Chapter 378: You’re safe

Betty shivered under his manic gaze and took a step back, her heel scraping against the uneven pavement.

“Theo, stay back,” she warned, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound firm. Her eyes darted around wildly, searching for anything she could use as a weapon. A stick. A stone. Anything.

There was nothing.

The street was empty, the alley too narrow, the shadows too thick. The realization made her chest tighten painfully.

She had known Theo was watching her. She had felt it for weeks now, the way his eyes lingered every time they crossed paths, the way his presence seemed to crawl over her skin even when she couldn’t see him. But this… this was different.

This was no longer a feeling.

He was right in front of her.

Theo chuckled softly, the sound sending a chill straight down her spine. “You still have the audacity to warn me, Betty?” he said, tilting his head slightly. “Do you really think I’d listen now, after I finally got my hands on you?”

The hatred in his voice was unmistakable. It wasn’t anger anymore. It was obsession. Disdain. Something twisted and festering.

Betty’s face drained of color.

Her hands shook as she hastily fished into her bag, fingers desperately searching for the familiar shape of the pepper spray bottle. She had practiced this moment in her head so many times. Pull it out. Aim. Spray. Run.

But she never even got the chance.

Theo lunged forward, grabbing her bag with brutal force and flinging it aside like it weighed nothing. It hit the ground several feet away, spilling its contents across the pavement.

Betty gasped, stumbling back in shock.

“You’re cornered, Betty,” Theo said coldly, stepping closer. “And nothing can stop me from destroying you.”

Her back hit the wall. Cold concrete pressed against her spine, leaving her with nowhere to go. Her heart hammered violently, so loud she was sure he could hear it.

Theo’s eyes burned with something ugly as memories fueled his rage.

Ever since that incident, his life had spiraled out of control.

He had lost everything.

The whispers started first. Then the laughter. The same students who once lowered their heads when he walked by now openly mocked him. Pushed him. Taunted him. His power inside the academy had vanished overnight.

And the worst part?

His father.

The principal who once shielded him from consequences had become his harshest judge. The live video of Theo being beaten black and blue had spread like wildfire across the internet, stripping their family of respect and authority. For the first time in his life, Theo had tasted humiliation.

And it was all because of her.

“If you hadn’t brought that sister of yours,” he snarled, his face inches from hers, “none of this would have happened. I would still be respected. Feared. Untouchable.”

Betty shook her head, tears burning her eyes. “That’s not my fault,” she whispered. “You did this to yourself.”

Theo laughed, sharp and unhinged. “See? You still don’t get it.”

He grabbed her wrist suddenly, squeezing hard enough to make her cry out. Betty struggled, pushing against his chest with all her strength, but he barely moved.

“Let me go!” she screamed, her voice echoing uselessly down the empty street.

“Fight all you want,” Theo sneered. “You’re weak. You always were.”

Fear consumed her. Her vision blurred as panic took over. She kicked, scratched, tried to knee him the way she had been taught—but her movements were clumsy, slowed by terror.

Theo shoved her harder against the wall, his grip tightening.

“Stop!” she sobbed. “Please—”

“Let her go.”

The voice cut through the air like a blade.

Theo froze.

Betty’s head snapped up, hope surging through her chest so suddenly it hurt.

From the other end of the alley, a tall figure stepped forward, his presence calm but lethal. His eyes were dark, locked squarely on Theo.

It was none other than Shawn.

Theo scoffed, forcing a laugh. “Look at that. Your little hero came running. You are always with her aren’t you secretly protecting her”

Shawn didn’t respond immediately. He took one measured step closer. “I said, let her go.”

Something in his tone made Theo hesitate.

“You think you scare me?” Theo snapped. He hand been watching Betty for sometime, but that day when he almost made it, Shawn showed up at her door and he had to run away.

That time he fleed without getting seen but now with Shawn boring right into his eyes made him cautious.

“Yes,” Shawn replied simply. “I do.”

Theo’s grip loosened just slightly.

That was all Betty needed.

Shawn moved fast.

In one swift motion, he grabbed Theo’s arm and twisted it away from Betty, forcing him back. Theo stumbled, cursing as he lost his hold.

“Get away from her,” Shawn growled, positioning himself between them without hesitation.

Betty collapsed against the wall, gasping for air, her legs trembling so badly she could barely stand.

Theo glared at them both, chest heaving. “This isn’t over,” he spat. “You think this ends here?”

Shawn didn’t flinch. Instead his eyes scared him.

For a long moment, Theo looked like he might actually attack. Then sirens wailed faintly in the distance—too close to ignore.

Theo’s jaw tightened. He shot Betty one last venomous look. “You ruined me,” he hissed.

Then he turned and disappeared into the darkness.

The moment he was gone, Betty slid down the wall, shaking uncontrollably. Shawn was at her side instantly, crouching in front of her.

“You’re safe now,” he said gently. “He won’t be gone for too long”

Betty covered her face with her hands, breaking down as the fear finally released its grip.

Shawn stayed right there, guarding her. Little did she know that Theo had already been apprehended by the cops Shawn had brought with him and was in jail.

***

“Thank you for the statement, Miss Betty. From here on, we will take care of everything.”

The officer’s voice was calm, professional, almost gentle, but Betty still nodded numbly as if she hadn’t fully processed the words. Her fingers were clenched together so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

Shawn thanked the officer, placed a reassuring hand at the small of Betty’s back, and guided her out of the station.

The night air felt colder than before.

Charges were filed against Theo for harassment and stalking. Shawn hadn’t stopped there. He had submitted everything he could find—Theo’s past records, the complaints that were once buried under his father’s authority, the pattern of bullying that had followed him through the academy like a shadow. This time, there was no one to cover it up.

This time, Theo would face the consequences.

Betty didn’t say a word on the drive.

She stared out of the window, streetlights blurring into long streaks of light, her reflection pale and distant. The fear had receded, but it had left something behind—a hollowness, a tremor that refused to settle.

Shawn noticed.

He always did.

When the car finally stopped, Betty frowned slightly, confusion flickering across her face as she looked around.

“This isn’t… my place,” she said quietly.

“No,” Shawn replied, unbuckling his seatbelt.

He helped her out of the car, guiding her inside his apartment. The space was warm, softly lit, quiet in a way that didn’t feel lonely. He led her to the bedroom and gently helped her sit on the edge of the bed, careful, unhurried.

Only then did she ask, her voice low and cautious, “Why your place?”

Shawn smiled, not teasing, not smug—just sincere. “Because I want you in my sight all the time.”

The words hit her harder than any threat Theo had thrown at her.

Betty looked up at him. Really looked at him. The way he stood a little too close but not imposing. The way his eyes kept checking her face, as if making sure she was still here. Still breathing. Still safe.

Something inside her cracked.

“I was so scared,” she whispered.

And then the tears came.

They weren’t quiet tears. They weren’t graceful. They came in sobs that shook her entire body, years of fear and helplessness spilling out all at once. Before she could stop herself, she stood up and threw her arms around Shawn, burying her face into his chest.

“I thought I was going to lose everything,” she cried. “I thought no one would come.”

Shawn froze for half a second—then wrapped his arms around her tightly, one hand cradling the back of her head, the other pressing her close as if shielding her from the world.

“I came,” he said softly. “I’ll always come.”

How wouldn’t he when he had already got the glimpse of Theo jumping off the compound that night when he visited her unexpected and since then he had been keeping tabs on Betty by secretly installing a tracker in her phone and making sure she was in his sight all the time.

Betty clutched his shirt like it was the only solid thing keeping her upright. Her tears soaked through the fabric, but he didn’t pull away. He didn’t rush her. He simply held her, steady and unmovable.

“You’re safe,” he repeated quietly. “You’re not alone anymore.”

For the first time that night, Betty believed it.

And in Shawn’s arms, with her tears finally falling freely, the fear loosened its grip—just enough for her to breathe again.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep