Template placeholder with Chapter 283

Chapter 283:

At Nectarbrook Railway Station.

Jaxton hobbled off the train, his gaze clouded with apprehension and unease. The moment Denny had swooped in to save Amelia at the Harvest Moon Restaurant, panic had seized him. He knew Wyatt would never let him off, so he fled immediately, leaving Kretol. Wary that air travel would betray his whereabouts to Wyatt’s people, he opted for the anonymity of a low-cost train ticket. Gritting his teeth through the pain of his untreated wound, he endured the grueling journey to Nectarbrook.

The station thrummed with disorderly crowds, and Jaxton felt a fleeting wave of relief wash over him. Surely, Wyatt’s reach couldn’t extend to this place. After all, Wyatt’s influence held sway in Kretol, not here in Nectarbrook. With that thought, Jaxton’s frayed nerves began to relax, his guarded demeanor softening.

Each step sent a sharp jolt of pain through his thigh, where Denny’s blade had left a deep wound. Despite his efforts to staunch the bleeding with various hemostatics, the injury continued to ooze faintly. Determined to seek treatment first, Jaxton flagged down a taxi outside the station. “Take me to Nectarbrook City Hospital,” he said to the driver after getting into the car.

The driver gave a curt nod and set the car in motion. On the train, Jaxton had been consumed by dread, every moment shadowed by the fear of being found by Wyatt’s people. Now, as the tension ebbed, exhaustion settled heavily into his limbs.

𝗥оma𝘯с𝗲 n𝘰𝗏𝖾𝗹ѕ о𝗇

As the taxi wove through the city, Jaxton’s eyelids grew heavy, and he let them drift shut, falling asleep. The driver stole a glance at him through the rearview mirror, a cold glint flickering in his eyes.

Unaware, Jaxton remained oblivious as the taxi veered from the bustling city streets onto an overpass. When he woke, the sight of the desolate highway outside the car jolted him. His expression darkened. “I said Nectarbrook City Hospital. Where are you taking me p>

“This route is a shortcut to the hospital. We’ll be there in no time; don’t worry,” the driver replied smoothly.

“Stop the car! I want to get out now!” Jaxton demanded.

But instead of slowing, the driver slammed the accelerator, the car surging forward with alarming speed. Jaxton’s anxiety spiked. He tugged at the door handles, but they were locked tight.

His gaze fixed on the driver’s back, his voice hoarse. “Did Wyatt send you?” Before the driver could answer, Jaxton pressed on, desperation lacing his words. “Whatever he is paying you, I’ll double it—no, ten times that. Just let me p>

Jaxton’s words were cut short as the taxi screeched to an abrupt halt.