When an Alpha is Marked by One of His Own Kind

Chapter 53

A few minutes earlier.
Shen Qiao dodged the syringe aimed at his throat. His back hit the wall, and he spun to say something, only to see that heavy canvas tote bag flying at his face.

If it weren't for the fact that he had plenty of experience fighting people, and the fact that he'd kept working out over the past few years, he would have taken a hit to the head that knocked him out for a few minutes-

He squatted down swiftly and heard that heavy bag of documents crash into the wall.

Then a wave of loose papers cascaded down, scattering all over the floor.

The other man took stock of the situation and immediately donned a look of defeat. He quickly backed up to the emergency exit and pushed the door open, preparing to run into the stairwell. But he called out one last parting shot-

"What a pity. It looks like my employer fed me some misinformation. I'll have to find a more delicate target to squeeze."

Shen Qiao froze. He instantly thought of Lu Zhe. Unwilling to let such a dangerous person escape, Shen Qiao jolted into action and sprinted to the emergency exit.

The beta who'd slipped out the door only climbed one flight of stairs before stopping and looking down at the door he'd come out of. He stopped there and smiled coyly, as though waiting for his prey to fall into his trap.

Shen Qiao lifted his head and met that man's gaze. The light in his eyes gradually disappeared, leaving only a dark, bitter glare on his face.

......

"Qiaoqiao!"

Lu Zhe rushed to the emergency exit where he'd heard a clamor. He found the door shut, and when he pushed, it wouldn't budge. It was like something heavy had it blocked from the other side. In his panic, Lu Zhe unthinkingly took two steps back and slammed his weight against the door to crash through it.

The door cracked open, just a sliver. A green recycling bin sat on the other side of the door. Fortunately, someone had just replaced the bag inside not long ago. It wasn't too heavy to push aside.

Lu Zhe shoved the door a few more times, and the bin gradually scooted farther and farther away, allowing the crack in the doorway to widen.

Lu Zhe slanted his body and squeezed through the crack as soon as he was able. He looked up, but didn't see anyone on top of the stairs to the next floor. He was more thorough than that, though. The smile on his face was completely gone. His lips were tightly pursed. He sought out the faint traces of mint in the air and continued to search, tracking the scent.

Suddenly-!

Another loud BAM sounded out!

It was the sound of someone slamming into the metal railing of the stairwell.

Lu Zhe jumped when he heard that noise, then quickly rushed down a flight of stairs. This emergency exit had a wall in the middle of the stairs, so there was no way to vault over the railing, and there was no way to see what was happening on a lower level.

So Lu Zhe could only sprint, taking the steps two or three at a time and ultimately just launching himself down to the lower landing.

He flew down the stairs with one hand on the railing. Finally, after turning a corner, he laid eyes on-

Someone had Shen Qiao trapped against the railing. Shen Qiao had that person's wrist caught in his grip. A sharp, glinting box cutter was dangerously close to Shen Qiao's throat.

Upon sensing the presence of another person, the assailant pushed harder, trying to stab the blade downwards. Shen Qiao matched his strength, gritting his teeth as he fought the man back. He furrowed his brow deeply and thought-