?Chapter 876:


    But for me, that was precisely the problem. Because of this very energy, I had always seen him as a younger brother. And being this close to him? It was unsettling in ways I didn’t want to examine.


    I pushed against his hold. “Alden, let me go! Whether Edward is my husband or not is none of your business. And for the record, I have no interest in kids who’ve juste of age!”


    Alden’s gaze sharpened as he held my stare, unshaken. “You’re not much older than me, so why pretend to be some wise, mature woman? It’s fine if you’re not interested in me. I’m not here to force you. I just want you to be my girlfriend—willingly.”


    Girlfriend.


    The word struck me like a p, momentarily scattering my thoughts.


    I had spent so long in the pce as nothing more than a discarded possession—a mere tool for others. And my rtionship with Jett had been nothing but a strange, tangled mess.


    Yet here was Alden, a man younger than me, standing before me without shame, dering that he wanted me as his girlfriend.


    The sincerity and directness of it left me speechless.


    While I was still caught in my daze, Alden suddenly stepped back, and his arms fell away from my waist.


    The sudden loss of contact jolted me, snapping me back to the present just as he pushed open the door. He turned slightly. “The soldiers are about to change shifts.”


    “There’s a brief gap—we can leave now.”


    I stiffened, my instincts immediately on edge. My eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You’re not going to arrest me for being suspicious?”


    Alden met my gaze with a half-smile. His eyes were sharp and open, as if he could read every thought crossing my mind.


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    “I have a knack for reading people,” he said easily. “And I don’t think you’re someone truly bad.”


    I blinked, caught off guard. He trusted me? Just like that?


    My disbelief must have been obvious because Alden suddenly grinned, his boyish smile radiating warmth. The brightness of it chipped away at the heaviness in my chest, easing something I hadn’t realized was tight.


    Then, with a yful chuckle, he lifted a hand and lightly patted my head. “Rx. I was kidding,” he teased. “The truth is, I just want to keep an eye on you and figure out your real intentions.”


    His amusement faded, reced by quiet seriousness. “Besides, Edward’s medical skills are real. Right now, he’s the only one who can save the mayor. Whatever it is you and Edward are after, saving the mayores first.”


    His words struck a chord deep within me. His straightforwardness and trust made guilt creep into my chest.


    I hesitated before biting my lip, summoning the courage to say, “Alden, I’m sorry. Truly. But please believe me—Edward and I have no intention of harming you or anyone here. We only need to retrieve one thing.”


    Alden raised a brow, intrigued. “Oh? And what exactly is it?”


    I opened my mouth but found myself hesitating.


    The pass we needed was too important, too sensitive. I couldn’t just blurt it out.


    Alden studied me for a moment before he exhaled, shaking his head with a wry smile. “Forget it. I won’t force you to tell me.”


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