Noticing Khloe’s frightened expression, Henrik gave her a reassuring pat on the head. “Go ahead, touch him.”
Khloe, determined not to back down, stepped closer but stayed near Henrik for support.
Henrik found her hesitant yet defiant stance amusing, though he gave no sign of it.
The crocodile remained completely still, its cold, unyielding skin making Khloe both nervous and oddly excited.
Then, the crocodile moved its head ever so slightly, and Khloe, startled, jumped back, landing right in Henrik’s arms.
Wrapped in his arms, she clung to him, feeling an overwhelming sense of safety against his firm, warm chest.
Without thinking, Henrik held her tighter, his arms securely wrapped around her waist.
Henrik tilted his head just enough to glance at the person in his arms. Her hair brushed against his chin, sending a light tickle through him.
His voice was low and reassuring as he whispered in her ear, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”
Khloe lifted her eyes to meet Henrik’s intense gaze. For a brief moment, it felt as though time had paused.
Her cheeks flushed with a soft pink, her eyes betraying a blend of surprise and embarrassment, a sharp contrast to her usual composed self. This rare vulnerability made her even more endearing.
After a few moments, Khloe collected herself, but when Henrik looked at her again, he noticed her eyes were tinged with redness.
His heart tightened with a rush of emotion, and an unexpected wave of anger surged through him.
Without hesitation, he scooped Khloe up into his arms and kicked the crocodile away.
The crocodile, as if feeling wronged, let out a low whimper before retreating into the water.
“It’s all right. Let’s leave,” Henrik murmured, trying to soothe her.
Khloe tried to step forward, but her legs buckled beneath her. Frustration surged through her as she scolded herself. How could she be this weak because of a crocodile?
Henrik noticed her struggle, and his eyes softened with a faint smile. Without a word, he continued to carry her.
Khloe rested her face against his neck, gradually calming as she listened to his steady breathing.
She could feel the rhythm of his steady steps and the strength of his heartbeat against her.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, a sudden wave of warmth spread across her ears.
Later that evening, Zhecrora University’s student administration released an official statement. The widely discussed bullying incident on campus would undergo a full investigation, with the police working alongside the university. They would also delve into the claims of academic fraud.
The moment the announcement went live, reporters, who had been waiting all night for the scoop, rushed to Zhecrora University, desperate to get interviews. After all, a scandal involving such a prestigious university, with a legacy spanning over a century, was sure to make waves. Every reporter was determined to land the front-page story.
Khloe didn’t find out about the incident until the following morning, when she woke up. Upon checking her social media, she saw that almost every trending topic was related to it. Khloe tapped on one of the trending links, only to be bombarded by a flood of insults aimed directly at her.
“I’ve heard of this Khloe Evans. Who knows what methods she used to audit classes at Zhecrora University? I heard she came to steal Sloane’s fiance. What a disgrace!”
“It’s unbelievable! How could Zhecrora University allow someone like her to audit classes? Even if she’s just auditing, she doesn’t deserve it. It’s annoying to even be in the same university as her.”
“Everyone in Zhecrora knows she’s a mirror image of her mother-completely dependent on men. Her mother was disowned by the Evans family for infidelity, and she herself got expelled for her reckless behavior. Now, she’s leveraging men to climb her way up, aiming for stardom by joining a film crew.”
Khloe’s fingers scrolled over the screen, her heart unmoved by the harsh comments.
This was nothing compared to the humiliation she had endured in prison. The schemes there were far more devious.
The prisoners, bribed by Sloane and her mother, soaked Khloe’s bed during the bitter winter, nearly causing her to die from a high fever. They had also secretly sabotaged safety devices on industrial machines while she worked, almost causing her hand to be severed.
Khloe had long since forged a resilience of steel. Why would she bother with these petty online attacks?
She didn’t need to look any further to know exactly who was behind the rumors and fueling the fire. No one else but Sloane would be desperate enough to destroy her reputation.
Clearly, her earlier warnings hadn’t been enough. Sloane was still bold enough to stir up trouble.
Just as she reached for her glass of water, she looked up and saw a tall, handsome figure approaching. Henrik, immaculately dressed in a sleek black suit, his tie fastened with an elegant purple-red gemstone pin, reached out and took the tablet from her grasp. His eyes skimmed over the screen before his brows furrowed in disapproval.
Khloe looked up with a faint smile, took the tablet back from him, and said, “It’s no big deal. They’re just paid trolls. There’s no need to take their words seriously.”
She felt sorry for the money Sloane wasted hiring these attackers.
Since everything from the Evans family belonged to Khloe through inheritance, Sloane was essentially squandering Khloe’s own assets to ruin her reputation.
However, Henrik wasn’t about to let it slide. “No one insults anyone under my protection like this.”
He sat down right next to her, his gaze fixed on the tablet, and his frown grew more intense with every second.
Even though there was plenty of space on the long sofa, Henrik chose to sit beside her. The warmth radiating from him was undeniable, and it sent an unexpected shiver running through her chest.
It took Khloe a moment to grasp that his fury was real-his eyes burned with a mix of outrage and unspoken discontent, all for her sake.
This man, infamous for his dominance in the underworld, was known far and wide for his ruthless, cold-hearted nature. Why would someone like him, so detached from others’ pain, care about her hardships?
Until now, Khloe had seen Henrik as nothing more than a stranger, and their engagement was merely a formal arrangement that served their mutual interests.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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