Chapter 7 Damsel in Distress

Gradually, the sky outside darkened. Compared to the clearly restless Crystal, Evelyn appeared calm and composed during the day. She sat quietly in her seat, clutching her bag while resting against the window to conserve her energy. She had quietly placed her ID back in the compartment of her crossbody bag just in case. Though Evelyn appeared to be in a deep sleep, she hadn't let her guard down. Seeing that she appeared to be asleep, Blaine, who sat next to her, took the opportunity to inch closer. He wanted to get a touch of her. Since Crystal was sitting across from them, she naturally noticed that. She hesitated for a moment, then turned her attention to the window, pretending not to notice. Jessie subtly kicked Blaine under the table, but he just kept his eyes closed. With nothing more she could do, she decided to turn a blind eye. Just as Blaine's shoulder was about to touch Evelyn's, she subtly shifted with a frown to create more distance between them. "Keep your hands to yourself!" Jessie kicked Blaine again and whispered in warning, "Don't cause any trouble." Blaine grumbled but didn't approach Evelyn any further. However, it didn't take long before he grew restless again. As Jessie fell asleep, Blaine couldn't resist anymore. He shielded his hand with his jacket and slowly moved it toward Evelyn's thigh. Just as he was about to make contact, Evelyn, who was supposed to be asleep, suddenly sprang to her feet. Without giving Blaine a chance to react, she spun around and slapped him twice across the face. "Pervert! What do you think you're doing, touching my thigh?" Blaine was left stunned, his ears ringing from the force of the slap. Though he had wanted to touch her, his fingers hadn't even reached her thigh yet. At once, the passengers around them woke up and gathered to watch the scene unfold. Anxious, Blaine immediately protested, "What nonsense are you talking about? I didn't touch you! Stop making things up! Did you see me touching you? If you have proof, show it!" Evelyn's eyes turned red, and her voice trembled as she accused, "You dirty pervert! Don't try to deny it! I'm telling the truth! You didn't just touch me. You were practically sitting on my lap!" Her beauty, now tinged with vulnerability, made her look extremely pitiful. It made everyone want to stand up for her. The onlookers noticed the seats of the two and immediately believed Evelyn. A plump woman nearby stood up and sided with Evelyn. "The seat is wide enough, but look how she's being squeezed! You think you can touch her thigh just because she's pretty? How shameless!" Others chimed in, "How dare you assault her on a train? I'll call the train attendant and report you!" Blaine was furious. Normally, he was the one pulling the strings. But today, he found himself on the receiving end of a humiliating defeat. He didn't want to waste any more time arguing. "Bitch, how dare you accuse me like that? You're asking for trouble!" As he said that, he raised his hand to slap her back. Evelyn quickly protected her head and moved to the side. The scene had escalated, which worked in her favor. She had been looking for a reason to change seats anyway. But just as Blaine's hand was about to come down, it was suddenly grabbed and twisted behind his back. He winced in pain. "Ouch! Who are you? Let go!" Blaine was instantly pinned to his seat. Though fuming, he couldn't move at all. From the gap between his legs, he could only see the figure in military uniform behind him. "Are you alright, miss?" Lucas flashed a smile at Evelyn. He had one hand firmly pressing Blaine down while the other rubbing his sleepy eyes. Evelyn let go of her head. Looking at Blaine now pinned down, she felt a twinge of disappointment. It seemed her self-sacrificial strategy wouldn't work out. But then, a grateful smile spread across her face. "Thank you, mister. You really saved me there!" "Mister?" Lucas' smile faltered for a moment. He felt disheartened by her address. Realizing why she might think he was old, he instinctively scratched his stubbled chin and let out an awkward laugh. "Ah, no need to mention it. It's nothing." Lucas glanced over at the police officer approaching the scene, then twisted Blaine's wrist again. "You'd better behave! If I see you bothering this young lady again, I'll make sure you won't be able to lift this arm!" Blaine, wincing in pain, immediately backed down. "I swear I won't do it again!" Once Lucas returned to his seat and the police officer took control of the situation, Jessie finally let out a sigh of relief. She stood up and quickly took on the role of a peacemaker. "Officer, it's all a misunderstanding. We came together." The police officer frowned. "Together?" Jessie quickly grabbed Crystal and pulled her forward as a witness. "Yes! We're all from the same village, and Blaine's my coworker." Crystal's face turned bright red, and she couldn't bring herself to look at Evelyn. "Yeah."