?Chapter 251:


    It was rare to feel such intense anger emanating from Chris, and his tone had already indicated the severity of the situation.


    Leaning back, Chris shut his eyes for a moment, trying to cage the raging anger wing inside him.


    Hours earlier, when he realized that Maxwell had let Vince slip away, he had ordered him to tail the bastard.


    Maxwell had followed Vince all the way here, discovering that, besides Vince, Maia had arrived at the Nexus Collective too — a ce made for sneaky meetups!


    Fuming with frustration, Maxwell had snatched his phone and barked at Chris to get there fast, throwing in a crude warning that if he dragged his feet, he might just get yed for a fool.


    Without wasting a second, Chris tore over, only to walk right into a scene that made his blood boil.


    Now, Maia lookedpletely out of it, her words slurring together, leaving any questions pointless until she could think straight again.


    The car tore through the streets.


    Out of nowhere, Chris snapped his eyes open, a gnawing sense of wrongness tugging at him.


    Maia was restlessly squirming, her delicate brows knitted in distress, her slender fingers tugging unconsciously at her cor, her entire being agitated beyond control.


    Every inch of her was screaming for something cool.


    The cool, clean scent of cedar from the man beside her exuded a special kind of allure, making it increasingly difficult for her to restrain herself.


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    Without warning, she reached for him, her hand slipping under his shirt, skimming the hard lines of his stomach.


    Chris grabbed her wrist mid-motion, his throat tightening as he struggled to steady himself.


    “Enough,” said Chris, his voice sharp but rough around the edges.


    Yet Maia moved like she hadn’t heard a word.


    Her hand slid up the hard curve of his arm, looping around his neck, while her body pressed urgently against his.


    From the driver’s seat, Maxwell caught a glimpse in the rearview mirror and almost choked on his own breath. Holy hell. Was she serious? She was acting like he wasn’t even there!


    A sudden jolt shook the car as Maxwell swerved slightly, scrambling to get the vehicle back under control without ncing at it again.


    Chris’ jaw tightened. Without hesitating, he pulled Maia firmly into his arms, locking her movements in ce.


    “Maia, you need to calm down,” Chris murmured, his voice gravelly from the effort it took to stay steady.


    Maia showed no signs of responding. Her head rested against Chris’ shoulder, and the heat of her breath ghosted over his neck.


    ck and dazed, her gaze drifted, and she whispered in a broken voice,


    “It’s too hot… I can’t take it…”


    rm flickered in Chris’ eyes as the truth mmed into him.


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