Now, if Samuel Cooper wants to attack Eric Bennett, he only has two options: one is to pick a direction and go around the sofa, but in that case, Eric Bennett can easily run in the opposite direction; the other is to jump directly over the sofa, but unless someone is especially agile, jumping over the sofa would actually take longer than going around it.

As long as Samuel Cooper picks a direction, Eric Bennett will get his chance—he can dash to the door, open it, and then run down the stairs while shouting in the hallway, “There’s a pervert!”

He figured he’d have to make it to the lobby to be safe, because Samuel Cooper would definitely chase after him. If others saw this situation, their first reaction would be to get out of the way. Even if someone tried to be a hero, they’d probably be taken down by Samuel Cooper’s stun gun. But as long as he made it to the lobby, with enough people around, even if Samuel Cooper stunned himself, he wouldn’t be able to drag himself away. At most, he’d just end up wetting himself in public.

Eric Bennett’s mind raced, and in half a second, he’d already made a plan. The only variable was whether Samuel Cooper had locked the door when he came in.

He hadn’t paid attention, but if Samuel Cooper had locked the door, things would get a bit tricky. However, his eyes also caught sight of the bathroom next to the door.

The bathroom door was indeed open. If the main door wouldn’t open, he could immediately dash into the bathroom, lock the door, and there was a phone inside that could call the front desk.

Samuel Cooper was clearly also thinking about how to attack with more certainty. Whenever Eric Bennett moved, he moved too, constantly predicting Eric Bennett’s route. He didn’t recklessly get too close, instead using the sofa as a shield as he moved. His movements were extremely agile—no matter how many feints Eric Bennett made, he couldn’t shake him off.

Cold sweat trickled down Eric Bennett’s face. He’d met his match—this guy was nothing like his drunken, stumbling old man. He seemed to have mastered the art of this kind of indoor chase. Maybe this guy had a childhood just like his.

The two of them darted back and forth in the room like they were doing a beach dance. Eric Bennett was starting to lose his composure. Several times, he wanted to make a desperate dash, but always held back at the last second. He realized that whenever he was about to go all in, Samuel Cooper was always ready to strike with full force.

What should he do?

Eric Bennett had never imagined he’d end up in such an awkward situation. The wound on his back was starting to itch and hurt again. But just as his steps began to falter, there was a loud bang, and the spinning, dodging Samuel Cooper in front of him suddenly froze. The focused look in his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor. The stun gun in his hand also fell to the ground, rolling across the carpet to the corner of the room.

Only then did Eric Bennett see the disheveled-haired Grace Thompson standing behind Samuel Cooper, holding the base of a vase. She wanted to hit him again, but realized the remaining piece of the vase wasn’t much use as a weapon, so she tossed it aside and then gave Samuel Cooper two hard kicks in the groin.

Samuel Cooper curled up in pain. At that moment, Grace Thompson spotted the stun gun in the corner, turned to pick it up, and jabbed it into Samuel Cooper’s back.

Immediately, the smell of something burning filled the air. Samuel Cooper’s whole body convulsed, and a warm liquid spread from his crotch.

“You bastard, you dare to ambush me? And I was so sincere to you. Damn it, that hurts like hell.” Grace Thompson rubbed the spot where she’d been shocked and collapsed onto the sofa, leaving Eric Bennett standing there, watching the scene in shock.

After a moment of silence, Grace Thompson said to Eric Bennett, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me up, let’s go back to the hospital.”

“What about him?”

“Don’t worry, he won’t die. What, do you expect me to take care of him?” said Grace Thompson.

“Shouldn’t we call the police?” Eric Bennett asked.

“We can’t call the police. You don’t know who he is—I’ve heard some things. If we call the cops, it’ll turn into a big deal. I think I’ll have to take a few days off and lay low, or else they’ll come after me for payback,” said Grace Thompson. “By the way, where’s your money?”

Eric Bennett took out the check, and Grace Thompson said, “I get half. I really got screwed over today for nothing.”

“Why? You didn’t get anything drawn on your back,” Eric Bennett argued.

Grace Thompson shot back, refusing to back down, “I got two big holes burned into my back! I thought this guy was my true love, but turns out he had other motives and really went for it. I don’t care—if you don’t split it with me, I’ll turn myself in and tell them about your money. You took a bribe from a criminal, and then you won’t get a single cent.”

Grace Thompson spoke through gritted teeth. Looking at her, Eric Bennett couldn’t tell if her back really hurt or if she was just that angry, so he had no choice but to agree. Grace Thompson grabbed his hand, made him support her, and said, “Act close, let’s get out of the hotel first. Who knows if he’s alone.”

Grace Thompson was a very petite woman. With Eric Bennett’s arm around her shoulders, it felt very comfortable, and he couldn’t help but hold her tighter. Grace Thompson didn’t notice. They took the elevator down together—Eric Bennett’s hospital gown was very conspicuous, but no one stopped them. They walked right out the hotel’s front door and got into a taxi. Only then did Grace Thompson breathe a sigh of relief.

“Where are we going now?” Eric Bennett asked.

Grace Thompson looked at Eric Bennett, thought for a moment, and then said to Eric Bennett, “Let’s go to my place!”