2025-05-12 23:58:13
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CHAPTER 160
Ashley and George sat in the corner booth of their favorite café, their trays barely touched as they joked and laughed, basking in the aftermath of their successful test. Ashley had insisted on treating George for lunch, and he'd finally accepted, though he still looked sheepish about it. "I swear, George," Ashley said, grinning. "If you keep being this smart, I'll have to start booking tutoring appointments through an agent." George pushed his glasses up, hiding a soft smile. "Well, I take payment in milkshakes and French fries." He joked. Ashley laughed, just as her phone buzzed on the table. She picked it up, her expression sobering as she saw the caller ID: Dad. Joe Stark. Ashley sighed and stared at the phone for a bit longer before answering. Their relationship had improved lately. He wasn't breathing down her neck every hour anymore, and the private security team that used to trail her everywhere had been reduced to a distant presence. For once in years, sh
CHAPTER 159
George got home that evening with his thoughts still spinning like a wheel stuck in motion. Ashley's teasing words echoed in his mind, looping over and over. "Do you want me to be your girlfriend?" He knew she had been joking, well, half-joking but still, the question haunted him. Should he have been just as blunt? Should he have told her how he felt, laid it all bare? Maybe she would have laughed, or maybe she would have smiled and said yes. But he hadn't, and now, alone in the long, quiet hallway of his family's villa, it felt like a missed chance again. As George dropped his backpack onto the floor of his room, his mother Agnes waltzed in without knocking. Typical, George didn't even bother hiding his exasperation. He scoffed inwardly as she adjusted a vase on his desk like she had a right to be in there. "The maids already made dinner," Agnes announced breezily, ignoring the tension in the air. "Time to eat." George sighed, he wasn't exactly in the mood, but skipping d
CHAPTER 158
George arrived at school earlier than usual, the morning sun cast a soft glow on the school courtyard, and the breeze tugged playfully at the edges of his jacket. He settled on the bench near the entrance, eyes scanning the walkway in anticipation. He was waiting for her, Ashley. It had become their little ritual, George arriving first and waiting until she appeared, walking up with that easy smile that never failed to make his heart race. He always looked forward to seeing her, not just because they were friends now, but because she had become the most constant and comforting presence in his life. Soon enough, she came strolling in, a soft bounce in her step. Her ponytail swayed behind her as she adjusted the strap of her backpack. George smiled the moment he saw her, rising from the bench as she approached. "Morning," she said warmly. "Hey," he replied, reaching out instinctively to take her hand as they walked in together and she let him. They made their way to
CHAPTER 157
The darkness of the industrial zone cloaked the area in silence, broken only by the faint mechanical hum of the drone as it flew overhead, guided expertly by Owen. He and Killian stood at a distance, partially shielded behind the rusted shell of an abandoned truck, eyes glued to the monitor in Owen’s hands. Killian scanned the warehouse cluster, each structure eerily still. The place felt abandoned—no movement, no light, no signs of activity. For a moment, it was hard not to wonder if they had been wrong. If Nathalie’s memory had simply led them to another dead end, but then, just as the drone pivoted toward one of the northernmost buildings, a figure emerged from the shadows. A man, he wore a cap pulled low over his face and a thick black jacket, even though the air was mild. He walked with caution, glancing over his shoulder before slipping through a narrow metal door hidden by a sliding wall. Killian leaned in. “There.” Owen nodded. “That’s suspicious.”
CHAPTER 156
The air in Owen's home office was thick with the weight of urgency. A laptop screen glowed on the desk, multiple windows open maps, documents, files of unsolved cases, and grainy mugshots. Killian stood beside Owen, hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed as he tried to piece the fragments of information together. Janelle sat quietly with Nathalie, the younger woman wrapped in a soft throw blanket, her expression dazed but trying to stay focused.Killian turned toward her suddenly, his voice calm but direct. "Nathalie, I need you to think back. When you were taken… or at any point during your time there, did you see anything that stood out? A face, a tattoo, a symbol, anything?"Nathalie blinked, hesitant. "I… I didn't look at them much. I was scared. I kept my head down, most of the time.""I know," Killian nodded. "But sometimes our brain holds onto things even if we don't realize it. Did you see something strange? Something that didn't belong?" Her brows furrowed in thought. She
CHAPTER 155
The soft flicker of the television bathed the living room in pale light. Janelle was nestled comfortably against Killian's side, a shared blanket covering their legs as the romcom played on. He hadn't protested much, not when she looked so pleased every time the couple on screen kissed or shared some cliché, heartwarming line. It wasn't the kind of evening he typically indulged in, but having her close, her warmth pressed against his side and her quiet laughter filling the room, it made him forget the outside world existed. For a while, but as evening fell, and the shadows grew longer, his phone buzzed sharply on the coffee table. Killian hesitated before reaching for it, the name on the screen read Owen. He exchanged a glance with Janelle before answering. "Owen?" Killian's voice immediately sharpened. "What's wrong?" There was a beat of silence, then Owen spoke, grim and direct. "The cartel called. They threatened Nathalie." "What? What exactly did they say?" He
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