?Chapter 1343:


    The screen lit up, but instead of her familiar wallpaper, only factory defaults greeted her. Everything had been reset to its original state. Every piece of data within the device had been wiped away. Photos, messages, contacts—all erased.


    Every conversation thread with Noah, his gentle reminders, the tender fragments of their shared days had vanished.


    Not even a ghost remained.


    Emerson Stewart!


    That bastard!


    Rage erupted from deep within her chest, a molten wave that threatened to drown every rational thought.


    Sadie’s grip tightened around the phone until her knuckles went pale, veins standing out like cords along the back of her hand. Through this single gesture, Emerson was driving home his message once more: everything in her world existed at his mercy.


    The bodyguard caught sight of her bloodlessplexion and instinctively retreated a step.


    Forcing air into her lungs, Sadie released it in a slow, controlled stream, wrestling down the explosion building inside her chest. Anger was a luxury she couldn’t afford right now.


    Revealing her true feelings would be beyond foolish.


    She raised her eyes to meet the bodyguard’s gaze, her expression smoothing into perfectposure. Her voice emerged steady and untroubled. “Thank you. You may leave.”


    The bodyguard fled as though he’d been granted a pardon.


    Silence reimed the room, leaving Sadie truly alone once more.


    She lowered herself to the edge of the bed, staring down at the hollow device in her hands. Ice crystallized in her veins with each passing second.


    Where was Noah at this very moment?


    gα?ησν????s hosts captivating tales


    How severe were his injuries?


    What twisted ns did that creature Afara have in store?


    Every line ofmunication had been severed. She was flying blind, cut off from the world spinning beyond these walls.


    The sensation was crushing, stealing the very breath from her lungs.


    No.


    She refused to remain here, paralyzed and powerless.


    Waiting would mean surrendering Noah’s fate entirely to Emerson’s whims.


    Trust was impossible where Emerson was concerned.


    This was a man who could toy with his own flesh and blood, wipe her phone clean, and obliterate every trace of her treasured past without a flicker of conscience. His promises were worth less than dust.


    As Sadie rose abruptly from the bed, her attention caught on her ghostly reflection staring back from the mirror.


    The stark white bandage across her forehead served as a brutal reminder never to repeat such reckless mistakes.


    She yanked the door open and strode out with purpose.


    A bodyguard materialized from his post, sliding smoothly into her path. Though his manner remained courteous, steel undey his words. “Ma’am, Mr. Stewart’s orders were clear. You need rest until you’ve fully healed.”


    Sadie didn’t bother lifting her gaze. She merely flicked him a nce that could freeze fire.


    That arctic stare made even the mountain of a man shift ufortably.


    Her arrival had been rushed, leaving her trapped in blood-stained garments, looking like a disaster barely held together.


    She couldn’t face anyone in this condition, couldn’t allow herself to appear as some broken thing begging for pity.


    “I came here with nothing but the clothes on me. Take me to the nearest shopping center. I need some new attire.”


    Conflict immediately painted the bodyguard’s features. “But… Mr. Stewart gave no such authorization.”


    Emerson hadmanded surveince, not escort duty.


    Should something go wrong, the consequences would fall squarely on his shoulders.


    Sadie finally met his eyes directly, a razor-sharp smile curving her lips. “What exactly are you suggesting? That Emerson’s own daughtercks the simple freedom to purchase clothing?”


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