Chapter 322
Chapter 322:
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Bobby had told him about the tattoo, which had prompted a quiet investigation — but every trail had gone cold. He had eventually written it off as coincidence. Maybe the man had been after the bodyguards, not Azariah. After all, those men were far from innocent.
Everything had shifted tonight, though, when Kristine revealed her ongoing lawsuit with Monica and mentioned Brendan. Colton didn’t know who Brendan was, but from the way Kristine described him, this was no ordinary attorney. His thoughts circled back immediately to Azariah’s death, and he found himself digging for answers once again.
A thoughtful look settled over his face, his eyes narrowing as he weighed the possibilities.
If Jett’s real target had been Azariah all along…
A heavy feeling pulled at his chest.
Right at that moment, the doorbell chimed. Colton’s frown deepened, but he chose to ignore it, flipping through the file for more details. There was little to work with. Jett Garrett’s background painted a grim picture — raised in poverty, fending for himself from the age of sixteen. At some point, an uncle had told him there was good money to be made in Coldarren, and he had gone north. After that, it was as though he had simply vanished.
Piecing it together, Colton felt certain that Jett had ended up entangled with that group.
The doorbell rang again. Then again. The sound grated on his nerves, but he kept his eyes on the folder. It didn’t let up.
Finally, with a sharp exhale, Colton pushed the file back into his suitcase and went to the door.
𝖲𝘢v𝖾 𝗒𝗼𝗎𝗋 f𝗮𝘷𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁e 𝘯𝘰𝘃𝗲𝗅ѕ 𝗼ո
He hadn’t expected to find Elyse standing there. He swallowed the words that nearly slipped out. “What’s up p>
Elyse’s eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. She clutched her nightgown a little tighter and spoke softly. “The hot water in my bathroom isn’t working. Would it be alright if I used your shower p>
Colton’s gaze tightened, suspicion flickering behind his eyes.
“I really need a bath,” she added. “I won’t be able to fall asleep otherwise p>
He ran a hand over his forehead. “Alright, come in p>
Elyse’s face lit up as she stepped inside. Not long after, her footing faltered, and she tipped forward, leaning toward him.
Colton reached out quickly and caught her by the hand.
That outcome clearly wasn’t what she had hoped for. With a quiet sigh, she murmured her thanks — and then, mid-sentence, tears escaped despite herself.
Colton frowned. “Why are you crying p>
Elyse shook her head, trying to brush it off. “It’s nothing,” she answered, though her tears kept coming.
Irritation crept into his voice. “Then say what it is. Crying like this won’t solve anything p>
Slowly, Elyse lifted her gaze. “I was thinking about the past — about that night six years ago. Back then, you were so gentle. But after that, you became distant and cold.” Her voice dropped. “Colton, do you really hate me that much p>
She reached toward him, but his face hardened instantly.
Only then did he notice that her tears had soaked into his shirt.
Her voice trembled. “I’m fine now. I can be close to you again p>
Her sobs grew heavier as her hand slid toward his waist.