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Chapter 354
Harry watched the standoff, his own plan crumbling. He had envisioned a clean, if dangerous, extraction: two hostages out, one tragic loss. A brutal calculus he could maybe live with. But this stubborn, interconnected refusal to abandon one of their own was something else entirely. It was the antithesis of the cold, transactional world he'd lived in since he returned to start living with Richard.He saw the resolve in Wilfreda's eyes, a mirror of the fierce defiance he remembered from the café. He saw the terrified courage in Janelle's, a loyalty that transcended self-preservation. They were a unit, and in that moment, it felt as though breaking them, even for their own good, was just another kind of violation.A heavy sigh, born of exhaustion and a sudden, shocking admiration, escaped him. The keys felt like lead in his hand.The path of least resistance, the coward's path, he now saw, was to insist, to force Janelle out. But looking at these two women, one his cousin, one a strang
Chapter 353
Time lost all meaning in the windowless cell. It could have been minutes or hours since Helsin was taken. The silence was a living thing, pressing in on them, broken only by Janelle’s occasional, shuddering breaths and the distant, indeterminate hum of the building’s machinery.Wilfreda held Janelle, her own mind a tempest of dread and furious, impotent planning. Every footstep in the corridor outside sent a fresh jolt of terror through them, each one a potential herald of their own doom.Having watched Helsin being dragged away earlier had really done something to them psychologically, and even if they didn't really want to admit it, both of them were already afraid that something bad might have happened to them, and that one of them would be next in line.Then, a new sound. Not the usual heavy, synchronized tread of the guards. This was lighter, quicker. A single set of footsteps, approaching with a strange urgency. They stopped right outside their cell.A key scraped in the lock.J
Chapter 352
Philip didn’t bother to answer with words, and that was because words had caused enough trouble tonight. Instead, he cupped her face, his thumbs stroking her cheeks, and leaned in.This kiss was different from the one before. That had been a promise, a seal on a vow. This one was an answer. It was deep, claiming, and breathtaking in its intensity. It held fifteen years of shared history, the terror of nearly losing her, the fierce joy of being chosen, and the absolute certainty of his own devotion. It was a silent, powerful rebuttal to every one of his foolish fears and a playful retaliation to her tease.When they finally parted, both were breathless. Julia’s eyes were shining, all traces of anger and sadness replaced by a luminous warmth. Philip rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling.“I think,” he murmured, his voice husky with emotion, “that should answer your question.”“It does,” Julia whispered, her smile soft and sure. “And just for the record, it answers y
Chapter 351
Philip held Julia's gaze, the depth of his love warring with a vulnerability he rarely showed. Her hands on his face were an anchor, but the question burning in his chest felt like a tide trying to pull him out to sea. He took a shaky breath."Julia," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, the words feeling both foreign and essential. "Do you love me?"The question landed in the quiet room with the force of a physical blow. Julia's hands stilled on his cheeks. Her eyes, so full of concern a moment before, widened in pure, uncomprehending shock. She pulled back slightly, creating a space between them that felt suddenly vast."Why are you asking such a question?" Her voice was low, edged with a hurt that was sharper than anger. "Philip, we've been married for over fifteen years. Our life, our family, everything we've built... do you honestly believe any of that could exist without love?"The raw confusion in her eyes was more painful than any accusation. Philip instantly regretted
Chapter 350
Helsin had finally come to accept her fate in the cell where she had now found herself. She was done wallowing in her ordeal, and tonight, she had decided to turn her pain into strength by telling Wilfreda and Janelle a story.And so, with her sharp eyes that missed nothing and a posture that spoke of enduring many storms, she told the same old story—the legend about the relics, about guardians and betrayals. To her, it was a way to pass the time, to keep their minds from the gnawing fear. Janelle, wrapped in a thin blanket, listened with rapt attention, her fear momentarily held at bay by the tale. Wilfreda, on the other hand, held her gaze which seemed to be distant and tracing the patterns in the dust on the floor, her thoughts clearly elsewhere as this was a story she had heard time and time again.Just then, the door at the end of the corridor clanged open, the sound echoing like a death knell. Booted footsteps, purposeful and grim, approached their cell.All three women became
Chapter 349
Harry moved silently through the east wing of his father’s estate, a nagging sense of unease gnawing at him since the disastrous courtroom day.His father, Richard, and his uncle, Robert had been sequestered in the study for hours. The usual hum of the house was muted, servants dismissed under the guise of ‘family business.’Driven by a dread he couldn’t name, Harry paused outside the study’s doors. The murmur of voices was low and urgent as he leaned closer, his ear almost touching the polished wood.“...a liability we can no longer afford,” Robert’s voice, usually so smooth and controlled, was edged with a finality that made Harry’s blood run cold. “Helsin and Wilfreda know the entire provenance chain. They can trace the stones from the mine to our books. And the girl, Janelle… she heard things while she was with us. She’s a witness Flynn would move heaven and earth to protect. They can’t be allowed to live. Not after this.”There was a beat of silence as Harry held his breath, pre
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