Joshua put his phone away, a little helpless. “You just stepped away for two minutes.”
“Two minutes is more than enough to help with digestion,” Xylia chimed in.
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Seeing Joshua frown, about to protest, Xylia hurried over and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into his arms. Her voice turned soft and sweet, yfully pleading.
“I’ve been running myself ragged for days. I seriously need to catch up on some sleep. I didn’t even eat much at lunch, so skipping dinner just this once won’t hurt, right? Let me sleep, please,” she coaxed.
Joshua might look pretty chill most days, but when it came to health, he never let anything slide–always super strict about every little thing.
He was stubborn as a mule.
Last night, after she went a bit overboard on midnight snacks, he’d nagged her forever about it. Then, once they got home, he insisted on some “couple’s workout” to help her burn it off–with his own hands, no less.
Finally, it was the weekend, and all she wanted was to just crash and sleep the whole day away.
As soon as she dove into his arms, Joshua pulled her close. Hearing her voice soften like that, his Adam’s apple bobbed and he could feel himself caving inside–there was no way he could resist her now.
She honestly looked exhausted, with those faint shadows under her eyes making it clear just how spent she
was.
‘This was a total loss for me,‘ he thought, admitting defeat.
“Alright, get some sleep,” Joshua said softly, finally giving in.
Xylia happily climbed into bed. She was so wiped out that she was asleep the second her head hit the pillow.
Joshua tucked her in, then suddenly remembered that he’d forgotten to tell her about Chase’s invitation for her to join thepetition earlier that morning.
‘Oh well, I’ll just tell her when she wakes up,‘ he thought.
With that, Joshua quietly slipped out of the room.
***
In Daltonia, Noelle followed the hulking man in ck down a corridor awash in eerie red and purple lights. The haze hung heavy, blurring her vision, and it felt like the hallway might go on forever.
When the huge double doors creaked open, that uneasy silence shattered–noise crashed in from every
direction.
Screams. Sobs. Desperate begging. It all hit her ears at once,
Then the sharp, bloody stench mmed into her, thick and nauseating.
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Noelle’s heart was seized by fear, rising uncontrobly from deep inside. For a moment, her steps slowed and she almost froze in ce.
“Ms. Coffey, let’s go,” the man ordered, his voice icy and devoid of any warmth.
His tone was utterly emotionless.
Noelle bit down on her lip–there was no way out now. She was already in <i>too </i>deep to run.
She followed him in.
The faint smell of blood she’d caught at the entrance was now overwhelming, filling her nose with every breath, thick and sickly.
<i>The </i>ce was sunken, almost like a bar lounge but dropped beneath her feet, giving off that shady underground vibe.
Three burly meny scattered across the red velvet carpet. One had his arm snapped, another’s legs were cut off at the knees, and thest was down on his knees in the center.
He was tied up, head forced back, while a beefy guy in a ck T–shirt shoved a pair of pliers into his mouth. In one cruel motion, the man ripped out his tongue–bloody and raw. The guy instantly went limp and toppled over, his sobs cut short.
Noelle’s face was white as a sheet. She pped a trembling hand over her mouth, spun around, and nearly puked right there–her legs were so weak, she could barely stay upright.
Never in her wildest nightmares had she witnessed anything so savage, so horrifying.
She’d known the person she was about to confront wasn’t some garden–variety criminal, but she never dreamed he’d be this much of a monster.
To him, human life was worthless.
“Ms. Coffey, wee. Sorry you had to witness such a sight for our first meeting.” The words drifted from the bar, spoken by a man whose voice was deep, mocking, tinged with amusement.
Noelle turned, unsettled, searching for the source.
Sitting at the bar was a man in a light gray suit–dark–haired, dark–eyed, definitely from Alvend. His featurescked Joshua’s razor–sharp handsomeness, but he exuded a gentleman–schr vibe, a kind of old- world <b>grace </b>that set him apart.
His almond–shaped eyes curved in a smile, warmth on the surface–yet as Noelle met his gaze, a deadly chill ran through her. There was something cold–blooded, viper–like lurking behind that smile, and she shivered despite herself.
She couldn’t help but tremble.
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Richard didn’tment on herck of response. He downed his ss of red wine in one gulp, then stood up from the bar stool and walked over to her.
Noelle instinctively took a step back.
But Richard stopped right in front of her, took her hand with all the grace of a gentleman, and gently pressed a kiss to the back of it.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you, Ms. Coffey,” Richard said smoothly. “You want that woman out of Joshua’s life, and I want Joshua gone. Our goals are perfectly aligned.”
Noelle’s eyes widened. “I never meant for Joshua to die.”
“Disappearing doesn’t always mean dying,” Richard replied softly, his voice almost hypnotic. “If he belonged to you alone, vanished from the Garcia Group–well, that’s just another kind of disappearance, isn’t it?”
Richard was every bit the devil–tempting her step by step, drawing her deeper into the pit he’d dug.
‘But the devil’s temptation was just too strong,‘ Noelle thought, her heart trembling.
Just the thought of having Joshua all to herself was almost addictive.
The possibility alone sent a rush of excitement through Noelle.
She nodded. “If you help me take care of the woman around Joshua, I’ll hand over the Garcia Group’s secrets to you.”
Richard grinned, “Ms. Coffey, you’d better stick to your word.”
Richard’s smile spread even wider.
After Noelle left, Richard epted a wet wipe from his subordinate and began delicately cleaning the very fingertips that had touched her. His expression waspletely unreadable, almost as if purging any trace of
contact.
He wiped each finger slowly and carefully, making sure not to miss a single spot.
“Mr. Shaw<i>, </i>can we really trust that Ms. Coffey?” the subordinate asked in a low voice.
Richard’s eyes glittered with a chill. “Ms. Coffey is no fool. After what she witnessed today, I’m not worried about her loyalty–not anymore.”
He tossed the dirty wet wipe onto the floor andmanded, “Book me a flight to Alvend.”
“Yes, sir,” the subordinate replied.
Once the guy left, Richard pulled out his phone and brought up her profile.
On the screen was a gorgeous smiling face, with the name right beside it: Xylia, 28 years old, Norhill Native…
The more Richard scrolled, the bigger his grin got.
<b>8:34 </b><b>Thu</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>25 </b>
96
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“Married? So that’s Joshua’s thing. No wonder all those women I’ve tried to surround him with never worked. Looks like I’ve been going at this all wrong,” Richard muttered to himself.
His snake–like gaze fixed on Xylia’s photo.
She really had the looks he’d always dreamed of in a woman.
Too bad–tainted.‘
Richard tossed his phone into a nearby wine ss. It fizzled for a moment before goingpletely dead.
Xylia slept straight through until four in the afternoon.
Finally feeling refreshed, she stretchedzily in bed before slowly getting up.
After a quick wash, Xylia stepped out of the bedroom.
The study door was left wide open, and Xylia could hear Joshua inside, talking on the phone.
“Stop him. Don’t let him get away. I’ll be there soon,” Joshua ordered, his tone sharp.
Just as she heard those words, Joshua stepped out of the study.
When Joshua caught sight of Xylia, he stopped in his tracks, momentarily stunned–he hadn’t expected to see her up and about.
He strode over to Xylia, concern in his eyes. “You’re up! Did you get enough rest?”
Xylia nodded.
Seeing him with clothes draped over his arm, she asked, “Heading out?”
Joshua didn’t hide it. “Yeah, something’se up. Someone will drop off dinner soon–just eat, chill for a bit, and try to get an early night.”
Xylia picked up on the hint–he might be getting back reallyte tonight, or maybe not at all.
She frowned a little.
Why do you look so troubled?‘ she asked. ‘Is something big going on?‘
Joshua ruffled her hair gently. “Don’t worry about me. I just need to ask Burke Sterling a few questions. The ce is a bit far, so I might be held up on the way, but there’s nothing to worry about.”
Xylia finally rxed, fussing with his tie for a moment before smiling up at him. “Juste home soon, okay?
And take <b>care </b>out there.”
Joshua’s lips quirked into a gentle smile. He leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips, then turned and left the apartment.