NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Being Targeted
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The next morning…
The sun was bright and warm.
Cole Stone left the studio apartment early in the morning and took the subway to his new house in Sky City.
The 650 square foot house was not that huge, but it was enough for two people to live in.
But those two people were no more.
Cole Stone walked into the familiar elevator.
As the elevator went up, he took a deep breath.
There was no difference in today and the past, but his state of mind had changed.
He had no idea whether his feelings for her would blossom once again when he opened that door once more and saw the items that Jane Smith had left behind in the house.
Ding!
The elevator arrived!
The familiar scene outside of the elevator dampened Cole Stone’s spirits.
403.
He fished out the key and inserted it into the keyhole…
Kacha!
The door did not budge.
Cole Stone was stunned.
What was going on?
He was dumbfounded and tried to turn the key once again.
Kacha!
But the door still wouldn’t budge.
The lock was evidently changed.
It was changed overnight!
No matter how Cole Stone moved the key—clockwise, anti-clockwise—the door wouldn’t open
The door remained motionless as if the Smiths and James Lewis were mocking him.
Without even making an appearance, they managed to push Cole Stone into the abyss.
Slam!
Cole Stone gripped the key and shouted at the door in despair. “This is my house!”
He greatly underestimated Jane Smith’s cruelty.
How long has it been since they’ve parted ways?
She actually changed the lock overnight so that he could not enter his own house!
Cole Stone loosened his grip and laughed at himself.
“I actually thought that I’ll feel something for her again? It was mistaken…”
“I’ve worked hard for three whole years to buy this house, yet they will not even let go inside my very own house… Goddamn it! They’re heartless.”
He collapsed and looked absent-mindedly at the door.
Just then, he suddenly saw a familiar shadow in the trash bin along the safety passage.
Cole Stone got up and walked over.
He was astonished.
It was the bag that Jane Smith gave to him as a gift.
It was also the only present Jane Smith ever gave to him.
In their six years, he cherished the bag and treated it as if it was his own child.
But now, it was in the bin.
Cole Stone silently picked up the bag.
He took out the key to his electric bicycle and the few photos of them together.
Rip!
He tore the photos into pieces.
After taking out the key inside the bag, he hurled it once more into the bin.
There was no need for him to keep it anymore.
As he was leaving, he suddenly recalled that there were still some IOUs and receipts in the house. Especially the receipts of him paying off Jane Smith’s tuition loan.
He wondered if Jane Smith threw them out too.
…
Afternoon.
Cole Stone was a part-time Uber Eats delivery man.
He could immediately start his job once an order came through his smartphone.
As he put on his uniform and was leaving to handle an order, someone outside spotted him.
“Mr James, you were right. Cole Stone—that rascal is working as a delivery man.”
“As a delivery man?”
James Lewis who was on the other end of the call smiled menacingly. “Got it, watch him.”
“On it.”
James Lewis laughed coldly. “You’re not qualified to duke it out with me…”
…
Cole Stone strapped on the helmet and rode the electric bicycle.
The sun was scorching hot even though it was February.
He sweated a lot.
He rode along the pavement as he calculated the distance to his customer in his mind.
At that moment…
At a certain blind spot—hidden from the eyes of nearby surveillance cameras—a silver-gray Ferrari suddenly rushed out like a ghost.
Cole Stone panicked but was unable to turn in time.
Screech!
The screeching sound of the brakes reverberated.
Splat!
Cole Stone was struck and sent flying two meters away.
The food on his bicycle spilled everywhere on the ground.
“Ah!” Cole Stone groaned in pain.
He took off his helmet.
His forehead was bleeding and his leg was also injured in the aftermath.
Seeing that someone got into an accident, the surrounding crowd immediately gathered.
At that moment, the Ferrari’s door opened and Cole Stone watched as four people got off.
The owner of the car was wearing an Armani custom-made suit with a priceless Omega wristwatch.
He was dressed in branded goods from head to toe.
The woman beside him was wearing a camisole and booty shorts.
She had fair skin and a beautiful face, looking extremely tempting to the eyes.
The other two were a pair of a man and a woman.
In contrast to them, Cole Stone lied pathetically on the ground in his uniform with soup all over his pants.
His eyes darkened when he saw the four people in front of him.
James Lewis and Jane Smith.
The other man was James Lewis’ attendant, Tom White, and the other woman was Jane Smith’s best friend, Quinn Young.
As his attendant, Tom White was also dressed in branded goods.
Quinn Young was working in a bank.
Jane Smith had borrowed lots of money from her but in Cole Stone’s name.
Quinn Young was not lacking in appearance as well.
She had a slender figure and was carrying a Burberry designer bag as she looked down at Cole Stone with disgust.
Seeing the four of them, there was no way Cole Stone could not tell that they had targeted him on purpose.
Just then…
James Lewis looked at Cole Stone with playful eyes and mocked. “Oh, Cole Stone?”
“How are you regressing even more? Not only have you become a mere delivery man, but you even know how to fake accidents now?”
Jane Smith matched James Lewis and scolded. “Trash…”
Silence.
The people in the surrounding immediately scoffed.
So, the delivery man was faking an accident.
Everyone hated scammers.
Cole Stone grimaced.
James Lewis framing him.
He yelled out in pain. “What are you talking about? You were speeding—”
James Lewis laughed and cut him off.
“You’re the one who suddenly rushed out from the pedestrian crossing.”
Hearing James Lewis’ words, the crowd started to hate Cole Stone even more.
They hated people who rode electric bicycles without care.
Especially when they were running along crossings dedicated to pedestrians.
In addition, since Cole Stone was framed first…
The surrounding crowd leaned on James Lewis’ side.