Late spring, South City.
In the old district, the dim alleyway was barely lit by a flickering, dying streetlamp.
Evelyn Harper walked into the deep alley with her two sons, Noah and Ethan Harper, chatting and laughing along the way.
Behind them, three middle-aged men reeking of alcohol trailed closely.
“Mom, someone’s following us. Should we run or fight?”
Noah leaned close to Evelyn and whispered, glancing back at the men with a sparkle of excitement in his eyes.
His latest invention hadn’t been tested yet, and now, three perfectly timed "volunteers" had shown up. He was practically itching to act.
Seeing right through her son’s mischievous plan, Evelyn ruffled his hair and said indulgently, “Behave yourself. Maybe those uncles are just passing by.”
Noah pouted in obvious disappointment. “Fine.”
But just as he finished his sentence, the three men closed the distance with quick steps, surrounding them with threatening glares.
“Hand over anything valuable, or else don’t blame us if things get ugly!" one of them barked.
Noah tilted his head up to look at Evelyn, his wide, innocent eyes blinking as if to ask, “Mom, are *these* the ‘passing uncles’ you mentioned?” Ethan Harper's little face was all tense, a flicker of cold sharpness in his eyes. Messing with them? Big mistake.
Evelyn Harper sighed lightly, rubbing her temples with a hint of helplessness. Then she looked up, her face breaking into a dazzling, sweet smile. "Hi there, gentlemen. Good evening~"
With that doll-like face and innocent charm, paired with those deep, mesmerizing black eyes, she looked like a rare gem shining in the shadows—an allure that was impossible to ignore.
The moment the three drunk thugs saw her, their lecherous grins widened as they swaggered forward, hands already itching to take liberties.
But the next second, one of them found his wrist caught in an unyielding grip. With a sharp twist—crack.
"Ahhh!" A piercing scream tore through the quiet alley.
The other two froze, dumbfounded, unable to process what just happened.
"Robbing me? Really?" Evelyn's sweet voice carried a dangerous edge, as if mocking their sheer stupidity for targeting her.
Without missing a beat, she kicked the injured thug away, her gaze locking onto the other two. That sweet, harmless smile on her face remained immaculate, as though nothing had happened.
She flexed her fingers a bit, then casually called over her shoulder, "Noah, honey, close your eyes now. No peeking, alright?"
The upcoming scene might get a little...unpleasant for minors.
Ethan obediently covered his eyes, looking angelic.
Noah, on the other hand, let out a displeased whine, "Mom, that's so unfair! You're not leaving even one for me?"
Soon, the sound of more blood-curdling screams filled the narrow alleyway. The two boys, however, peeked through their fingers, completely engrossed in the "show."Until the final groan faded, Noah Harper suddenly let out a sigh and said with a worried tone, “Mom, you’re so violent. How are you ever going to find a boyfriend?”
Ethan Harper glanced at him, deadpan, and remarked, “Evelyn Mom is a weakling who can’t even open a bottle of water.”
Noah nodded in agreement. “...Yeah, you’re right, bro.”
The three burglars sprawled miserably on the ground, practically half-dead, screaming internally: A weakling who took down all three of us? Seriously?!
Out of nowhere, a beam of light cut through the gloom, and the dim alley was suddenly illuminated.
“Hey, you! What’s going on here?”
A shout came, followed by four uniformed officers walking in, flashlights in hand.
The burglars’ eyes lit up like they’d just seen their saviors.
“Cops! Cops!”
“Officers, help us!”
“Get down! Hands on your head! Don’t move! And stop calling us ‘uncle’!”
“Fighting right outside the station? You lot have guts!”
As ironic as it sounds, this alley was only a few steps away from the local police station in the old district. These officers had been out grabbing late-night snacks when they heard the commotion and decided to investigate.
“Officers, save us! There’s been a murder!”
“...”
Evelyn Harper side-eyed the burglars, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
Terrified, the burglars shivered uncontrollably. One of the officers clipped his flashlight back onto his belt and barked, "Shut up! All of you, get up and come with us!"
Then he pointed at Evelyn Harper and her two little ones, Noah and Ethan Harper, crouched off to the side. "You three, too. Let's go."
Evelyn blinked innocently and asked, "Officer, us too? We're just innocent passersby."
"Exactly!" Ethan and Noah vigorously nodded along. "We were just passing by!"
The officer squinted. "Then why are you holding a bottle?"
Evelyn froze. "..." It was just something she picked up by the roadside to sell... Could she use that excuse?
Of course, she didn’t dare to say it out loud.
But the thought of going to the police station made her stomach churn. She really didn’t want to go there.
Biting her lip, Evelyn widened her cat-like eyes, her cheeks puffed slightly as she tried to muster some charm. "Officer, look at the three of us—frail, skinny, fragile. A gust of wind could blow us away. Do we look like the type to get in fights?"
To be fair, she really didn't.
But the officer trusted his 20/20 vision; there was no way he was mistaken.
"Enough chatter. All of you, come with us."
Evelyn: "..."