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Chapter 26

Author: Joy Marvel
last update Last Updated: 2025-10-27 04:41:03

Chapter 26-Evelyn

For a few seconds, I couldn’t speak. My mind couldn’t process what I was seeing.

The shadows shifted again, and the figure moved closer, stepping into the light. My heart stopped.

“Adrian?” I whispered.

He looked the same — and yet, not. His shirt was half untucked, sleeves rolled, face streaked with something I couldn’t quite figure out not until he lifted his arm.

Blood.

My throat tightened. “What… what happened to you?”

He didn’t answer — just looked at me with that blank, unreadable stare.

My voice shook. “You have blood on you, Adrian. Why?”

He looked down at his shirt as if noticing for the first time.

“You shouldn’t be here, Evelyn.”

The words hit hard. “Excuse me?”

“You need to leave,” he said quietly. “Now.”

I blinked, stunned. “You’re the one who called me here.”

His jaw tensed. “No, I didn’t.”

“Stop lying!” I snapped. “You sent the flowers. The message. The map. Telling me if I wanted to find Paul, I had to—”

He stepped a little closer. I stumbled back ins
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