Chapter 268
Chapter 268
The private guards slipped quietly back into position around the house. Chris went up the steps as one of the bodyguards opened the front door for him.
A gust of cold wind swept inside, stirring the heavy curtains across the room.
By the window, Skyla looked up abruptly from the book in her hands. Her palm was wrapped in gauze from the scrape she got that morning when she fell out of her wheelchair.
The second she saw Chris, fear and relief washed over her face. Her voice caught as she said, “Chris, thank God you came p>
Sean really was capable. He had actually found this place.
Her wheelchair rolled forward until she stopped in front of him. “When I saw all those people outside just now, I really thought Sean was going to take me away.
“ When can I go back to Westbury? This place is beautiful too, but I still like it better there.
“I have a feeling I’m not going to sleep tonight. I’m not used to sleeping in a new place p>
But when she saw how cold his face was, the bit of relief on her face slowly disappeared.
“Chris, what’s wrong p>
“Have you had enough p>
His voice was cool and distant, like ice water poured straight over her. It cut her off on the spot.
Her expression stiffened. “Chr… ”
“Do you really not know why Sean Zeller was able to find this place p>
Skyla looked up into his detached eyes. She parted her lips, trying to explain. “I didn’t p>
“You didn’t what?” Chris said flatly. “You didn’t leak your location p>
Under the pressure of his gaze, she couldn’t hold out any longer. Her eyes reddened almost at once.
She couldn’t hide it from him.
“I admit it,” she said, biting her trembling lip. “I let my location slip. But I only did it because I wanted to see you p>
Her voice shook as she continued. “Today, you had people move me here without even telling me. You just had me taken to a strange place out of nowhere.
“I’ve always had trouble adjusting to unfamiliar environments. And after you got together with Winter, I didn’t know if you were still going to come see me. I was scared.
“I exposed my own whereabouts just to see you. I turned myself into a target. When Sean’s people surrounded this place, I was terrified. All I could do was pray that you’d show up p>
One of the bodyguards behind Chris frowned when he heard that.
This place was secluded and hard to find. They had all been wondering how Sean, who had only just returned and hadn’t even fully reestablished his network yet, had managed to find it so quickly.
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So she had been the one who gave it away.
Chris looked at the woman in front of him. He had never realized her nerve ran this deep. This was beyond acting.
Scared?
Skyla was just about to say more when Chris cut her off, cold and merciless.
“Stop using self–harm or danger to get me to come see you. Slitting your wrist. Shooting yourself. Once you do it enough times, it stops meaning anything p>
Her expression changed instantly. “How did you know p>
Chris’s expression didn’t change. “Your wound was obvious p>
That day, when he had signaled for the caregiver to pull aside Skyla’s collar and saw the gunshot wound on her shoulder, he had known immediately.
If someone had really fired at her from that range, she wouldn’t have walked away with just a shoulder wound. She would have died.
And Skyla had almost forgotten. Chris had served in the military. He had handled all kinds of firearms since he was young. One look was enough for him to tell whether a shot had been fired from close range or from a distance.
Skyla rushed to explain. “Chris, I just wanted p>
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Florence
A passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.