Rebirth Swapped Bride; Married to the Ruthless Cursed Billionaire-Chapter 197: Vicente came to Melissa’s rescue

"You promised you’d never leave me alone no matter what!"

Melissa pouted angrily as she stormed toward the underground parking garage.

"And just because I told you not to follow me, you actually listened?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got.

Reaching the dimly lit depths of the basement, she lashed out with a frustrated kick at the concrete wall.

"Oww—!"

A sharp pain shot up from her toes, forcing her to crouch down.

The tears she’d barely managed to hold back now spilled over again.

Damn, that hurt.

She should’ve held back a little. Just then, footsteps echoed behind her.

A flicker of unnoticed relief flashed in Melissa’s eyes.

She quickly wiped her tears, straightened up, and huffed with feigned indignation.

"I told you not to follow me! Why are you—"

Her words died in her throat when she turned to see a stranger’s face.

Awkwardness washed over her.

"Sorry... I mistook you for someone else."

The man smirked.

"You mistook me, but I didn’t."

The lanky man suddenly curled his lips into a sinister smirk, a glint of cold steel barely visible in his sleeve.

This woman before him was a walking three-million-dollar bounty.

Catching her would mean he could retire abroad and live out his days in luxury.

No wonder he rushed ahead of everyone else to make his move.

Too many hands in the pot, and the prize would shrink.

Melissa wasn’t new to situations like this—she realized instantly what was happening.

"Y-you’re robbing me?"

she stammered, deliberately rummaging through her bag while taking frightened steps backward.

"I have money—lots of it!

Just don’t hurt me, and I’ll give you everything!"

"Oh?"

The tall man’s eyes gleamed with greed as he lowered his voice.

"Then hurry up and hand it over!"

She wasn’t walking away alive anyway—might as well squeeze a little extra out of her before the end.

Trembling, Melissa pulled out a thick stack of cash—emergency funds she’d prepared for running away from home—and held it out to him.

"Here’s the cash... take it.

I—I also have a few cards in my bag..."

The lanky man glanced at the wall behind Melissa, the wariness in his eyes easing slightly as he sheathed his dagger and reached out to take the money.

The moment he lowered his head, Melissa whipped out the pepper spray Vicente had given her earlier and blasted it straight into his face.

"Ahhh—!"

The man instantly collapsed to the ground, clutching his face and writhing in agony, his screams raw with pain.

Seizing the opportunity, Melissa ignored the throbbing in her foot and sprinted toward the exit she had come through.

But she hadn’t gotten far before two more men came into view.

"There she is!"

They broke into a run, closing in on her fast.

Shit!

Her face drained of color, Melissa spun around and bolted in a random direction.

One hand clenched around the spray, the other frantically pressed a wireless panic button.

"Vicente, hurry up!"

The men behind her were gaining ground.

"Stop running, Miss Taylor.

There’s nowhere left to go."

Gritting her teeth, she skidded to a halt—blocked by a sealed emergency door.

Her face was deathly pale, she yanked at the door with all her might, but it refused to budge.

Pressing her back against it in desperation, she clutched the pepper spray with white-knuckled fingers.

"Stay back! I’m warning you—come any closer and I won’t hold back!"

"Grab her already. We’re wasting time."

The two men completely ignored Melissa’s threats, advancing toward her from both sides like predators closing in.

A violent tremor ran through her body, her eyes brimming with hopelessness.

"Vicente," she whispered through trembling lips, "if you don’t show up in the next three seconds... I’ll never forgive you."

Though she wasn’t even sure if she’d live long enough to hold that grudge.

Then suddenly—

A blinding pair of headlights sliced through the darkness.

"Vroom—"

With a deafening roar of the engine, a black SUV sped toward them like a bolt of lightning.

Thud!

Thud!

The two men standing in front of Melissa were sent flying by the impact, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Their heads twitched weakly before falling completely still.

The driver’s side window rolled down, revealing Vicente’s strikingly handsome face, calm and composed as ever.

"Get in."

Melissa’s wide, tear-filled eyes—still trembling with shock—locked onto him.

The moment she confirmed it was really Vicente, her frantic heartbeat steadied.

As long as he was here, she knew she’d be safe.

But the floodgates holding back her tears burst open uncontrollably.

Overwhelming fear and pent-up anguish threatened to drown her.

"Vicente—"

Where did all these tears even come from?

Is this little troublemaker really made of water?

"Don’t worry, I’m here," Vicente said, his voice softening instantly as he took in her pale, tear-streaked face.

"Get in the car, nice and easy."

Melissa wiped her tears haphazardly, her voice thick with misery.

"I want to, but my legs won’t listen to me."

Hearing this, Vicente glanced down.

Only then did he notice her slender, fair legs trembling uncontrollably.

A faint, amused glimmer flickered in his deep-set eyes.

What a scared.

Opening the car door, Vicente stepped out and effortlessly scooped her up with one arm, cradling her against his side.

After settling her into the passenger seat, he fastened her seatbelt with practice ease.

Just as he was about to pull away, a pair of soft arms suddenly wrapped around him.

"Waaah... waaah..."

Melissa clung to him desperately, burying her face in his chest as sobs wracked her body.

"I—I thought I was done for!

That I’d never escape, never see the sun again!"

The man’s gentle warmth and familiar scent wrapped around her like a security blanket, instantly soothing her frayed nerves.

"You came... *sob*... but why did it take you so long? I was terrified!"

Melissa clung to Vicente just as she used to cling to her brother Taylor whenever she’d been wronged or bullied as a child—though she hadn’t done this in years.

Now, shaken to her core, she instinctively turned to Vicente as her safe harbor, burying her face against his chest.

The feel of her delicate frame trembling against him and the hot tears soaking through his shirt left Vicente momentarily paralyzed.

This was unfamiliar territory.

Yet instead of discomfort, an unexpected surge of protectiveness welled up inside him.

His previously frozen hands finally moved, gently patting her back in slow circles.

"My fault entirely for being late," he murmured, scanning their surroundings even as he comforted her.

"I’m sorry."

After this emotional release, Melissa gradually calmed, her grip loosening.

She sniffled, catching sight of the tear stained patch darkening his shirtfront.

"Good... you’d better not do it again," she managed between hiccups, her tear-streaked face flushing pink with embarrassment.

The words came out in that particular blend of fragility and petulance unique to pretty girls who know they’re being just slightly unreasonable.

"Next time this happens, I’ll... I’ll have my brother dock your pay!"

Vicente was used to Melissa’s contradictory nature.

A faint smile played on his lips as he slid into the passenger seat.

"Alright," he replied, his voice still warm and steady, though his gaze darkened slightly as he caught sight of a distant figure in his peripheral vision.

"Buckle up.

I’ll take you home."

With that, he started the car and drove off.