Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Angel

The screeching sound of horns blared, irritating Rick. He stared at the traffic through the windshield and sighed.

Reaching the meeting on time was nearly impossible with so much traffic.

Just then, his phone rang. Pressing the receiver button, Rick greeted,

“Good morning. Mr. James”

“Good morning to you, too, Mr. Rick. I seem to have arrived a bit early and wondered if you could arrive early too? By the way, where are you?”

“I am at Bryn Highway,” Rick answered.

“Oh, there is a shortcut from there. Just take that, and you arrive at the hotel within half an hour.” James’s voice, though friendly, grated on Rick’s nerves.

“I…I…see.” That was all Rick could say.

“Good. Then I will wait for you in the private room.”

Rick remained in a daze even after the call ended.

’I should take the shortcut.’ The idea suddenly occurred to Rick.

After 200 meters, a small intersection would arrive. Rick wasn’t unfamiliar with the shortcuts in the area.

Before he could put his plan into action, though, a voice filled with desperation echoed in his ears.

“Don’t take the shortcut!”

His grip on the wheel tightened.

“How could she possibly know that I was considering taking a shortcut and that I would be advised to take a shortcut?” Rick’s mind churned; a few possibilities appeared in his mind, but he quickly dismissed them.

The golden hue flashing in Lana’s eyes clouded his vision, and suddenly a premonition settled in his heart.

That young girl was far too insistent on his not taking the shortcut… she must have seen something.

As an ordinary soul cultivator… Rick can see what was invisible to ordinary humans. For example, the golden glow in Lana’s eyes.

To take or not?

But…

Mr. James holds significant importance as a client, and offending him could lead to severe reprimands in the office. Moreover, even if she possessed divine powers, the young girl might not have accurately predicted events. I should… listen to Mr. James.’

Yet the young girl’s words replayed in his mind on loop.

Beep. Beep.

The sound of horns snapped him out of his daze. Hesitation vanished from his eyes, and he headed toward the long traffic road instead of taking the shortcut.

A reckless move… he might even regret it later, but…

At most, he will be late. Worst-case scenario… Lana was lying to him, and his client will feel offended.

However, apart from that? Almost nothing else could go wrong.

He watched in the rearview mirror as a red car took the shortcut, and a hint of regret crept into his heart.

But it was of no use. The intersection had already passed, and he only wished the traffic wouldn’t be so long.

By the time Rick reached the meeting location, his bravado had vanished.

3 hours. 3 hours!

The glowing screen of the phone showed several missed calls, while his heart was thudding loudly against his ribcage.

He didn’t dare to pick up the calls.

Mr. James was going to be furious and question him why he didn’t listen to his advice.

What would he reply with?

’Mr. James, sorry. I didn’t take your words seriously because of a girl’s words.’

With urgency in his steps, he practically bolted to the private room. Once inside, he bowed to apologize.

“I am sorry for the delay. I was caught in traffic.”

The sound of his rapid breathing echoed in the private room.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

The clock’s ticking almost seemed like a time bomb waiting to explode, and Rick regretted his decision.

’Why didn’t I just take the shortcut? God Nytheris… If I lose my job today because of believing a girl’s words… I will cry tears of blood.’

“Mr. Rick? You are alive?” Mr. James’s voice, carrying disbelief, landed in Rick’s ears.

What a ridiculous question. Of course, he was alive. What could happen to him?

“Yes, Mr. James.” Suddenly, he recalled Mr. James’s advice, and a wave of heat flushed his face. “I apologize for not listening to your guidance and for not taking the shortcut…”

As he straightened up, he saw Mr. James’s pale face.

“No. It’s fortunate you didn’t take the shortcut.” Mr. James visibly relaxed and leaned back on the chair. Rick could see the tension releasing from his (James’s) body.

“I almost thought that I killed you.”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Rick was puzzled; his eyes unconsciously fell on the phone lying on the cold translucent glass table.

In it was an article posted by a person with a picture of a familiar yet unfamiliar red car.

Hm? The car looked familiar… like the… like the red car he had seen at the intersection.

“An earthquake occurred at the shortcut I had asked you about. A person had taken that route, but midway, his car broke down. By the time he fixed his car and continued his journey, the earthquake was already over. The person reported the landslide, and now it is in the headlines. If you had paid heed to my advice… you might have… anyways… thank god you didn’t listen to my advice. I was calling you repeatedly to check in case you were in the earthquake. I heard the cracks were so deep that if a person was caught in it, even his body might not have been found.”

Rick only felt a buzz in his mind.

No… he had almost listened to Mr. James’s words…

He narrowly escaped because of that girl’s warning…

Maybe he was supposed to die today… maybe if he had taken the shortcut… he wouldn’t even have had the chance to say goodbye to his family…

A sense of unrealism washed over the man, and he staggered before falling down on the carpet.

“Mr. Rick? Are you fine? Oh… you must have been shocked by the news. Don’t worry. Good people are protected by angels. Your guardian angel must have protected you.”

Good people are protected by angels…

So that silver girl was an angel…

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