บททั้งหมดของ Never Mine To Love: บทที่ 221 - บทที่ 230

River’s POVI woke up again in the middle of the night, or maybe it was already morning. I couldn’t tell. The room was quiet except for the low hum of the heater and Noah’s breathing beside me. It was deep and steady, the kind of sound that should’ve made me relax, but instead I just lay there staring at the ceiling like it was supposed to give me answers.I couldn’t sleep. I’d already tried. Twenty minutes of shutting my eyes, rolling over, tugging the blanket higher, pressing my face into the pillow until it almost hurt. None of it worked. My brain wouldn’t turn off. Every time I closed my eyes, the message flashed in my head.The words were carved into my head now. I could still see them, feel the way my chest had dropped when I read them. And even though I’d sat across from Daniel and told him, even though he promised to handle it, the weight hadn’t gone away. Because I hadn’t told Noah the whole truth. I’d told him about the message, sure, but not about meeting Daniel after. Not

Daniel’s POVThe papers on my desk weren’t moving. I had tried to go through them three times already, but each time the words blurred together, lines breaking apart until they meant nothing. My pen sat in my hand, clicking against the wood in this slow, annoying rhythm, but I didn’t even stop myself. I was too wound up inside, too restless to sit still.The silence in the apartment was heavy. Every small sound seemed louder than it should’ve been. The fridge in the kitchen kicked on, humming in that low, steady way. The occasional honk from the street outside slipped in through the window, muffled by the glass. But none of it could drown out the one thought stuck in my head, River.I could still see him sitting across from me earlier, the way his fingers shook slightly when he pushed the phone across the table, the way his eyes locked on mine like he was daring me to understand. That message. Warn Daniel or he’ll regret messing with me. The words replayed every time I blinked. I had

River’s POVThe morning light pushed through the curtains, soft and hazy, like it was trying not to disturb me. I sat at the edge of the bed with my hands pressed together, staring at the floor. My body felt heavy, but it wasn’t from sleep, it was from everything weighing down my chest. The message. Daniel’s reaction. And now this meeting with Christian.I rubbed my face and let out a breath. My stomach had been twisting since Daniel suggested it yesterday. It wasn’t that I disagreed. I knew he was right. If someone could trace the texts, if someone could finally put an end to this sick game, then I had to allow it. Still, the thought of giving my phone over to someone else, letting them see parts of me I didn’t even share out loud, it made me restless.The sound of water running in the bathroom pulled me back. Noah had insisted on coming with me today. He didn’t say it directly, but I knew why—he didn’t trust Daniel completely, and he didn’t trust me around Daniel either. That jealou

River’s POV The whole ride over felt like I was holding my breath. Christian had gotten the trace back faster than I thought possible, one second he was typing on his laptop, eyes flicking across the screen, and the next he was turning to Daniel and Noah with a location. He didn’t say much, just rattled off an address in a clipped tone, like he’d been waiting for this moment. Daniel had grabbed his coat. Noah had given me a look that said he wasn’t going to let me go alone. And before I could even process it, we were in the car. I sat in the back seat, squeezed between Noah and my own thoughts, staring out at the passing streets. The city lights blurred against the window. I tried not to think about the text still glowing on my phone. I know where you are. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I kept them shoved deep in my jacket pockets so nobody would see. Noah kept glancing at me, his knee bouncing slightly. Daniel was in the front, arms tight across his chest. Christian drove with bo

Noah’s POVThe cold air hit me the second I stepped out of the small store. I didn’t even bother to put the change into my pocket; it sat crumpled in my palm with the water bottle pressed against it. My only thought was River. He had looked pale when I left him by the car, his hands still trembling after everything that had just happened inside that house.I knew he’d never admit how shaken he was, but I could see it in his eyes. The haunted way he stared at walls, the way his fingers rubbed against his jeans like he was grounding himself. He was strong, stronger than anyone gave him credit for but I still wanted to do something, even if it was just to bring him water.I quickened my steps, my heart lighter at the thought of putting the bottle in his hand, seeing that small, grateful smile he gave me even in the darkest moments. For a second, just a second, life felt normal.Then everything shattered.I heard it before I saw it, the screech of tires, sharp and violent, tearing through