บททั้งหมดของ He Chose Her, Then Lost Me Forever: บทที่ 41 - บทที่ 50

Noah’s body went completely stiff.A sharp, stinging burn shot through the side of his neck where the blue light pressed against his skin. His legs felt heavy, as if filled with lead, and the noisy chaos on the pier suddenly sounded far away, like someone shouting through a long plastic pipe."Mom...?" Noah choked out, stumbling back against a stack of wooden crates.The woman didn't answer with a mother's voice. She didn't look at him with soft eyes anymore. She stood straight and tall in her wet brown raincoat, completely unbothered by the gunshot sounds ringing across the harbor."Get back!" Anna yelled, lunging forward and shoving the woman away from Noah with all her strength.The woman stepped back easily, letting the black device slide back into her deep coat pocket. She gave Anna a cold, polite smile, as if they were two strangers meeting on a bus line."Take him away from the water, girl," she said plainly, her voice calm and smooth. "The shock will wear off in ten minutes. I

Noah did not move. His hands stayed frozen on the paper, his heart hammering against his ribs like a trapped bird.Anna took a quick step back, her shoulder bumping against the dusty glass window of the station master's office.From the dark corner by the tall filing cabinets, a man stepped into the pale morning light streaming through the window. He was tall and broad, wearing a long brown leather coat over a dark blue suit. His short hair was silver, and a deep scar cut across his left cheek, running all the way down to his jawline.He held the small black handgun steady, pointed directly at Noah’s chest."Captain Vane," Noah said, his voice quiet and dry."In the flesh, son," the old man replied. His voice was deep, like heavy stones grinding together. "Put the tin back down on the desk. Slowly."Noah looked at the small metal tin resting on the dark oak wood. "You were the police chief who closed my mother's case twenty years ago. You told the newspapers her car went over the brid

Noah did not move a single muscle. His eyes were locked on the face of the man standing by the open doorway.It was like looking into a lake of perfectly still water. Every small detail matched–the slight bend of his nose, the small scar slicing through his left eyebrow, even the small dark freckle just below his left ear.Beside him, Anna gasped, backing away slowly until her heels hit the lower step of the wooden staircase."Noah..." she whispered, her voice shaking violently. "Who... who is that?""I asked you to drop the drive on the rug," the man said again. His voice was lower, rougher, like someone who hadn't spoken to another person in days, but the tone was undeniably Noah's own.The elderly woman on the stairs took a gentle step forward, reaching out to pat the man's arm as if he were simply bringing home the evening groceries."Don't be rude to our guest, Noah," she said softly, her green eyes foggy and confused as she looked between the two young men. "Did you remember the

The faint ringing from inside the small paper card sounded like a ticking clock in the quiet forest.Noah stood frozen in the tall wet grass, the red light on the tiny chip blinking against his muddy fingers. Beside him, Anna backed away a step, her eyes wide with fear, while Caleb reached down to slide his hand near the grip of his revolver."Don't answer it, Noah," Anna whispered, her voice trembling. "It's a trap.""If they put it in my pocket during the explosion, they already know where we are," Noah said quietly.He unstitched the small piece of tape holding the speaker to the card and pressed the tiny plastic button beside the flashing light.The ringing stopped. A soft hum of static filled the quiet air, followed by the clear, calm sound of someone pouring tea into a porcelain cup."I hope the air is fresh out there, Noah," a woman’s voice said through the tiny speaker.The voice was smooth, cool, and completely untired—not a single trace of breathless panic from the dust or t

The cold voice echoing from the walls was swallowed by the sudden rush of water.Deep below the chapel floor, a heavy iron pipe burst with a loud, hollow roar. The concrete beneath Noah’s knees vibrated violently as thousands of gallons of dark river water began pouring into the spaces under the church."Get up, Mom!" Noah yelled, putting his arm under Sarah's shoulder and pulling her to her feet.Sarah stumbled, her legs weak from days of being tied to the chair, but she held tightly to Noah’s coat.Through the thick, stinging smoke from the flash-bang grenade, Arthur’s men were shouting and coughing, firing blindly into the air.BANG! BANG!"Find the card!" Arthur’s voice screamed through the fog. "Find the red card on the floor!""Forget the card!" Clara’s shrill voice shrieked back. "The floor is sinking! Look at the altar!"Noah looked toward the front of the church. The massive stone altar was tilting sideways, its heavy base cracking apart as muddy water welled up through the f