Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 432

Chapter 432: Reality Check
“Alright,” said the man in charge as he turned his chair to face the many screens in front of him. His fingers started typing on the keyboard before coming to a pause, “Is this the one?” he asked as he pushed his chair to one side and Ari raised her head to look at the screen.

And —

There was nothing.

Ari stood frozen as she looked at the screen, feeling the gaze of the man on her, which brought goosebumps all over her skin. There was nothing? How come—she saw it! She saw that man with the mask.

He was right around the corner, so why wasn’t he there?

‘Maybe it was all in your head?’ A voice said to her. ‘Like the monsters lurking behind the shadows?’

Ba-thump.

Ba-thump.

Her heart started thumping wildly as she searched for the traces of the man with a neon stitched mask.

Her fingertips started to tremble and so did her lips as she continued to look at the multiple screens. However, no matter how she looked at it, Ari could not find even the slightest trace of that man.

Then was her head —playing tricks on her again?

‘Am I going crazy?’ Ari thought as she felt a chill climb up her spine.

“Is everything alright, Doctor Harlow?” The man asked with a concerned expression. “You look like you will be sick.”

Was she? Maybe she was.

‘My head hurts,’ Ari raised her hand and pressed her fingertips on her temples. Her gaze fluttered in and out as if focusing on something that she knew was there, but every time she caught it —it slipped right away from her fingertips.

“Doctor Stoll,” she muttered as she turned on her feet and walked out of the surveillance room. She had to find him and tell him —she needed to be fine. She couldn’t —not again lose control of her emotions or her mind.

Ari was afraid to be considered anything but normal.

“Doctor Harlow!?”

She ignored the startled cry of the man behind her and, with a frantic expression, rushed up the stairs and past the corridor. However, just as Ari was walking past the corridor while bumping into others and muttering apologies unconsciously, she ended up running into someone.

“Hey!” Cole caught her by her arm and straightened her up when he noticed her fall. “Are you alright?” With a worried expression, Cole asked.

“I am fine,” Ari answered. Her eyes were still frantically moving as she said to him, “I need to find, Doctor Stoll. If you let go of me, I can—”

“He is not here,” stated Cole as he guided Ari to one side, at first, Ari did not understand where he was taking her but as he helped her to a plush stool she realized that he had brought her to a small office.

“Where…”

“He went to attend a conference,” replied Cole, before she could even ask where Doctor Stoll was at the moment. “I believe he told you?” And as Ari felt her rationality creeping back in, her mind cleared up slowly and steadily.

And soon she remembered that Doctor Stoll had indeed told her about the conference.

However, she had forgotten it in her hurry.

Ari felt Cole moving around his office and three seconds later, a glass of water appeared in front of her.

“Here,” he said with a smile on his face as Ari raised her head and looked at him confused. “It seems like you need a little break. Drink some water and take a few relaxing breaths.”

Ari wanted to refuse instinctively, but then she paused and took the glass from him. It was only when she finished taking a few sips, did she felt a bit calm.

“Are you alright now?” Cole asked as some colour returned to Ari’s face.

“I am.”

Cole stared at the woman in front of him, with her body slouching she looked terrified like a little rabbit. And yet even though she seemed to be on the verge of breaking, she was holding on.

‘She is not going to tell me even if I ask her what is wrong with her,’ Cole had seen a woman like Ari. Strangely vulnerable yet unconsciously strong. She was weak —so weak and yet…

“What are you…” Ari felt someone embrace her, and as the scent of warm daffodils and sunshine enveloped her, she raised her hands and tried to push the man away from her when he hugged her.

“Calm down,” said Cole as he hugged her, her face buried in his chest as he patted her awkwardly on the back. “I am not going to ask what is wrong with you. Nor am I going to ask you the reason for your current state, as I am neither your friend nor acquaintance. But — I can lend you my support temporarily, right?”

“Just use my shoulder to lean on until you can pick yourself up.”

Ari’s eyes burned as she dropped her hands onto her lap. That’s right—she had to pick herself up, she couldn’t let herself become the prisoner of her thoughts.

Normal —she had to pretend to be normal. Even if she was anything but normal.

“Thank you,” she said to Cole in a hoarse voice.

“I am not doing this for you,” Cole told her as he continued to rub his hand on her back in a circular motion. He lowered his gaze and looked at the pink locks that were spilling all over. “There was a time… when I could have done this, but I was too proud to do it.”

“Take it as if I am making up for the time I have lost —even though it will never come back.”

***

‘How embarrassing,’ thought Ari as she stood on one side and wiped her eyes and nose. Now that she was calm enough to think straight she felt nothing but embarrassment.

“Are you sure you are feeling okay?” Cole asked after three hours as he watched Ari wipe her nose on the tissue that he had lent to her.

Ari paused and raised her head to look at the man. With a smile on her face, she nodded, “I am doing alright— don’t worry I will not collapse on my way home.”