No one paid attention to Zoe anymore–except for Mandy. As Zoe finally decided to open her eyes and get moving, Mandy rushed over, grabbed her hand, and started sprinting. “Zoe, run! Cheetahs!”
The cheetahs tore through the crowd like a storm, scattering people in every direction.
The forest was vast and dense, and once separated, it felt like trying to gather leaves in a hurricane. But right now, everyone was too busy running for their lives to worry about anything else.
Mandy had been sprinting, clutching Zoe’s hand, for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, she tripped on nothing at all and went down hard, face- first into the dirt.
As she looked up, her heart nearly stopped. A cheetah, teeth bared and eyes locked on her, was just a few feet away. Mandy’s body went rigid with fear. She was sure she was done for,
But then, a hand yanked her out of the way just in time. And Zoe’s voice was right there, urgent and fierce. “Run!”
Mandy scrambled to her feet like a jackrabbit, obeyed without thinking, and took off at full speed. In seconds, she was gone, swallowed by the forest.
Yoe stood her ground, her eyes–icy and calculating–glancing at the cheetah. She was just about to make a move when she noticed something strange. These cheetahs were fierce, but they hadn’t actually hurt anyone. They’d been trained, clearly.
Zoe realized at once that Shawn was behind this, turning up the heat and trying to test her. She’d almost fallen for it.
‘He’s cunning; I have to give him that. Wanna trick me with this? This is new. But if he thinks he could outsmart me, he’ll find my disguise just as convincing, she thought.
A sly smile played on Zoe’s lips. She pretended to make a run for it, but then she stumbled and fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The cheetah pounced.
“Help!” she screamed, her face a picture of sheer terror. She looked genuinely scared out of her wits.
The cheetah was on top of her, its jaws wide open, ready to tear into her neck. But even in this moment, Zoe didn’t flinch.
In the nick of time, a figure burst forward, faster than any cheetah, With a single, powerful punch, the cheetah was sent flying.
The enormous beast, as terrifying as any nightmare, flew three meters through the air and landed with a yelp.
Zoe’s gaze sharpened. The next moment, she found herself locked in a gaze with Shawn’s eyes–deep and swirling, as if they could see right through her.
“Are you okay?” Shawn asked, his voice calm.
Zoe’s face crumpled into a look of vulnerability. She threw herself into Shawn’s broad, comforting embrace. “Mr. Ludwig, I’m so glad you’re here. I thought I was done for…”
As she spoke, her hands brushed lightly against his back, the touch both casual and calculated.
Shawn’s body tensed. The sensation sent a shiver down his spine, the kind that any man would feel.
Zoe nestled her face against his chest, feeling the steady, strong beat of his heart.
The cheetah, which had collapsed, suddenly sprang to its feet and lunged at them with a ferocious growl.
“Watch out, Mr. Ludwig,” Zoe screamed in terror.
Shawn scooped Zoe into his arms and spun around. Then he kicked out with a force that sent the cheetah flying backward.
In that split second, as Shawn turned with Zoe cradled against him, she accidentally brushed her lips against his cheek while clutching his neck. Time seemed to freeze. Zoe’s eyes widened, and Shawn’s face flushed a deep crimson.
“P4r Ludwig Zoe’s voice wavered, her expression turning shy and bashful
A flicker of uncertainty crossed Shawn’s eyes, but he didn’t let it linger. He gently lowered Zoe back to the ground.
But Zoe’s legs buckled, and she started to topple backward. In the nick of time, Shawn’s strong arm shot out and wrapped around her waist.
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