After leaving the restaurant, Darnell swallowed a pill to clear his head and counteract the alcohol in his system.
He then stepped on the gas pedal and drove away with Areli.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Areli persistently questioned Darnell about what Abbigail had said to him. Her pretty face was full of determination, as if she was unwilling to give up until she got an answer.
Darnell looked frustrated as he assured Areli there was no secret between him and Abbigail, while inwardly cursing Abbigail for causing him trouble.
With just a few words, she managed to put a wedge between him and Areli.
Sure enough, Areli took all of Darnell’s explanations as attempts to cover up, remaining silently upset throughout the drive.
Darnell tried his best to talk some sense to Areli. She began to suspect she might have fallen for Abbigail’s trickery and stopped pressing Darnell for answers.
But soon after, Areli remembered the confrontation at the scene and coldly asked about the incident with the underwear.
Darnell knew he couldn’t brush off this matter, so he explained how Abbigail got drunk at a bar and was chased by killers. He focused on highlighting Abbigail’s dangerous situation.
Finally, he downplayed his role in letting her stay for the night at his house and mentioned Lillian’s misunderstanding to convince Areli of his honesty.
Seeing Darnell’s expression and recalling Lillian’s recent abnormal behaviors, Areli somewhat believed that he hadn’t been involved with Abbigail. If this scoundrel had indeed been with Abbigail, he wouldn’t bother explaining things to Lillian.
After all, he truly hadn’t had any intimate contact with Abigail, so of course he wasn’t going to take the blame.
After giving Darnell a piece of her mind, Areli warned him, “I’m telling you, if you don’t keep your distance from Abbigail, you’ll end up in trouble.”
Darnell replied earnestly, “Alright, I’ll steer clear of her! I won’t let myself get into trouble because of her. After all, I have Miss Fanshaw now.”
Areli blushed and pinched Darnell without mercy. After he yelped in pain, she huffed, “Darnell, it’s not that I’m jealous. Abbigail isn’t someone you can easily mess with. Don’t think you can get involved with her and walk away unscathed. Don’t provoke her!”
Darnell rubbed the sore spot on his waist, making a mental note to wear armor next time to avoid getting pinched by Areli.
“Miss Fanshaw, you saw it yourself. I didn’t provoke her. She came in to me. I’m also a victim here.”
He then pretended to be angry and said, “Abbigail is too much. I saved her life, and she wants us to argue!”
Areli snorted coldly, “If you hadn’t provoked Abbigail, would she have had the chance to cause trouble?”
Darnell dared not argue further and nodded repeatedly. “Miss Fanshaw is right. I’ll learn my lesson…”
Before he could finish speaking, Darnell’s eyes flickered as his expression turned cold. He spotted two cars following them through the rearview mirror.
These two cars had been tailing them since they left the restaurant. He initially considered it a coincidence, but now-ten kilometers later-they were still behind them.
This made him somewhat wary.
Glancing out the window, Darnell calmly said, “Miss Fanshaw, lower your body and hide under the seat if necessary.”
Areli was startled and then asked softly, “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
Darnell exhaled. “Someone is following us. They might be after me or possibly targeting you.”
Areli took out her phone. “I’ll call the police!”
Today, she had given her bodyguards a day off since Darnell was with her.
“No need.”
Darnell gently shook his head to stop her as he pressed down hard on the gas pedal. The car shot forward like an arrow, weaving quickly through traffic.
Though fast-moving now, Darnell didn’t immediately shake them off. He wanted to confirm their intentions.
The two cars also picked up speed but maintained a certain distance behind Darnell’s vehicle-confirming his suspicion that they were indeed targeting them.
“Darnell, let’s call the police.”
“They’re persistent. They won’t give up easily.”
Darnell smiled confidently, “No need. Let them follow closely. I want to see what they’re up to.”
“If there’s an ambush ahead,” he continued calmly, “we’ll break through it. If they stop at our doorstep instead-I’ll send someone backtracking to find their base and eliminate them.”
He then sent a text message, instructing Cesar and others to stand by at a certain location.
Areli shook her head at Darnell. “You always prefer unconventional methods.”
“Fortune favors those who take risks.”
Suddenly laughing aloud, Darnell added, “Looks like they’re ready for direct confrontation.”
As Darnell’s car sped through an intersection, three vans charged from both sides, fiercely pursuing Darnell.
Darnell saw seven or eight heads poking out of the vans, along with exposed arms. His originally murderous heart eased a bit. These men didn’t seem like professional killers but rather thugs looking for trouble.
One of them was holding a pipe, repeatedly hitting the door.
Could they be sent by Lisa and her group?
Darnell quickly made a judgment, as the enemies he and Areli had made wouldn’t be of this caliber.
Thinking about Lisa’s suspicious behavior, Darnell was almost certain his suspicions were correct, his lips curling in mockery. “Playing house again. How boring.”
He lost interest in confronting these people and prepared to step on the gas to shake them off. “Miss Fanshaw, hold on tight.”
Areli instinctively grabbed the door handle.
“Whoosh!”
Just as Darnell was about to floor it, a huge boulder suddenly crashed down from a hillside corner ahead with a loud boom.
The boulder fell straight toward Darnell’s car with fierce momentum.
Darnell’s face changed. He turned the steering wheel and hit the brakes, forcing the car into a drift amidst flying dust and the pungent smell of rubber.
“Bang!”
Almost as soon as the car moved away, the half-ton boulder smashed onto the ground with a huge crash. The ground cracked, dust flew everywhere, and gravel scattered.
Stones hit the back of the car with loud sounds, and the rear windshield developed cracks, causing Darnell immense distress.
Then, a black shadow leaped down from the hillside, like a monkey, standing majestically on top of the boulder.
“Vroom!”
Darnell turned the steering wheel again, moving more than twenty meters away from the boulder, then straightened the car to look ahead, silently exclaiming that Lisa’s helper was so formidable.
However, as the dust gradually dispersed, he saw a familiar face.
Toby?!
Darnell was furious and stuck his head out the window, shouting, “Toby, damn you! What do you think you’re doing in the middle of the night?”
Toby didn’t respond, just coldly staring at Darnell.
“You’re feeling cocky, aren’t you?”
Darnell slapped the car door and shouted, “I’ve got a bunch of brothers behind me. A single spit from them could drown you.”
Behind him, the vans arrived. Seeing Darnell stop, they immediately rushed over to surround him. Doors opened, and dozens of thugs poured out.
They were fully armed with knives and clubs.
They looked at Darnell with murderous intent, like hunters who had captured a fierce beast.
But to Toby, this formation looked more like protection.
Darnell shouted again, “Toby, my brothers are here. You’d better run while you still can!”
Then, he pointed at Toby and shouted to the thugs, “Don’t hurt him!”
The dozens of thugs now noticed an additional person at the scene, looking formidable as he stood on the boulder, and they all turned to look at him.
At this moment, Toby gave a thumbs up, then turned it upside down and firmly tapped it twice.
“Damn it! He’s looking down on us!”
A thug swung his knife at Toby.
“Bang!”
Toby leaned back, pressed down with his right foot, and the boulder shot out with a loud crash.
With a tremendous sound, the knife-wielding thug was struck, his tendons and bones shattering, blood spraying into the air.