?<strong>Chapter 861:</strong>


    Her phone was still on the call with Michael, and just before she reached the locker room, Dulce heard footsteps behind her.


    When she abruptly stopped, so did the echo of footsteps behind her—a clear indication she was not alone.


    Panic wed at her chest; it was far toote for any colleague to be lingering.


    Without daring to nce back, she sprinted thest few steps to the locker room, her breathsing in quick gasps. The door mmed shut behind her with a resolute thud, the lock clicking just in time. Her breaths were quick and shallow, her heart thundering as if it were on the verge of bursting through her ribcage. She could do nothing but lean weakly against the door.


    Michael felt a tug of unease, sensing that something was amiss, but before Dulce could exin, a harsh thud against the door cut her off.


    Her heart skipped a beat, echoing the door’s violent shaking.


    A hushed stillness followed as the footsteps outside slowly receded. With a whispered sigh of relief, Dulce’s mind raced to the back door in the locker room. Could there be an aplice? She shuddered at the thought and, without hesitating, bolted the back door and squeezed herself into a narrow locker.


    Wedged in that tight space, Dulce’s heartbeat was deafening.


    “Dulce?” Michael’s concerned voice filtered through the phone. Clutching the phone like a lifeline, she whispered, “Michael, someone was chasing me.”


    Michael, already on edge, quickened his pace. “Are you somewhere safe?”


    Gulping down her fear, Dulce replied, “Yes.”


    “Stay strong. I’m on my way!”


    “I’m scared,” Dulce admitted, her hands clutching her chest tightly as sheid bare her fear to Michael. Her voice trembled, saturated with raw fear, threatening to crumble into sobs at any moment.


    “Just hold on a bit longer. Don’t hang up; I’m already on my way. Please wait for me.”


    Dulce wasn’t sure whether it was the assertiveness in Michael’s words or theforting sound of his car door shutting that lessened her anxiety. She fortified her resolve, reminding herself of her inner strength, as she tried to stifle the dread enveloping her. “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”


    As she waited, the silence was punctuated only by the eerie echo of her own breaths on the line.


    Trapped in the constricting space of the locker, she lost track of time. The air was suffocating, a tangible darkness pressing against her, yet her anticipation for Michael’s arrival kept her spirit tethered.


    Finally, the door swung open, revealing Michael, breathless and framed by the harsh light that spilled from above, casting a giant’s shadow.


    Dulce’s gloom lifted instantly.


    “It’s okay now,” Michael assured her, his voice rough from his sprint. tion surged within Dulce, and she leapt into his arms, crying out, “Michael!”


    Michael took a step back to stabilize himself, his face growing impassive. He didn’t push Dulce away; instead, his arms hung limply at his sides.


    Dulce buried her face in Michael’s chest, her voice cracking with emotion. “I feared today might be myst if you hadn’t shown up!”


    “Stop talking nonsense. I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to you.”


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