Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 193

Chapter 193: Coward’s Act
“Alright then,” I muttered under my breath. “Let’s see what this is all about.”

The night air was thick, damp with the scent of salt and something else—something metallic. I followed the man in silence, my footsteps steady, my pulse calm. The only sounds were the distant crash of waves against the jagged rocks and the occasional rustle of the wind through the trees.

Twenty minutes passed as we walked along the shore, leaving behind the distant hum of city life. The deeper we went, the more isolated it felt. No streetlights. No traffic. Just darkness stretching beyond the horizon.

Then, I saw them.

Three black cars parked in a semi-circle, their tinted windows reflecting the moonlight. Guards stood near them, their faces expressionless, their hands resting near their weapons. They weren’t just for show. Their eyes tracked me as I approached, their postures rigid with anticipation.

Beyond the cars, half-hidden by an old stone wall, was an entrance. A steel door embedded into the ground, leading somewhere below. The kind of place you walk into and never come out of.

I let my gaze sweep over it casually, making note of the reinforced edges, the multiple locks. They weren’t hiding a basement. This was something deeper.

Then came the sound of slow, deliberate clapping.

“Well, well,” a voice drawled, dripping with mock amusement.

I turned.

A man stepped forward, straightening his tie with exaggerated care. The same man in the blue suit—the one who had been harassing the girl earlier. His clothes were slightly wrinkled, his hair messy like he’d just thrown them back on. His fingers brushed over his collar, smoothing invisible lines, but I caught the slight tremor in them. His jaw was shadowed with stubble, and his eyes—bloodshot, wild—gleamed with something dark.

He smirked. “So you wanna play hero, huh?”

I didn’t answer. I just slipped my hands into my pockets, meeting his gaze with a steady, unreadable stare.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “Oh, I love guys like you.” He gestured at me lazily, cigarette still hanging between his fingers. “All that bravado. That silent, brooding act. Thinking it’ll get you somewhere.” He took a step closer, his cologne thick in the air. “But you’re not special, you know that?”

I kept quiet.

His smirk twitched. He hated being ignored.

“You think you can just walk in there,” he continued, “act all tough, say whatever the fuck you want and what? Intimidate me?” He let out a low laugh, shaking his head. “That’s adorable.”

I tilted my head slightly. “If you’re done with your little speech, I’d appreciate it if you got to the point.”

His smirk faltered for half a second. Then he laughed again, though it was sharper this time. “Oh, you’re gonna wish I took my time.”

He exhaled a long trail of smoke, then flicked the cigarette away. “Bring her up.”

Two of his men disappeared behind the metal door. A moment passed. Then came the sound of footsteps—unsteady, dragging.

The guards emerged, hauling someone between them. A woman.

She was completely naked.

Her body showed sign of violence and rape. Bruises bloomed across her skin—dark, angry. Deep slashes ran along her back, her thighs, her ass. Some still oozing fresh blood. Her wrists hung limp, her head lolling forward, tangled hair obscuring her face. But even through the mess, I recognized her.

The girl from earlier. The one who had rejected him. Something cold curled in my gut.

I didn’t react—wouldn’t give him that satisfaction—but my eyes took in everything. The shallow rise and fall of her chest. The way her fingers twitched, as if even unconscious, she could still feel the pain.

She smelled of chemicals. Drugs and her face was filled with semen and that amount…as if 20 people ejaculated on her face.

The man in the blue suit grinned, stepping closer. He lifted her chin with two fingers, forcing her face toward me.

“Pretty little thing, isn’t she?” His voice was almost fond. “But she just didn’t know her place.”

I stared at him. “And you think you do?”

He let out a low whistle, his grin widening. “Oh, now that is interesting. A little bite from the hero.”

I didn’t take the bait.

He turned back to the girl, running a hand through her wet hair. “She thought she was too good for me,” he mused. “I gave her a chance. More than one, actually. But she was ungrateful.”

He lifted his hand, slapping her face lightly—and spat on her face, just to make a point. Her head lolled to the side, but she didn’t react.

His eyes flicked to me. “Now, look at her.” He gestured at her bruised, broken body. “All that resistance. All that defiance. And for what?” He sighed. “She should’ve just spread her legs when I asked nicely. Now she had to take a lot more than just one dick.”

I felt my jaw tighten.

He noticed.

His grin turned vicious. “Ah. There it is.”

I stayed silent, but I could feel it. The burn beneath my skin. The familiar hum of something primal, something dangerous.

He stepped closer, close enough that I could feel his breath against my face. “Now you see,” he murmured. “Now you understand what happens when you defy me.”

He grabbed my chin suddenly, tilting my face toward him. His grip was strong, nails pressing against my skin. “I own this damn island,” he whispered. “People like you? You’re nothing. A little bug that thinks it can challenge a god.”

I didn’t move. Didn’t blink.

He searched my face, looking for something—fear, anger, submission.

He found nothing.

His smirk wavered.

I slowly—deliberately—tilted my head, slipping out of his grasp like his touch was beneath me. “You talk too much.”

His nostrils flared. “You arrogant little—”

He stopped himself, inhaling sharply. Then, composing himself, he pulled out another cigarette. A guard rushed to light it, and he took a slow drag, exhaling smoke into my face.

“You’re gonna regret this night,” he muttered. “You’ll wish you never fucking came here.”

I glanced at the unconscious girl, then back at him. “That’s funny.” I took a step closer. “Because I was about to say the same thing to you.”

His eyes flashed.

A tense silence stretched between us.

Then, he grinned. A slow, sinister grin. “Oh, you are so fucked.” He turned to his men. “Take her back inside.”

The guards nodded, dragging her limp body toward the underground entrance. She didn’t even stir.

He turned back to me, rolling his shoulders like he was shaking off a bad mood. “Now,” he said, voice lighter, almost amused again. “What the fuck am I supposed to do with you?”

I met his gaze, unwavering.

Then I glared. Our eyes locked.

The waves crashed harder against the rocks, the scent of salt thick in the air.

And in that moment, we both knew—this wasn’t over. It was just beginning.