?<strong>Chapter 152:</strong>


    Confronted by the two menacing men, herplexion turned ghostly pale.


    What horrors awaited her at their hands?


    Overwhelmed by fear, only one thought pierced her panic: Kristopher.


    She clung to the slim hope that he would rescue her.


    Would Kristopher realize she was missing? Would he arrive in time to save her?


    She felt like she was being pulled under, with Kristopher as herst glimmer of hope.


    “Bitch!” The men’s patience had snapped.


    One lunged forward into the van, ruthlessly ripping at her blouse.


    Bang!


    Suddenly, a bottle crashed onto the man’s head from behind, sending a cascade of blood and ss shards sttering inside the van.


    “Are you alright, Miss?” A steady voice pierced through the rain, with aforting tone that felt almost unreal amid the chaos.


    The viin was swiftly pulled back by the cor, and a familiar face came into Carrie’s blurred vision.


    Nate adjusted his gold-rimmed sses, the polished elegance of his appearance juxtaposed with the surprise on his face. “Carrie? Is that really you?” he eximed, his refined features showing a mix of shock and concern.


    Without hesitation, he slipped off his coat and draped it over her shoulders.


    His gaze faltered momentarily, catching on the damp fabric of her nearly transparent blouse, lingering for a second at the curves faintly outlined beneath.


    Quickly, he looked away, his manners reigning in any impropriety.


    Holding out a hand, he helped her sit up, his touch firm yet cautious.


    The moment she was upright, Carrie withdrew her hand as if his touch burned her, clutching the coat tightly around herself like armor.


    Nate, however, remainedposed, his gentle smile devoid of any ulterior motives.


    His poised demeanor shed sharply with the whispers of scandal that clung to his name like a shadow.


    Unable to suppress her curiosity, Carrie asked, “What are you doing here?”


    “I was passing through,” Nate exined evenly. “I saw two men skulking around suspiciously. Thought they might be up to no good—maybe thieves or something. I didn’t expect to run into you of all people.”


    Meeting him in a remote corner of Foxfire County, far from the familiar streets of Orkset where their paths never crossed, struck Carrie as more than a coincidence.


    Suspicion crept in.


    Was this an orchestrated rescue? Or had Nate been lying in wait, only for his ns to derail?


    Either way, Carrie’s vulnerability was all too real.


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