2026-07-31 23:43:37
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Chapter 270. Old Haunt's.
The smell hit him first, that unique combination of stale beer and sawdust and the faint chemical tang of cleaning solution that had never quite managed to mask the underlying odor of decades of spilled drinks. Then the sounds registered, the low murmur of conversation and the clink of glasses and the jukebox in the corner playing something old soulful.Finally the visuals came through, the scarred wooden bar and the mismatched stools and the walls covered in photographs and memorabilia.His eyes found the picture almost immediately, hung on the wall behind the bar in a place of honor among the other photographs of regulars and friends and moments frozen in time. It was a shot of him and Magnus from their third year, both of them younger and thinner and grinning at the camera with the careless confidence.Magnus had his arm around Saul's shoulders and Saul was holding up a glass of beer in a mock toast, and behind them the bar was crowded and loud and full of life. Saul stared at t
Chapter 269. The Slip.
Kim looked incredulous at his words and she shook her head and reached out to take his hand in hers, her fingers warm and steady against his cold skin. "Saul, I know you're worried and I know you're dealing with a lot right now. But you don't have to antagonize Veronica for my sake. I already forgave you for what happened between you two. I told you that.""This isn't about forgiveness," Saul said, and there was something almost desperate in his voice that made Kim's heart clench. "This is about what's happening to me. Twice now, after being in contact with her, I've had strange things happen in my body. Things I can't explain or control. I'm not imagining it, Kim. I'm not."Kim was silent for a moment with her hand still in his and her eyes searching his face for the truth of what he was saying. There was genuine fear in his expression.Her Saul would never let her see him so rattled unless it was truly important.She knew with a sudden certainty that he was not exaggerating or ma
Chapter 268. Twisted Up Inside.
Then the moment passed and Saul blinked and the look of distance melted away, slipping away as if it had never been there."I'm tired," he said, his voice rough and uneven. "Still recovering from everything. The headaches are worse tonight."Kim stared at him for a long moment with her heart still pounding against her ribs and her mind racing with questions she could not bring herself to ask. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to accept the explanation and move on and pretend she had not just seen what she had seen. But the image of his eyes looking at her without recognition or warmth was burned into her retina's.She knew that no amount of pretending would make it go away."Okay," she said quietly, the word coming out softer than she intended. "It is pretty late.”Saul nodded without responding and turned his attention back to the road, and the rest of the ride home was quiet. Turning away from her husband, Kim stared out the window at the passing city and tried to convince h
Chapter 267. Empty with incomprehension
Veronica excused herself a few seconds later, citing business that did not concern them and she left.Saul was very quiet as they exited the club afterwards, his jaw set and his eyes fixed on some point in the middle distance that seemed to exist somewhere beyond the physical world around them. The valet brought the car around and Saul tipped him without a word, sliding into the driver's seat automatically. Kim climbed in beside him and fastened her seatbelt and waited for him to say something, anything, that would break the silence that had settled over him like a shroud. But the silence stretched on as he pulled out of the parking lot and merged into the late evening traffic, and after a while she stopped waiting and started talking instead.The city lights slid past the windows in streaks of gold and white and neon blue, and Kim watched them without really seeing them while her mind replayed the events of the evening over and over again. She had not liked the way Veronica looke
Chapter 266. Call Off.
Grimacing, she closed her mouth with a visible effort and leaned back in her chair with her wineglass in her hand, the crystal stem held between her fingers with a tension that betrayed the composure she was trying so hard to maintain. The words she wanted to say were clearly pressing against her teeth, demanding release, but she swallowed them down. She gave him a wave with her other hand, a dismissive gesture that was meant to convey indifference but instead revealed the depth of her frustration.Her expression was slightly mutinous in a way that made her look almost petulant despite the elegance of her features. But she was willing to let him order her around. For now. The unspoken qualifier hung in the air between them like a threat, a reminder that Veronica was not the type of woman who accepted being silenced without cataloging the offense for future reference.She would give him this. For now.Satisfied with her silence, Saul turned to Kim and his voice was slightly somber
Chapter 265. Trust In Him.
They settled into their seats and a server appeared almost immediately to take their drink orders. Saul ordered water while Kim requested a glass of white wine, and Veronica watched the exchange with an expression that was impossible to read."I have to admit," Veronica said once the server had departed, "when you said you were bringing your wife I did not entirely believe you. It is not the sort of thing men in your position typically do."Saul leaned back in his chair with his hands resting on the table. "I'm not typical," he said. "And I don't do things the way other men do them."Veronica's lips curved into a smile that held no real warmth. "No," she agreed. "You certainly don't." She turned her attention to Kim with a tilt of her head. "And how are you finding all of this? The secret meetings and the dangerous deals and the endless maneuvering. It must be quite an adjustment."Kim did not flinch under the scrutiny. "I'm managing," she said evenly. "And I'm here because I trust m
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