pain . His blood was flowing on the floor , and the whole room was filled with a disgusting smell of blood . " Gerhart ? Latrina whispered . This wasn't just a dream . It was him . It's me . He glanced at her . Her tears , long dried , welled up again . 1314 Menu 7.7 % Menu < Chapter 17 At that moment , Kelvin rushed in , stepping on the removed door . " Call 911. Let someone from the Gillespie family know , " Gerhart said . " Okay ... " Kelvin , out of breath , pulled out his phone and dialed 911 . Gerhart let out a barely noticeable sigh , picked up his suit jacket , and walked toward her . He knelt on the couch , threw a coat over her , and pulled her toward him . ' I'm asking you one last time , are you coming with me or not ? " He grabbed her collar , trapping her in his coat . His tone was so tough that if she shook her head , he'd leave . ' I'm yours . She looked at him with teary eyes , and her broken voice came out of her hoarse throat without hesitation , making people feel sorry for her . Gerhart's Adam's apple bobbed . He thought he'd misheard and just stood there , stunned , for a few seconds . " Are you sure ? " Latrina didn't say anything , got on her knees , and kissed his bloodied lips . Their warmth clashed for a moment - then their lips pulled apart . Gerhart wiped the tear stains on her face and pulled her into his arms . Soon , the cops arrived , and the questioning went smoothly . The medical staff took Eduardo in the ambulance too . M " I'll take her back first . Get someone to carry the luggage , " Gerhart said . He reached out his hands and pulled her close , hugging her tight . He ran his fingers through her hair , which was damp with sweat . Then he bent down , lifted her gently into his arms , and carried her out the door . " Okay , " Kelvin replied . Latrina glanced up at Gerhart , catching his unique scent , He held her all the way to the car and drove her to his apartment . He didn't let her down until they reached the bathroom . " I can do it myself , " she said , feeling uneasy in the confined space . " Alright , I'll get you some clothes . Just make do with these for now , " Gerhart said , turning to leave . Latrina sighed in relief . She looked at herself in the mirror , still shaken by what had happened . She took off the coat , kissed it , and whispered , " Thank you . " There was a knock on the bathroom door . Latrina opened it a crack , and a big hand handed her a white shirt . She picked it up , and Gerhart also tossed a pair of slippers onto the floor . " Thank you . " " Call me if you need anything . " " Okay . " She had no idea how long she'd been in the bathroom . After drying her hair , she let her long hair fall over her chest , covering just enough . With no bra underneath , his black shirt clung to her , pressing against her nipples and leaving little to the imagination . 1314 7.7 % Menu < Chapter 17 Simply put , she didn't wear anything inside . She took a deep breath and walked out . The room was empty . She passed through the study , by the cloakroom , and finally reached the familiar spot from that night . She clenched her fists , and all the nervousness . and fear hit her . At that moment , she heard a rustling sound outside the door and quickly hid under the blanket . There was a knock . " Come in , " she called out carefully . Gerhart walked in , pulling a suitcase . It was hers . " All the luggage is back . I got you a day off tomorrow , so rest up before heading back to work . Change first and let me know when you're done . I'll put some medicine on you later , " he said . " Okay . " He had already showered and was in clean clothes . His tone was still cold , emotionless . He walked out and gently closed the door without even looking at her . Latrina just stared at the door . She admired his calmness , his gentlemanly ways . If she loved him , he'd be a great partner . A She opened her suitcase . She usually lived alone , so all her pajamas were pretty skimpy . She put on her underwear under his big shirt and called him in . Gerhart came in with a medicine box and set it down by the bed . Latrina hadn't noticed her hands were all scratched up . He was super gentle , holding her with one hand while carefully putting ointment on with the other . Her wrist was all red , and her face was a bit swollen too . " How did you get there so fast ? " she asked . She was curious . She just called him and then he came . " We followed you back from the hospital . We only left af you , so I came back . I got your call right then . " " You followed me back ? " Yeah , " " Good thing you came ... " she replied softly . Gerhart's ears turned bright red . " But , I took your door off again . " Latrina chuckled . r you went upstairs . I saw Eduardo get into the elevator and thought he might bully This was the second time he'd taken the door off , and another 500 dollars was gone . " I'm going to put ointment on your face now , " Gerhart said , putting down her hand and grabbing a new cotton swab . Latrina swallowed hard , feeling awkward . Gerhart still had that ice - cold expression , and she couldn't read him at all . He gently held her chin and dabbed ointment on her face . Their breaths mingled , and the air between them started to feel intimate . Latrina could faintly hear both of their heartbeats and realized how close they were . It was the first time she'd ever looked at him this close , and she could see the tiny pores and fine hairs on his face clearly . 1314