Chapter 52: 52. Laura’s Fury Maria and her friends stood frozen. Fear had taken such hold of them that even words refused to form. Their minds went blank, their bodies paralyzed.
Suddenly, Laura spun around, turning to face whoever was behind them. The others, startled by her unexpected bravery, followed her lead.
What they saw left them even more stunned. A towering man with a menacing look stood just a few steps away.
His presence was terrifying, and all that crossed Maria’s mind was run! But Laura clearly had a different plan.
"You there!" Laura said boldly, taking a step forward. "Who are you and what do you want from us?"
Her voice was firm, fearless. She stood between the man and her friends, unshaken.
The man glared down at her, clearly offended.
"How dare you speak to me like that?" he growled. "I didn’t come for you, but if you interfere in what’s not your business, young lady, I’ll remove you from my path—permanently!"
He stepped toward her with a threatening air, but Laura didn’t budge.
"Laura, let’s go!" Cassandra screamed, panic seizing her voice. "This is the point where we run!" But Laura remained still. Her focus never shifted from the man approaching her.
He was just five meters away when something in Laura’s eyes changed. Without warning, she lunged at him, faster and more fiercely than anyone could have imagined.
Blow after blow landed before the man could even react. Punches, kicks—Laura was relentless. Though he stood more than twice her height, he stumbled back, nose bleeding, taken completely off guard.
As he scrambled to his feet, face swollen and blood dripping from his nose, he realized he was no match for the girl. Fear flickered in his eyes.
"I’ll be back for all of you!" he yelled as he turned to flee. "And when I return... you’ll all suffer—especially your little one!"
He vanished from the garden, trying to conceal his face with a mask pulled hastily from his pocket.
Cassandra and Maria were left in awe. Shock and relief washed over them in waves. They couldn’t believe what Laura had just done—or how she even sensed the man was following them in the first place.
Laura calmly walked back to them, a soft smile on her face. She picked up the books they had dropped in fear.
"Why are you both looking at me like that?" she asked with a chuckle.
Cassandra was the first to break the silence. "Laura, where did you learn to fight like that? And how do you stay so calm?"
"I’ve told you both before," Laura replied, brushing dirt off a book. "My dad taught me self-defense. He wanted me prepared for situations like this."
Cassandra’s eyes widened. "That wasn’t just self-defense! Laura, that was some professional fighting back there! Don’t tell me you only got that from your dad?"
Laura smiled again, this time a little more solemnly.
"Where I grew up... it wasn’t safe. Gangs, harassment—especially for girls coming back from school. My dad taught me all he could, but when it got too dangerous, he enrolled me in Taekwondo. It was worth every lesson. Because now—anytime, anywhere—I can defend myself."
"Wow..." Maria murmured, admiration in her voice. "I wish I had a life like that. Mine just feels so... boring."
"Hey, don’t say that." Laura gave Maria a warm look. "You’re just going through something right now. That doesn’t mean it’ll always be like this. Give it time."
Cassandra wrapped her arms around Maria tightly. "Everything will be fine," she whispered into her ear.
Then Laura’s eyes narrowed. "Wait... that man said he didn’t come for me. So who was he after?"
Maria looked up quickly. "Who else could it be? I’m sure he was looking for me."
"But we can’t say for certain," Cassandra cut in. "Either way, we all need to be more careful now."
They hurried back toward the classroom, still shaken. From a distance, James watched everything unfold. His eyes stayed fixed on Laura.
"So she’s a fighter, huh?" he muttered to himself. "I’ve always suspected there’s more to her. Time to do a full background check."