If you are looking for While I Was Bleeding Out He Lit Lanterns For Her Chapter 1 read online…
Chapter 525
Chapter 525:
Sitting in the warmth of the room, listening to his calm, unhurried voice, June felt the tight nerves along the back of her neck begin — almost imperceptibly — to release.
She started answering his questions. She engaged with the conversation. At one point, the rigid line of her jaw softened by a fraction, and something appeared in her eyes — a faint, genuine flicker of interest, entirely separate from the hollow pain that had lived there for weeks.
Crawford held his water glass and watched her through the candlelight. His dark eyes were steady and deep.
He understood the truth about June Erickson. The ice could not be broken — it could only be melted, slowly, with patience and warmth. And the hunt was going exactly as planned.
The dinner ended in a remarkably pleasant atmosphere.
Crawford rose and walked behind June’s chair, holding her beige trench coat open with gentlemanly ease as she slid her arms into the sleeves.
They walked out of the warm restaurant together.
𝗥𝖾аd 𝘸і𝘁𝗵𝗈𝗎𝘁 іոtеr𝗿u𝗉𝗍𝗂𝗈𝘯𝘴 𝗼ո
The storm had not relented. The rain fell even harder now, and the wind howled through the concrete canyons of Manhattan.
Crawford drew his phone from his pocket, glanced at the screen, and frowned slightly. “My driver just texted. The tow truck got caught in traffic from the flooding. It may be another thirty minutes before he can bring a backup car p>
The moment he finished speaking, a bright yellow taxi shot down the street. Its tires hit a deep puddle at the curb, sending a wave of filthy, muddy water arcing into the air — directly toward June.
Crawford moved with lightning speed.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her hard into his chest, spinning his body to put his back to the street and take the full impact himself.
The dirty water struck him squarely. It soaked through the back of his custom Savile Row suit, mud dripping from the expensive wool in dark rivulets.
June pushed back slightly from his chest and stared at the ruin covering his jacket. Immediate guilt filled her eyes.
Crawford looked down at his drenched clothes and let out a soft, unbothered laugh. He released her waist and took a measured half-step back, restoring a perfect, respectful distance between them.
“It’s just water,” he said smoothly. “As long as you didn’t get dirty, it’s fine p>
June looked from his dripping jacket to his face. The cold wind was already cutting through the wet fabric. Another layer of her psychological defenses quietly retreated.
“My apartment is only two blocks away,” she said, pointing down the street. “If you don’t mind waiting there, you can put your jacket in the dryer while your car comes p>
A microscopic flash of triumph moved through Crawford’s dark eyes.
He accepted the invitation naturally, showing no eagerness, no urgency — nothing that could be read as predatory intent.
Ten minutes later, Crawford stepped out of the elevator and into June’s Manhattan penthouse.