جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 160

But how could it be?It was a lot to take in. I glanced around. The people around us were drunk. With thoughts of Reign at the back of my head, I knew I had to leave quickly. But I couldn’t leave Elara behind here alone like that. I stood up with a firm decision, “I will find out about it.”“You would?” Her eyes brightened as she listened to my words.“I will,” I nodded. “To find quickly, we need to leave from here first.”“Okay,” She stood up instantly.I sighed. I thought it would be difficult to take her out of here, but thanks to heavens, she was convinced easily. Due to the alcohol effect, her body swayed lightly. I supported her body against mine as I got her out of the bar.Fifteen minutes later…When I arrived at home, I saw Eliot holding Reign in his hands, pacing back and forth in the hallway. “Is she awake?” I asked, walking towards him.“No, Madam. She was about to, but then I picked her up, which made her sleep again,” He answered.I nodded and took Reign from his arms. W

“Elara told me about you and Robin,” I said slowly, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.His eyes turned cold instantly, and his hand paused in mid-air.My nails dug into my palm at his cold reaction. The air around me felt thick and suffocating. I wonder if I made a mistake by asking him about his? He didn’t answer for seconds, then minutes passed like that. I was about to say something, or change the topic, when he smiled. He smiled warmly, “It’s just how business competitors work, Val. You shouldn’t be concerned about such matters.”I shook my head to speak, but he continued, “And I have told Elara about it as well. But she wouldn’t listen to anything. So, I hope you can put some sense into her.”“Is that so?” I met his gaze calmly, though I felt a storm in my mind.“What else?” He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. “What’s going on with your life?” He asked, changing the topic back to me, “Where is your protective husband?”“He is out of the country,” I answered.“And he let

His eyes widened the moment he heard his name from my mouth. I smiled. This was what I wanted. This was what I got. He thought he could hide from me? What a delusion! Changing face and voice could protect him, but not from me!“How…” The words of truth escaped his mouth before he could stop himself.“How?” I chuckled. I could understand what was going through his mind. I didn’t feel the need to justify myself, but still I answered, “You really thought you could take over the role of a fifty-year-old man?”His eyes turned fierce, but I pressed him down with my index finger.I didn’t know it was you until I saw you today.“You…” His fists clenched.I nodded, “I have heard of Reynolds. I knew he was around fifty or so.”He glared at me.“So… The only justification remained that someone took over his identity.” I continued, “I still wasn’t sure it was you. But your reaction when I said your name was enough for me to know that you’re Nolan Rochefort yourself!”“I swear I didn’t know about

He was standing near the same balcony where we met for the first time that day. His back was facing the hall, and the way the city lights reflected on his body, it made him look even more still and controlled. It was like he hadn’t moved from his position at all.“You’re late,” He said without turning to look at me.“It’s done,” I replied calmly.Then slowly, he turned his body to face me. His gaze scanned over my body, checking for any sign of struggle or so, but there was no visible expression on my face.“That was not a simple task,” He murmured under his breath.“It was never supposed to be,” I correctly answered.For a moment, heavy silence lingered between us. Then he slowly nodded, “Good.”Good! That one word carried more meaning than praise. It meant I passed enough to enter his inner world. It meant I didn’t fail his expectation. It was enough for now. He walked past me and stopped just close enough for his voice to be barely audible to me, “Do you know why I chose you?” He a

The thought barely processed in my mind when I heard another round of bullets roaring in the air. I didn’t let myself hesitate and slowly bent down to grab the fallen gun. Then, immediately, I rolled behind a steel pillar for my cover to protect myself as the bullet passed the spot where I had been standing a second ago. The air was thick with the smoke of gunfire. The force of impact vibrated through the pillar and then into my shoulder. “They are tightening the circle,” I muttered under my breath.I peeked out slightly to track their movements. Next, I noticed two men on the upper deck. One of them was standing closer to the stairs. The other one was covering him from the open side.There were snipers above and shooters below. It was a perfect kill box.My jaw tightened slightly. It was not bad, but it was not enough. I moved as my chance came. I fired twice in a quick move. I missed the first shot intentionally, which forced the man near the stairs to shift from his position. The