9 Suspect

Noah Thompson slowly turned around and looked at the ungrateful woman sitting on the bed.

"What makes you think that my accident wasn't an accident?" Delilah asked, demanding for an answer.

Noah shoved his hands in his pockets and thought about the accident from the previous day. Although the woman's tone was rude and demanding, he understood the seriousness of the situation, so he brushed his pride aside and started explaining what he saw.

That afternoon, he was waiting at a crossing when he heard a couple of screams from behind him, "Delilah! Wait!"

Just like everyone around him, Noah glanced behind to see what the commotion was and saw a man and a woman running out of a hotel. Following the direction in which they were screaming, he noticed a woman not too far from him. Although the bottom half of her body was wrapped in a sarong, and she was wearing a black leather jacket on top, the bright pink bikini that she had underneath was clearly visible and it made her stand out from the crowd. Noah looked at the woman with curiosity as she weaved her way to the front of the awaiting pedestrians. She lifted her hand to her mouth and covered it as she burped. Then, to his surprise, she suddenly stepped forward and started crossing the road before the lights turned green.

Everyone gasped in shock and didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, it was a relatively quieter time of the day and no car was driving through the crossing at that exact moment.

But the crossing did not remain empty for long. A few seconds later, Noah heard someone scream, "A car!"

Noah heard the sound of a growling engine on his left and his adrenaline immediately kicked in. Just by listening to the sound, he could tell that the car was headed straight for the woman...and it was not stopping.

Without a second thought, he quickly ran towards Delilah, grabbed her hand, and pulled her back. But just like a spinning top, the woman twirled back to the sidewalk, lost her footing, and fell face-first on the ground.

Of course, a crowd quickly gathered around to see if she was OK and Noah also looked on with curiosity. But he also turned back to check the crossing where the woman was almost hit and furrowed his brows when he saw that it was completely empty; the driver never stopped.

Not too far away, he noticed a black Mercedes turn the corner and frowned.

As he explained what he saw to Delilah, Delilah listened quietly and narrowed her eyes, "Are you sure the driver didn't just leave because he saw I was fine?"

Noah shook his head, "I've worked with cars for a long time and can recognize the engine noises. Not only did the car not stop, I didn't hear it brake at all. In fact, I'm sure it was speeding up..."

Delilah's eyes opened in shock. "So...you're saying he wanted to hit me?"

Noah looked into the woman's eyes and gently nodded his head, "Yes...and I think I have a suspect..."

Delilah raised an eyebrow and leaned forward anxiously. "Who?" she asked.

"I saw a black Mercedes not too far away and recognized the number plate... Do you...happen to know someone...called Lucas Lee?" Noah asked.

Delilah's eyes opened wide in surprise and she slowly nodded her head, "Yes...I do..."

[And that man is currently with my sister...]

...

Lucas looked at the woman opposite him with curiosity. Once again, she made him wonder whether his preconception of her was wrong. "I never thought you were the type to watch musicals..." he said with slight interest.

Maya looked into the man's eyes and sensed a change in his vibe. The sudden interest in his tone made her cheeks heat up a little. Avoiding the man's gaze shyly, she replied, "There's a lot you don't know about me..."

Lucas observed the woman's shy reaction and his eyes curved slightly. For some reason, there was an innocence to the woman that he had never noticed before and it was surprisingly attractive. Was this really the same woman that posted revealing selfies on social media every day?

Just as he was thinking this, his phone suddenly rang. He looked at the caller ID and picked up curiously. "Why are you calling?" he asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

On the other end, the muffled voice of a woman could be heard, but he couldn't make out what she was trying to say. "Wait..." he said, "the reception isn't good here. Let me step out first."

Maya watched curiously as Lucas stood up and walked out of the big glass doors of the restaurant. As the restaurant was quiet, she had also heard the voice of a woman on the other end and naturally wondered who he was talking to.

Just as he stepped away, the waiter arrived with their entrees. Although Maya was starving, she unconsciously found that her attention had been drawn to the man outside.

Looking through the glass doors, she saw the man lean against the corridor wall. Now that she was looking at him from a distance, she saw his entire body for the first time. The man was tall — standing at roughly 1.85m. His hair was sleek, combed back, with a slight split to the side. His skin was fair, his nose was tall, and his body was clearly toned underneath his black shirt. As he spoke on the phone a mysterious smile appeared on his soft lips.

Maya felt the heat from her cheeks spread to the rest of her body. No wonder her sister was so obsessed with this guy. She had to admit that he was quite charming.

If he didn't have such a horrible personality, he would be perfect...

...for her sister, that was...

Just as she was thinking this and looking at the man sneakily through the glass door, the man suddenly lifted his head as though he sensed her gaze...and slowly looked her way.

As their eyes met, his gaze softened and his smile grew bigger, revealing a dimple on his right cheek.

Maya held her breath when she saw this. Why was he smiling at her like that?

Not knowing what to do, her eyes darted slightly and she quickly looked away.

Outside, Lucas stared at Maya and felt his heart tingle a little. Holding onto his phone, he reconfirmed with the woman on the other end, "So...you're telling me that she lied about the sale and tricked the two of you into visiting a secret gentleman's club instead?"

"Yes!" the woman on the phone complained, "The bouncer even thought we were there to audition as strippers and said we had great potential!"

Lucas listened to the woman's response. As he removed the phone from his ear and ended the call, he glanced to the side and bit his lip as he tried to hold back a chuckle. Delilah Yeung was indeed different from what he expected. Glancing at the woman through the glass doors again, he checked the time and smiled. It had been 55 minutes since he arrived at this restaurant...but he was in no rush to leave anymore...