<h4>Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Unexpected Rescue</h4>


    Cecilia’s pov?


    My heart nearly stopped when I heard those footsteps approaching.


    Xavier? No, impossible. Even if he’d figured out I escaped and guessed which direction I’d gone, how would he know I was hiding on some random hillside?


    It made no sense.


    Then a chilling thought hit me—the man who had shouted outside the car window earlier.


    Could it be him? Had he been lurking nearby, watching me crawl out of the trunk and head down this road? Had he been following me this entire time?


    The thought made my skin crawl. I crouched lower, trying to burrow deeper into the vegetation, but it was pitch ck. I couldn’t see the path, and I didn’t dare turn on my phone’s shlight. I was stumbling through the brush like a panicked rabbit.


    The footsteps behind me grew closer, more deliberate


    My mind raced with horrifying possibilities—being dragged into the wilderness in the middle of the night, my body never to be found, or being trafficked, or worse.


    Maybe I should have stayed in the car after all.


    No, that was stupid. Even if I’d stayed, once Alpha Xavier left, whoever this was could have easily broken the window and attacked me there.


    I moved faster, ignoring the burning pain in my leg.


    A beam of light cut through the darkness. I thought I heard someone calling my name, but terror had my ears ringing so loudly that my heartbeat drowned out everything else.


    "Help! Somebody help me!" I screamed as I sensed the presence right behind me, reaching for me.


    I scrambled uphill in blind panic. Suddenly, something heavy circled my waist, and my feet left the ground. A strong arm had lifted mepletely off the earth.


    "HELP! HELP! MURDER! HELP!" I shrieked, kicking wildly at whoever had grabbed me.


    "...No one’s trying to kill you."


    That voice—rich, smooth, and unmistakably familiar—cut through my panic like a knife. The kind of voice that, once heard, is never forgotten. Deep but not overly so, with a rity like spring water over ice.


    I froze instantly.


    Looking over my shoulder, through the hazy darkness, I found myself staring into a strikingly handsome face with pale features.


    And suddenly, I was even more confused than before.


    Anyone else appearing here would have made more sense. Hell, even some supernatural creature would have been more logical than... Alpha Sebastian.


    "Y-y-you..." I stammered, somehow more flustered than scared now.


    "Scared speechless? Don’t recognize me?" Alpha Sebastian asked, his voice sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with fear.


    Hearing him speak again made everything feel real. Relief washed over me so intensely I nearly cried. "How are you here?"


    "Just taking a stroll," he replied casually.


    "...What?"


    I knew he was being ridiculous, of course. But then again, my question had been equally obvious. Why else would he be here except to rescue me?


    Alpha Sebastian lifted one long leg onto the slope and settled me on his thigh, letting me sit while his arm moved from my waist to loosely encircle my shoulders. "I called your name. Why did you keep running?"


    "...My ears were ringing," I admitted honestly, perched on his leg like an obedient child.


    "Running so fast with your injury—weren’t you afraid it would reopen?" he asked, his voice a mixture of concern and mild admonishment.


    As if on cue, a burning sensation shot through my leg.


    [Oh crap.]


    Alpha Sebastian caught the wince on her face immediately.


    "Cecilia, you’re not aggravating your injury on purpose just to extend your sick leave, are you?"


    "What? Of course not!" she shot back, offended.


    His gaze stayed cool, unreadable.


    "Then why aren’t you resting at home instead of walking straight into an obvious trap?"


    He let the silence hang just long enough to make her ufortable, then added dryly,


    "Maybe you should stop being my secretary and be my spiritual guide instead. You clearly have a gift for making me go out of my way for you."


    Cecilia blinked, thrown off by the sarcasm.


    "...Sorry," she muttered, properly chastised.


    Sebastian stepped closer, his voice still as t as ever.


    "Since that injury happened onpany time, I’ll bail you out—this once. But next time? You’re on your own."


    She nodded quickly, raising her hands in surrender.


    "Got it, got it. You’re a lifesaver. I owe you big time—I mean, I’ll even work weekends with noints."


    He just stared at her.


    She had the distinct feeling he was seriously considering leaving her on the hill.


    But instead, without a word, he knelt down a little and motioned for her.


    "Get on," he said.


    She hesitated only a second before climbing onto his back.


    His shoulders were broad and warm, steady beneath her hands.


    Cecilia clung to him awkwardly.


    "Um... where do I put my hands?"


    He didn’t look back.


    "Anywhere that won’t get you dropped."


    After hesitating, I gently ced my hands on his shoulders., Those shoulders were as broad and solid as an oak door.


    When we reached the bottom of the hill, his car was parked by the roadside. He carefully ced me in the passenger seat before circling around to the driver’s side, getting in, and starting the engine.


    He’d driven here himself...


    As far as I knew, he rarely drove his own car, usually relying on Liam or Beta Sawyer to chauffeur him.


    I felt surprisingly honored.


    I texted Harper to let her know I was safe and heading back to Denver. She was naturally curious about who had rescued me, since she was already out in this remote area, being the loyal friend she was.


    She’d parked by the roadside and texted: [Who rescued you?]


    I wanted to avoid the question, but not answering would make it seem like I had something to hide.


    What did I have to hide? Nothing!


    I typed three letters with perfect confidence: [Alpha Sebastian].


    Harper’s excitement practically vibrated through the phone: [WHAT?! Alpha Sebastian?! He came to rescue you? Isn’t your boss being a little TOO caring toward his employee?]


    [Because I’m his star yer,] I said with a smirk.


    [Careful—if you impress him any more, he might get down on one knee.]


    [At this rate, forgetw school. Ask if he’s hiring. I’ll dly switch careers.]


    [Please. If he’s not into you, I’ll eat my entire closet.]


    [I’m not letting you chew leather, thanks. Believe whatever you want, but he’s genuinely just a good guy. He likes saving people, that’s all. And besides... pretty sure he’s sworn off women anyway.]


    Harper: [Wait—what??]


    I ignored her triple question marks.


    Looking at myst message, I felt a twinge of regret. Whether Alpha Sebastian’s preferences were true or not, it was something he had confided in me. I shouldn’t be spreading it around.


    Alpha Sebastian noticed my troubled expression. "Is something wrong?"


    I quickly shook my head. "No, nothing at all."


    I pressed my phone against my chest protectively.


    Alpha Sebastian narrowed his eyes at my obviously guilty behavior.


    Author’s pov?


    Meanwhile, Alpha Xavier returned with a bag of food only to find the empty car and the open trunk. He hurled the bag to the ground in anger.


    Wasn’t she still using a wheelchair? Hadn’t her leg injury not healed?


    Little liar!


    But even if she could walk, she couldn’t have gone far.


    Suddenly, he thought about the dangers she might face—wild animals in the hills, dangerous strangers on the road. Hadn’t a man just walked past earlier? And she was so beautiful... Panic surged through him.


    He guessed she’d gone in the opposite direction from him and ran after her, despite having been gone nearly fifty minutes.


    As Alpha Xavier ran along the road, Harper’s car approached from behind. With no streetlights, she nearly hit him and mmed on the brakes.


    She got out. "Are you trying to get yourself killed, running in the middle of the road at night—"


    Her words died when she recognized him. She fell silent.


    Alpha Xavier stared at Harper with her hand on her hip, momentarily confused.


    Then realization dawned. He rushed to open her passenger door, found it empty, and checked the back seat. "Where’s Cecilia?"


    "How should I know? I’m just passing by."


    "Cut the crap. Where is she?"


    "Alpha Xavier, I genuinely don’t know. I need to get home—it’s already eleven, and I’ll be up past midnight. I have court in the morning."


    Harper yawned, looking exhausted.


    She got back into her car.


    To her surprise, Alpha Xavier also got in, fastened his seat belt, and made himselffortable with crossed arms.


    Harper was speechless. "...Do you think this is your car and I’m your driver? Get out!"


    Alpha Xavier remained unmoved, like a statue of ice.


    She had no idea what to do with him. She couldn’t physically remove him, and arguing seemed pointless. She fastened her seat belt. "Fine, fine, fine. Don’t believe me? Then just sit there and see if I’m really meeting your... ex-wife."


    The words "ex-wife" made Alpha Xavier’s eyes sh with cold fury.


    Harper felt a flicker of fear. She started the car and focused on driving.


    It didn’t matter anyway—Cecilia had already been picked up, so let him waste his time if he wanted to.


    After twenty minutes with no sign of stopping, Alpha Xavier’s frown deepened.


    Just then, Harper’s phone pinged with a message.


    As soon as she unlocked it with facial recognition, a pair of long, elegant fingers snatched the phone from her hand.