Chapter 18

After signing the Harry Potter contract, Catherine's mood improved significantly.

This slow-burning novel had gradually caught people's attention, and before she knew it, Catherine had gained a group of fans.

Immersed in her happiness, the Christmas holiday had also arrived.

The Edsons' trip to Seattle was about to begin.

Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, is located in King County, between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, about 174 kilometers from the Canada-U.S. border.

The city also has a beautiful nickname: the Emerald City.

The main attractions in Seattle are the three major parks: Mount Rainier National Park, Green Lake Park, and Freeway Park.

However, what Emma talked about the most was not these, but the Pacific Northwest Ballet—one of the main ballet companies in the United States and the world.

When the plane landed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the weather had already turned quite cool, and it was unclear if it was about to snow.

It was said that the weather warmed up a bit before the snow, but Catherine had never felt this so-called "warmth."

In 1962, Seattle would host the World's Fair, so the city's appearance was changing.

In a sense, the importance of the World's Fair far outweighed that of the Olympics.

But that was still two years away.

Catherine walked off the plane, through the terminal, and out of the airport along the stairs and corridors.

Although she was wearing a miniskirt, the winter windbreaker she wore over it provided good coverage.

"Damn."

But Catherine's mood was not good.

She never expected that Emma's Christmas gift to her would be a "winter set" produced by her own company.

While she wasn't obsessed with money, Catherine had still "seized" the business opportunity.

Thus, she came up with the idea of launching a winter set to keep fashion-conscious girls in step with the times.

The so-called winter set actually consisted of a double-layered miniskirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a white sweater vest, and a pair of cashmere knee-high socks.

Of course, even in winter, this outfit could only be worn indoors; outdoors, it was indeed a matter of style over warmth. However, with an added windbreaker, it was much better. And Catherine didn't just add one layer of clothing.

In fact, she felt quite warm and comfortable.

But to say that Catherine felt good... that was just a sigh.

Although Catherine had guided Lisa to design the miniskirt, this didn't mean she liked it. In fact, if she hadn't known that Lisa was the president of the fashion club, she wouldn't have thought of the miniskirt trend.

Wearing a skirt felt comfortable, but Catherine always felt uneasy.

It was as if she was completely exposed.

With nothing underneath and completely open, this feeling was truly unbearable for Catherine.

Catherine knew it was a psychological effect, but she couldn't overcome it.

"Hmm... Let's see, we'll drop off our luggage at the hotel first, then have a meal, and then..."

Bruce was looking at the map of Seattle, thinking about the itinerary.

"According to the plan, we should go see the Pacific Northwest Ballet first," Emma added.

Bruce shrugged.

Thus, the whole day, the three of them spent in the theater.

By the time they returned to the hotel in the evening, the day had passed.

Emma and Bruce were both exhausted, the former from excitement and the latter from accompanying Emma to watch the ballet.

Catherine was in high spirits because she had slept through the entire afternoon in the theater.

"I'm going for a walk." The hotel was warm but a bit stuffy.

"Don't go too far."

"I know."

How could she not understand such a simple principle?

But Catherine didn't take it to heart.

Seattle's security was much better than New York's. Although New York was the financial center of the United States, it was very chaotic, and this situation wouldn't improve until the late 1980s. At present, New York's impression was not very good.

Walking the streets of Seattle, Catherine felt a completely different atmosphere from New York, one that was very comfortable.

Although she had been in this world for 12 years, Catherine had only been to New York and a few nearby states. She had never seen the West Coast of the United States.

Seattle was a relatively new city, having been established just over 90 years ago, and at night, it was not as brightly lit as New York.

Catherine was very cautious, walking only on the main streets and not venturing into alleys. There were many violent crimes in the United States, and many of them were fatal, so Catherine was quite careful.

She didn't plan to stay here for too long and turned back.

But at that moment, she was suddenly grabbed from behind, and her mouth was covered before she could scream.

She was dragged into a secluded alley and only then did she see the three men.

Catherine's coat was torn off, and it was then that she saw the three men's faces.

Then, she despaired. These three men were all muscular, and their lecherous grins suggested they were not first-timers.

Catherine was quickly pinned against the wall by one of the men, who used his foot to keep her off the ground.

"Alright, girl, just let us have our fun, and it'll be good for both of us, got it?"

Resist?

No, seeing the gleaming knife in the man's hand, Catherine knew it was futile.

She nodded. Just as the men were about to assault her and reach for her—

"Help!!!"

She suddenly screamed.

The attackers panicked, but within two seconds, they quickly covered Catherine's mouth.

"Damn!"

The alley was secluded, but not far from the main street. Catherine's voice was high, and sound traveled far in the winter. Catherine believed her voice was loud enough for someone to hear.

Although the attackers covered Catherine's mouth, they didn't seem to plan to move to another location.

They might have thought no one would intervene.

After all, this was a country where a woman had been raped on the street, and passersby seemed to pay no attention.

They roughly pulled up her skirt and extended their knives.

"What are you doing?"

"Who?"

Just four English words, but to Catherine, they were like a heavenly sound.

She was saved!

But when she looked far away, she only saw a thin figure.

Then, she felt even more desperate.

...

Guess who it is, the previous title had a hint.

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