Chapter 2

No one answered.

I opened my eyes. Julian was nowhere to be seen.

Maybe some sand got in my eyes, because tears streamed out, one after another.

A tissue appeared in front of me.

"Here, wipe it. Your makeup's running."

Asher was Chloe's new boyfriend.

Julian and I had set a wedding date, and Chloe had enthusiastically suggested we have a joint wedding.

Before I could refuse, Julian had agreed without hesitation.

He explained it to me casually.

"Chloe's my best friend. A joint wedding will be fun, Riley. Don't be so petty."

This group ocean getaway was also Chloe's idea.

Julian, as always, readily agreed.

He was always like that. Whatever his "best friend" asked, good or bad, he'd agree.

When we got to the beach, Julian said he'd forgotten the camera and asked me to go back to the hotel to get it.

I didn't think much of it. Who knew when I came back, I'd see him applying sunscreen to Chloe.

Her bikini was barely clinging to her. Julian was pressed against her from behind, his hands on her chest.

Their proximity was intimate, far beyond the boundaries of friendship.

Seriously, what kind of "pure" friendship goes this far?

Touching each other's private areas?

Seeing Asher still there, I asked him,

"Aren't you upset? She's your girlfriend."

Asher raised an eyebrow.

"I never said she was my girlfriend."

I froze for a moment, but Asher didn't elaborate.

After that whole scene, I wasn't in the mood to enjoy myself anymore. I decided to head back to the hotel.

Walking along the shaded path, suddenly, a large hand clamped over my mouth.

A pungent smell made my head spin, then everything went black. I lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was lying on a reef.

Several men surrounded me, their eyes leering, hands rubbing together.

Each of them held a bottle of sunscreen, their eyes glowing with a predatory green light.

"Heh heh, little beauty, heard you like sunscreen."

"Big brothers are here to rub it in for you, guaranteed to cover every inch, top to bottom, inside and out."

I snapped awake, my heart pounding wildly, like it had plunged into a black hole.

Several terrifying hands reached for me. I screamed, I struggled, but my hands and feet were held down by multiple grips.

"Help! Julian, save me! Someone, please save me!"

The utter helplessness made me burst into tears, screaming at the top of my lungs, hoping someone would come to my rescue.

But those men seemed to read my thoughts and burst into laughter.

"Go ahead and scream! This is an undeveloped area. You can scream until your throat rips, no one's coming."

"Look at this little chick, her skin is so pale. Wonder how that guy could bear to let her go."

My nostrils were filled with various foul smells, tears streamed down my face.

My heart felt dead, my whole body felt like it had fallen into a sewage pit.

I stopped thinking, sinking my teeth into one of the men.

A searing pain tore at my scalp, and I was slapped hard a few times.

"Bitch! Still dare to bite me?!"

"Get her! The boss said to just leave her alive!"

My vision went black, a buzzing filled my ears, completely engulfed by despair.

Suddenly, the sickening touches disappeared.

Several screams echoed.

I opened my eyes. A black suit jacket fell over me, covering my body. I was lifted into someone's arms.

At the police station, Julian rushed in and immediately hugged me tightly.

"Riley, you scared me to death! Are you okay? How could something like this happen?"

"Who did this? Where are the culprits?"

His shouts echoed off the walls. Chloe slapped herself on the forehead.

"Riley's fine, isn't she, Julian? Do you have to make a big scene so everyone knows?"

"Listen to your dad. Take your fiancée home, let her rest. Apologize, comfort her. She's not as tough as me, able to handle anything. What if she gets depressed?"