<b>Chapter </b><b>684 </b>
Mari felt an ominous chill creep down her spine. She wanted to dodge<b>, </b><b>to </b>flee, but it was already toote. But Aaron wasn’t about to give the killer a second chance.
In a split second, he drew the gun holstered at his back. With a swift, long–armed pull, he yanked Mari into the safety of his embrace and fired. The first bullet mmed into Don’s knife–wielding right arm, and the second found its mark in his left knee.
His actions were swift and decisive, like lightning cleaving the sky! If he was thinking ofmitting a crime, didn’t give Aaron an opening. In the blink of an eye, he could turn the tables!
The man let out a cry of pain and frustration as he crumpled to the ground.
The cops swarmed in, twisting his arm behind his back and snapping handcuffs on his wrists. The madman, driven to the brink by his love for his daughter, was finally in custody.
With the man down and the sniper’s line of sight blocked by the rooftop railing, there was nothing left but to retreat. That was why Aaron had made sure to shoot the man in the leg.
Mari, her ears ringing from the gunfire, was shaking like a leaf in Aaron’s arms, her hands covering her ears as she gasped for air, her entire b*dy drenched in cold sweat.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Aaron didn’t take her to leave, instead, they two both sitting on the concrete ledge. He held her tight<b>, </b>soothing her with gentle patience, “Ever set off fireworks as a kid? Think of those shots as fireworks. A celebration from me of your life after this close call. Does that make it a bit better?”
Mari’s tear–streaked face was buried in his shirt, her sobs unceasing. Aaron sighed with a tender ache in his chest, his grip on her slender shoulders tightening ever so slightly.
“I thought I was going to die,” Mari’s muffled voice finally broke the silence.
“Not a chance, Mari. You’re smart, brave, and tougher than I am.” At the thought of her negotiating with the murderer back then, Aaron’s <b>heart </b>heated up with emotion; a smile tugged at his l*ps as he leaned closer, “And besides, I’m here. I would never let anything happen to you. I have to live up to this badge, to Evadne, and to your brother.”
“And to the trust you’ve ced in me by calling me Aaron“, he thought, but he didn’t voice it out loud.
“I wasn’t lying. I really wanted to help that man,” Mari moved her rosy l*ps.
“Mari.” Aaron’s expression suddenly turned serious<b>, </b>“You mentioned earlier that you’ve been bullied. Is that true?!<b>” </b>
<b>Mari </b>was startled from her daze<b>, </b>her eyes widened in fear, trembling uncontrobly in his embrace.
“No, I’ve never been bullied. I was just talking nonsense; I’ve never been bullied.”
Aaron had so many questions, but he couldn’t bear to add to her distress, so he held his tongue. His fists clenched in silent
frustration.
Had Jareth really taken good care of her? Regardless of her autism, it was clear she bore deep psychological scars. And Jareth- living with her, sharing her life had he really not noticed anything amiss<b>? </b>
<ul>
<li></li>
</ul>
The guy should just stick to his previous indulgent love life; he seemed to short–circuit the moment he fell for someone!
To avoid a media frenzy, Aaron carried Mari out of the building with her head covered by a jacket. She was protected from prying eyes and quickly whisked away to an ambnce, out of reach from the circling media sharks.
In the ambnce, the paramedics <b>treated </b>the cut <b>on </b>her n*eck, and for safety’s sake, they decided to take her to the hospital for a thorough check–up.
As her adrenaline waned, Mari quickly sumbed to exhaustion and <b>fell </b>asleep. Across from Mari, Aaron locked eyes with Lily, whose face was still streaked with tears. The atmosphere was thick with tension.
“You can contact Mr. Fairhaven now. He can <b>meet </b>you <b>at </b>the hospital to pick up Mari.”
“I’ve already called him,” Lily replied<b>, </b>clutching the <b>little </b>bear in one hand and Mari’s hand in <b>the </b>other.
“Do you need me to exin the situation to him?” Aaron asked, out of genuine concern.
He knew how much Jareth <b>cared </b>for <b>Mari</b>, and with such a major incident, Lily as the personal b*dyguard would surely face severe scrutiny. It definitely wasn’t’a pleasant scene to see when that dude blew his top.
“<b>That </b>won’t be necessary. Your involvement would only make things <b>harder </b>for me and anger <b>Mr. </b>Fairhaven even more<b>.” </b><b>Lily </b><b>said</b>, her l*ps white from strain, her voice low and controlled, “Aaron, <b>thank </b>you for saving her, but I have to <b>warn </b><b>you</b>. Ms. <b>Abernathy </b><b>is </b>Mr. Fairhaven’s woman, the future wife of the Fairhaven <b>Group’s </b>CEO. Their love is mutual, their bond <b>strong</b><b>, </b><b>and </b><b>no </b>one can <b>tear </b><b>them </b><b>apart</b>. I won’t stand <b>by </b>and watch anyone Interfere with <b>their </b><b>rtionship</b><b>.” </b>
<b>13:01 </b>
Aaron narrowed his sharp eyes, his jaw clenched tight.
“As a police officer, an incarnation of justice, surely you wouldn’t do despicable things those home wreckers normally do, right?” Lily made an acerbic remark.
<b>In </b><b>front </b>of Jareth’s potential love rival, apparently she didn’t boast any shred of emotional intelligence.
“If Jareth wants to marry Mari, and she was willing to marry him, I would offer my sincere blessing without hesitation. But only on condition that he’s truly capable of taking care of her, of making her happy.”
A nonchnt smirk was tugged at Aaron’s l*ps, one that sent chills down Lily’s spine, “Otherwise, I can’t promise your concerns won’t be reality.”
13:01