?Chapter 1169:


    Before Chris could react, Maia dashed out of the room, moving so fast she forgot to grab her discarded clothes, vanishing like a frightened fawn.


    Stunned, Chris stared up at the ceiling, reying the moment.


    “Did she really just call me honey?” he muttered.


    Looking down at himself, he groaned, “Well, there goes any chance of sleeping tonight.”


    Chris rushed off for a cold shower, desperate for relief. Not long after, he slipped back into his room, a goofy grin still lingering on his face.


    Erygan Hospital.


    The glow above the emergency room finally dimmed, signaling the end of a long wait.


    As the doctor stepped out, Raegan was the first to reach him. “Tell me. What’s happened to him?” she demanded.


    Regret weighed heavily on the doctor as he shook his head. “I’m sorry. We tried everything. There was nothing more we could do.”


    Raegan’s grip tightened, her voice sharp. “Say that again! Is he still alive?”


    “He suffered more than broken ribs,” the doctor exined, his wordsing slowly. “There was massive blood loss before he got here. If he had arrived sooner, we might have had a chance to save him.”


    After he finished speaking, the doctor caught the icy look in Raegan’s eyes and went rigid with fear, sweat beading on his forehead.


    He didn’t dare stay any longer. The moment she released him, he fled down the corridor. Redness burned in Raegan’s eyes.


    “Faceless is gone,” she murmured, the chill in her voice unmistakable.


    Every ounce of me shifted toward Maia—because it was Maia the fighter had tried to protect. In that moment, the fourth-ranked member of The Mask had died.


    “Maia Watson, your days are numbered.” The words curled from Raegan’s lips like a twisted promise. Rage hardened into resolve as she rallied The Mask’s forces, ready to bring destruction to Wront. This time, Raegan vowed to crush Maiapletely—and anyone who dared to stand behind her.


    Fluorescent lights cast a harsh glow as Raegan pulled open the body bag, finally revealing Faceless’s true identity. Austen’s features were drained of life, yet he looked almost peaceful, trapped in a sleep he would never wake from.


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    A sudden ache rose in Raegan’s chest, and tears spilled down her cheeks—silent and unrestrained.


    “Idiot. So this is what you really looked like all along.” She reached out, fingers trembling as they brushed over Austen’s cold face. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You could’ve turned heads anywhere, but you always chose to hide behind that mask. All those times you imed you’d never care about anyone, and still you never left my side. You even joined The Mask for me… but I could never give you my heart.”


    As she spoke, her words were edged with a grief she hadn’t expected, as if something deep inside her had been torn away. She had always believed Austen was just a friend—so why did letting him go suddenly hurt this much?


    “Austen, sleep easy. I swear I’ll make this right.” With a shaky breath, Raegan wiped at her eyes and stepped away from the table.


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