The Invincible Arthur Gardner novel Chapter 25

A few months prior, Claudina had heard whispers regarding her parents' whereabouts prior to their leaving her at the orphanage. With an eagerness to discover the truth, she set off to investigate further.

Claudina made a conscious decision to come by herself, wanting to remain as discreet as possible. After completing his tasks for the evening, she arrived, wearing a mask and sunglasses to hide her identity.

She arrived in a residential area that was in stark contrast to the city's flashy downtown area; its houses and apartments were aged and worn, with peeling paint and unkempt yards.

Just as she was about to step out of the convenience store to ask the cashier for directions, she was suddenly intercepted by three men who had rapidly moved to surround her.

"Wow, take a look here! There is an attractive woman in this area at night - what a pleasant surprise!"

He reached out to caress Claudina's cheek tenderly, but she stepped back, her expression unreadable. "What is it, my love? Why are you so distant? All we want is to show you how much we care about you."

"Would you like to join us, darling? We would be delighted to get a chance to see your beautiful face and take in your delightful scent."

Peering into the store, Claudina noticed the cashier inside silently staring back at her. As she surveyed the street outside, there were only a few cars driving by and no one else paying attention.

As Claudina tried to pass by, the three of them quickly grabbed her hand and held it firmly in their grasp.

"Release me, please," she whispered, her voice trembling with desperation.

"Hey, what's going on here?" One of the men was surprised when he heard Claudina's voice. "Just hearing her speak has stirred up such strong feelings in me that I want to make love to her," he exclaimed.

"Her hands are as soft as velvet," the others agreed, "and I can almost feel my body trembling with anticipation just at the mere touch."

Claudina frantically tugged at her tightly bound wrists, her voice echoing in desperation as she screamed for help. "Please, somebody help me!"

Three men in front of her, however, were simply laughing at her attempts.

"No one will be coming to save you," one of them declared, his face contorted in a look of disdain. "Come with us, and I can guarantee you will find joy."

Claudina peered into the convenience store, desperately hoping that the cashier would be able to help her, yet her pleas were met with a swift head-turn away.

"No, please, let me go!" she implored, her voice quivering, yet the three men continued to forcefully tug at her body.

Claudina fought back and pulled her body downward, yet the men's grip on her wrists remained strong. "Let me go," she pleaded, her voice trembling.

At that very moment, Claudina saw a man running towards her. He was a tall man with dark brown hair and clothes that were disheveled. He was pushing one of the men, and with a stern voice he shouted, "Let her go!"

"Can't you see she's begging for help?!" the man shouted desperately. With an intense expression, he pleaded with the others, "You can go looking for prostitutes out there, I'll pay for you, so please just let her go!"

"So what?" The three men menacingly confronted the man, their eyes darting around his disheveled hair. "What kind of trouble are you trying to stir up?" With a swift motion, one of them punched the man, causing him to stumble backward and his nose to start gushing blood.

The man stumbled to the ground, where he was viciously beaten by the three others. He was kicked in the stomach and then, one by one, had his body stepped on.

Claudina, desperate to help, ran to intervene, but was harshly shoved aside. "Help!" she desperately screamed out, praying that somebody would come to their aid.