Semua Bab His Heartbroken Surrogate : Bab 21 - Bab 25

CARA's POVI found him in his study the next morning.Same slate-grey suit. Same glass of something expensive in hand. He didn’t even look surprised to see me—just glanced up like he’d been expecting this conversation.“Do you plan on keeping me locked up forever?” I asked, arms folded tightly across my chest.He took a sip. “I plan on keeping you alive.”“Funny,” I snapped. “It’s starting to feel like the same thing.”He didn’t rise to the bait. Of course he didn’t. Wesley never reacted like normal people. He moved like a chessboard—always six steps ahead, never blinking.Without a word, he opened the drawer beside him and pulled out a crisp white sheet of paper.He handed it to me.I unfolded it.It was a schedule.Neat columns. Times. Routes. Security check-ins. Alternate exits. Approved locations. A note at the bottom: Gallery hours limited to three per day. Juan to resume escort next week. Until then: Haller.I stared at it. “Are you serious?”“It’s safer this way.”“I’m not a ch

CARA's POV“You know this is insane, right?” I said, pulling my coat tighter as Juan pulled the car away from the estate gates.His eyes stayed fixed on the road.I gestured to the schedule folded in my lap. “Two hours to get to work. One stop for coffee that you won’t let me drink unless you inspect it first. Three route changes. You think Rizzo’s hiding in the bakery line?”“No,” Juan said calmly. “But I know how patient men like that can be.”I slumped in the seat, exhaling hard. “Right. No such thing as overkill when you’re already living in a fortress.”He didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. That was Juan—always composed, always two steps ahead. Sometimes I wondered if he ever slept. Or laughed. Or... did anything besides work and guard and bleed silently in back alleys.The silence stretched, but not uncomfortably. The car purred beneath us, tinted windows muting the early morning glare. My mind wandered, trying not to think about Italy next week, or how Wesley hadn’t said a word

CARA's POVThe coffee had gone cold in my hands.Wesley’s words from the morning still echoed in my head, louder than the silence around them.He’s no longer a problem.That sentence had weight. Finality. And no hint of regret.I told myself I didn’t care. That Henry had earned it—whatever “it” was. But when I reached for my phone and tried to call him, the line went dead before it even rang.Disconnected.Blocked.Or worse.I tried again. Same thing.The knot in my stomach tightened.I paced for fifteen minutes before I decided I couldn’t sit still anymore. I grabbed my bag, threw on a coat, and made for the front entrance. I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t care. I just knew I had to see him with my own eyes. Had to know Wesley’s wrath hadn’t gone further than I could live with.But when I reached the front doors, Haller was already there.Of course he was.Tall, stiff, sharp as a knife in a tailored jacket, hands behind his back like some silent butler of doom.“I need to leave,” I sai