Chapter 25 - The Silent Acknowledgment


    A few months prior, udina had heard whispers regarding her parents'' whereabouts prior to their


    leaving her at the orphanage. With an eagerness to discover the truth, she set off to investigate further.


    udina made a conscious decision toe by herself, wanting to remain as discreet as possible.


    Afterpleting his tasks for the evening, she arrived, wearing a mask and sunsses to hide her


    identity.


    She arrived in a residential area that was in stark contrast to the city''s shy downtown area; its


    houses and apartments were aged and worn, with peeling paint and unkempt yards.


    Just as she was about to step out of the convenience store to ask the cashier for directions, she was


    suddenly intercepted by three men who had rapidly moved to surround her.


    "Wow, take a look here! There is an attractive woman in this area at night - what a pleasant surprise!"


    He reached out to caress udina''s cheek tenderly, but she stepped back, her expression unreadable.


    "What is it, my love? Why are you so distant? All we want is to show you how much we care about


    you."


    "Would you like to join us, darling? We would be delighted to get a chance to see your beautiful face


    and take in your delightful scent."


    Peering into the store, udina noticed the cashier inside silently staring back at her. As she surveyed


    the street outside, there were only a few cars driving by and no one else paying attention.


    As udina tried to pass by, the three of them quickly grabbed her hand and held it firmly in their


    grasp.


    "Release me, please," she whispered, her voice trembling with desperation.


    "Hey, what''s going on here?" One of the men was surprised when he heard udina''s voice. "Just


    hearing her speak has stirred up such strong feelings in me that I want to make love to her," he


    eximed.


    "Her hands are as soft as velvet," the others agreed, "and I can almost feel my body trembling with


    anticipation just at the mere touch."


    udina frantically tugged at her tightly bound wrists, her voice echoing in desperation as she


    screamed for help. "Please, somebody help me!"


    Three men in front of her, however, were simplyughing at her attempts.


    "No one will being to save you," one of them dered, his face contorted in a look of disdain.


    "Come with us, and I can guarantee you will find joy."


    udina peered into the convenience store, desperately hoping that the cashier would be able to help


    her, yet her pleas were met with a swift head-turn away.


    "No, please, let me go!" she implored, her voice quivering, yet the three men continued to forcefully tug


    at her body.


    udina fought back and pulled her body downward, yet the men''s grip on her wrists remained strong.


    "Let me go," she pleaded, her voice trembling.


    At that very moment, udina saw a man running towards her. He was a tall man with dark brown hair


    and clothes that were disheveled. He was pushing one of the men, and with a stern voice he shouted,


    "Let her go!"


    "Can''t you see she''s begging for help?!" the man shouted desperately. With an intense expression, he


    pleaded with the others, "You can go looking for prostitutes out there, I''ll pay for you, so please just let


    her go!"


    "So what?" The three men menacingly confronted the man, their eyes darting around his disheveled


    hair. "What kind of trouble are you trying to stir up?" With a swift motion, one of them punched the man,


    causing him to stumble backward and his nose to start gushing blood.


    The man stumbled to the ground, where he was viciously beaten by the three others. He was kicked in


    the stomach and then, one by one, had his body stepped on.


    udina, desperate to help, ran to intervene, but was harshly shoved aside. "Help!" she desperately


    screamed out, praying that somebody woulde to their aid.


    "Please, let him go!" udina shouted desperately, her eyes wide with fear as she saw the man lying


    on the ground, severely beaten by the three other men. "I''ll give you whatever you want, just let him


    go!"


    A number of ck cars hastily screeched to a halt outside the convenience store and, almost


    simultaneously, Leo and a group of men wearing ck suits emerged from their vehicles.


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    "Please, Mr. Leo, you have to help that man!" udina shouted desperately, prompting Leo to rapidly


    dash towards her.


    The three men quickly fled the scene upon sighting Leo and the othersing in.


    "udina, you can''t be serious! You know exactly what could happen to you in a ce like this on a


    night like this," Leo eximed, his frustration growing. "What would you have done if I hadn''te to


    help you?"


    "I''m sorry, Mr. Leo," udina said, turning to the man sprawled on the ground. She stepped forward,


    trying to offer her help, but Leo quickly grabbed her wrist.


    "Come on, udina," Leo said, firmly but sympathetically. "You don''t have to stay in this ce any


    longer. Leave that poor guy alone; he''s just a homeless person."


    "No wait. Let me help him." udina said pleadingly.


    Despite her protests, the other three men forcibly took hold of her and pulled her into the car.


    Ever since the fateful event, udina was weighed down by a heavy sense of guilt, and she had not


    had the opportunity to thank the kind man who hade to her rescue. Nevertheless, she never forgot


    what he had done for her.


    udina recalled the man''s voice distinctly; it was authoritative andmanding as he scolded the


    other three men. Not only that, she remembered his face too, despite his disheveled appearance.


    ***


    Arthur nodded in response to udina''s request for him to take off his mask, and she nervously


    udina hesitantly raised her arm and nced over at Arthur, who was sitting in the driver''s seat. With


    trembling hands, she gingerly pulled off the mask that had been obscuring his face.


    "Mr. Glitzy," she began, her voice trembling with anticipation, "I encountered someone a few months


    ago who had an identical voice to yours."


    udina firmly believed that the man she had encountered before was the same one now sitting


    beside her. She found it peculiar that the man she had seen before had looked like a beggar, not as


    dignified as he was now.


    However, udina still clearly recalled his voice and was certain what she had heard. The memory had


    been haunting her for months, leaving her with a sense of regret that she had not had the opportunity


    to express her gratitude.


    The moment udina saw Arthur''s face, her heart raced. His strong jawline and piercing, yet calming


    eyes made him appear exceptionally handsome. She had been eagerly awaiting this moment when the


    mask was finally lifted and she could behold his true features.


    udina hesitantly asked Arthur "Mr. Glitzy. Did you ever help a woman in front of the convenience


    store a few months ago, at night?"


    Arthur paused and, still focused on driving, he slowly turned towards udina. Studying her for a


    moment, he noticed her eyes glimmering in anticipation of his response.


    "Please answer my question," she implored.


    udina confessed, her voice full of regret, "I''ve been feeling guilty ever since that incident. I didn''t


    even take the time to thank the person who helped me. Your voice is so familiar, and when I look at


    your face I can easily see the simrity between you and the person who helped me." She paused for a


    moment, her gaze fixed on Arthur''s face.