Chapter 3 I don't know how I kicked him into the river.

Evelyn didn't know her food had 'gone to the trash'. She glanced at the room full of guests, flexed her wrist, and continued to serve them tea.

Yesterday, Norman hadn't bonded with Evelyn, so today, after finishing his errands, he hurried over as usual. He pulled out two movie tickets, inviting Evelyn to watch, "A new movie, just released today. If you're busy today, tomorrow works too. The theater will be open all week!"

He had learned to research all his options, thinking Evelyn couldn't refuse. But Evelyn said, "This movie? Jasper Taylor wanted to see it. Is it for tonight? He might have time." She smiled at Norman, "Liam, are these tickets really for me?"

Jasper was Ava's autistic son. Norman wouldn't waste movie tickets but felt something was off in Evelyn's words. Yet, he couldn't retract the offer and realized he'd been outmaneuvered by Evelyn, who had decided to give the tickets to Jasper. Frustrated, Norman vowed to be more careful with his words next time.

Jasper, over thirty, always walked with his head down, afraid of strangers. He didn't really like Evelyn, but loved movies. Seeing the tickets, he said, "I want to see..."

Ava, pleased, handed Evelyn ten dollars to buy popcorn and drinks.

By nightfall, Tumessa was silent. It was New Year's Day, and shops were still closed. Around nine people passed by the old house, likely returning from a restaurant, discussing the quality and price of their meals.

Jayce, rarely having a full day off, opened his window for some fresh air. Outside, Nathan asked if he wanted dinner. Jayce, tapping the window frame out of habit, didn't reply immediately, eventually stepping out of the room.

Nathan knew Jayce's habits well and quickly asked, "Mr. Smith, shall I have someone bring a set of gym equipment here tomorrow?" Jayce stayed silent as Nathan mentioned, "It's freezing outside."

Jayce, already at the door, didn't turn around and replied casually, "Why so wordy?"

Despite the low temperature, the cold cleared his mind instantly. Jayce, wearing only a thin shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a couple of buttons undone, stepped into the night.

The movie ended, and Linda, having used Evelyn, paid no further attention to her and walked ahead with his head down. Evelyn followed slowly behind him, the streetlights casting her shadow sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, as if playing hide and seek with herself.

The riverside was deserted. Some houses along the river were intact, others half-collapsed, with even the railings broken in places, posing a risk of falling for the unwary. Remembering his mother's warnings, Jasper kept his distance from the river, walking on the opposite side of the road. Evelyn deliberately strolled along the railings, hands in her pockets, walking leisurely, her thick scarf covering half her face, looking quite content.

Just as Jasper was about to call Evelyn over, he heard hurried footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw four or five men charging towards them, shouting something. He jumped in fright.

Jasper couldn't understand, but Evelyn saw clearly. The leading man pointed at her, shouting, "That's the girl!"

Instinctively, Evelyn took a step back, then reacted quickly and turned to run. But her brief hesitation gave her pursuers an advantage. After just a few steps, she felt a hand grab her shoulder, and someone cursed near her ear. Before the person could finish cursing, they yelped in pain, stepping back and clutching their leg, which had been kicked.

Evelyn had landed a swift and powerful kick to the man's face. Unprepared, he screamed and fell directly into the river.

The remaining three were stunned, swore, and charged at Evelyn. Even Jasper wasn't spared, his large, plump body offering no resistance as he was quickly subdued.

Evelyn cursed under her breath and sprinted forward desperately. The dim streetlights barely illuminated the path, and she hadn't noticed the man in a white shirt standing calmly ahead, watching her without moving. Without hesitation, she shouted for help.

The man remained motionless, hands in his pockets, watching leisurely. Ignoring whether he was a friend or foe, Evelyn kept running, unable to stop because of inertia. As she neared the man, he suddenly stepped aside, causing her to stumble and fall.

Seeing a stranger, her pursuers hesitated for a moment. Evelyn, on the ground, shouted, "Brother, run and get help!"

The man in the white shirt paused briefly, sighed, and faced the angry attackers. As a fist approached his face, he sidestepped, grabbed the attacker's wrist, and kicked him hard. As the man fell, he twisted his arm, eliciting groans of pain. The remaining two men rushed forward.

Evelyn got up, ignoring the fighting behind her, and ran to Jasper, who was crying on the ground. After ensuring he was unharmed, she called Norman.

Jasper wouldn't stand, crying so hard that his snot almost landed on Evelyn's hand. She grimaced, pulling him up and speaking into the phone, "Liam, come quickly, the other service company's men are after me!"

The furious cursing on the other end nearly deafened Evelyn. She pulled Jasper up and was about to run when she felt a warm wall behind her and heard a low voice. "Where do you think you're going?"

Evelyn's heart raced inexplicably. She rarely felt panic, the last time being when she faced a police officer. The man before her was tall, with a chiseled jaw and tanned skin, wearing a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, revealing powerful arms with bulging veins. He looked down at her, expressionless yet intimidating.

However, Evelyn quickly composed herself, smiling sincerely, "Thank you so much! Without you, I'd be lost!" Even Jasper, still sniffling, stopped crying. Evelyn's mother's teachings were effective, and he added, "Thank you!"

Expressing gratitude made him seem heroic. Jayce subtly smiled and elegantly rolled up his sleeves, exuding a sense of tranquility. Standing firmly in the cold, he exuded strength and reliability. Evelyn kept her distance from him.

Norman arrived quickly, having stayed nearby. Seeing Evelyn unharmed, he was about to speak when Jayce startled him, stammering, "Jayce... Jayce..."

Jayce shrugged. "Don't worry about me."

Norman wanted to "worry" about Jayce but had to handle the situation, hoping to impress Jayce. He questioned clearly.

Evelyn, her hair disheveled and face pale, occasionally licked her lips nervously while speaking, adding a touch of allure to her innocent-looking face. Jayce watched, entertained.

"I'm scared! I don't know how I kicked him into the river. Liam, is he okay?"

The night air was below freezing, and while the southern rivers didn't freeze, the cold water could be deadly. The man Evelyn kicked into the river struggled to climb out and lay motionless, shivering uncontrollably. Norman's men easily caught him.

The remaining three had fled, leaving no trace. Unwilling to release them, Norman had his men assault the captured man and placed a few calls. After handling everything, he apologized to Jayce.