Chapter 384
Chapter 384:
Something about it felt wrong to him. He had Tripp dig deeper, and what they uncovered was staggering. Asher paused his account and studied Kristine’s face to gauge how she was holding up. Finding her steady, he continued.
“Tripp found evidence that Monica used a false identity to hire kidnappers through the black market. Once we had that lead, we were able to trace the men who took you p>
“But they moved me after that,” Kristine said. “How did you figure out we were at the Dusk Reach Pier p>
Asher let out a soft laugh. “That part was actually straightforward. Colton has been in this city for some time, but he doesn’t know it the way a local does. I simply had someone follow him, and he led us straight to you p>
As he finished, Asher’s gaze settled on Kristine — quiet, steady, and filled with something that made her feel entirely safe.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, catching the look in his eyes.
𝖰𝘶𝗮𝘭i𝘵𝘆 𝗍𝗋𝖺𝗇𝘴𝘭a𝗍і𝘰𝘯𝘴 оn
Asher shook his head and tried to collect himself. The words Dusk Reach Pier had dredged up the image of Kristine throwing herself into the ocean without a moment’s hesitation — and the memory compressed his chest with a pain he struggled to keep off his face.
“Kristine,” he said quietly.
“Yeah?” she answered.
He reached out and took her hand in his.
She startled and instinctively pulled back, but the raw worry in his expression stopped her. She let her hand stay where it was, the resistance draining out of her.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he said. “Stop treating your life like it doesn’t matter p>
Her lips trembled slightly before she finally gave a small nod. A quiet warmth bloomed somewhere in her chest.
Then, as though suddenly aware of himself, Asher glanced down at their joined hands. The softness of her skin registered all at once, and he released her as if he’d been burned.
“Sorry about that,” he murmured.
A faint blush crept into Kristine’s cheeks. She steered the conversation forward. “So… how did you actually get me out of the water p>
Asher looked at her, and for just a moment, something flickered in his expression — almost like disappointment at how easily she had moved on. “Once I saw you go in, I sent everyone after you. We managed to pull you out before it was too late.” Even now, the memory sat uneasily in his chest.
“I see.” Kristine met his eyes. “But… who was the one who actually pulled me out p>
Asher’s gaze shifted almost imperceptibly. “Did you see who it was p>
“No,” she said. “Just a shadow p>
He let out a slow, quiet breath. “It was Vinson. He’s the one who got you out p>
Kristine looked past Asher to where Vinson stood. Something nagged at the edge of her memory — the figure in the water hadn’t seemed quite so tall or broad. But her recollection was fragmented, and she had no reason to doubt Asher.
She turned to Vinson with a grateful smile. “Thank you for saving my life p>