Chapter 266 From This Point On, He''s In My Care
Freya had backup waiting down below, so she''d be alright.
As for what was unfolding atop the cliff, Kristian would deal with Brendan and his
crew.
He had sworn to her she''d be safe.
The instant Freya spotted the yacht gliding beneath them, realization struck like lightning. As her body plunged downward, she instinctivelytched onto Kristian with the hand still gripping the gun, yanking him along with
her.
At that very moment, her other hand emerged with a fanned-out deck of ying cards, which she whipped through the air toward Brendan and his men with expert precision.
The entire sequence unraveled in barely a heartbeat-far too fast for anyone to respond.
Brendan hadn''t seen iting. As Freya and Kristian plummeted, one of the razor-edged cards sliced across
his cheek, leaving a thin, stinging line of blood.
Several of his armed men weren''t so lucky, taking sharp hits from the whirling cards.
A thunderous ssh echoed below as Kristian and Freya crashed into the sea in dramatic unison.
The people aboard the yacht wasted no time pulling them out.
Just as Kristian mbered onto the deck and reached down to hoist Freya up, his eyes locked on Brendan at
the cliff''s edge, gun drawn.
More precisely, it was aimed straight at Freya.
A single shot rang out.
The bullet screamed through the air with blistering speed.
Kristian didn''t have the luxury of thought; instinct kicked in as he leaned forward, shielding Freya with his own body. The bullet mmed into his back, and his crisp white shirt bloomed red with blood.
Despite the burning pain tearing through him, he forced his expression to remain calm, lifting Freya onto the
yacht without flinching.
Brendan was readying another shot when Freya raised her gun, leveling it directly at him.
But before she could fire, a sudden force knocked the weapon from Brendan''s grip.
A team of soldiers in uniform emerged from the trees behind him, encircling himpletely. At the head of
the group stood Ellis.
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Chapter 266 From This Point On, He''s In My Care
The moment Freyaid eyes on Ellis, a wave of relief surged through her.
She didn''t bother instructing the yacht to stop. There was no point. The towering cliffs left no way to climb back up. More urgently, Kristian was burning up with fever; he had to get to a hospital.
As for Brendan, Ellis could deal with him.
Brendan clicked his tongue as Ellis stepped forward. "Captain Lambert. Be a while."
Ellis spared him the briefest nce before turning to his men. "Take him into custody," he ordered. "Seal off the ind. No onees near it until the explosives are disabled."
"Understood."
"I''m heading out." Ellis didn''t linger.
He wasn''t sure if Freya was hurt, but judging from the scene he''d just walked into, Kristian had taken a bullet. The blood-soaked fabric clinging to his back made that crystal clear-and it could very well be fatal if left
untreated.
He thought about calling Freya but remembered she had noms on her.
So, he set off to find them himself.
Meanwhile, on the yacht, Freya''s attention had shifted entirely to Kristian once Brendan and his men were apprehended. "Brendan fired earlier. Did you get hit?" she asked, concerned.
"No," Kristian replied, though his lips were drained of color. "The yacht was rocking. He missed."
Freya let out a breath she hadn''t realized she was holding.
She was just about to examine him herself when Kristian cut in, turning to the
man steering the vessel. "Give me a jacket. It''s getting chilly."
The man immediately peeled off his ck windbreaker and handed it over.
Kristian, who normally wouldn''t touch something that wasn''t spotless, slipped it on without hesitation, hiding.
the crimson-streaked back of his white shirt.
He had only asked for the jacket to keep Freya from seeing his wound.
Freya didn''t dwell on it. Her eyes shifted to the man at the helm, her brows
drawing together in faint recognition. "Lawrence?"
"You know me?" Lawrence Hayes had a clean-cut look, with a smile like spring sunlight-warm and deceptively
charming.
Freya''s frown deepened.
Lawrence came from influence and wealth, known for being both noble and unnervingly unpredictable. He
rarely helped anyone for free.
What kind of arrangement had Kristian made with him?
"Did you strike some kind of deal with him?" Freya asked, her gaze now firmly on
Kristian.
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But before he could answer, Lawrence chimed in, voice breezy, "Actually, I should
be the one thanking you. If it
weren''t for-"
Kristian swiftly cut him off. "Just steer the yacht."
Lawrence mimed zipping his lips.
The interaction only stirred Freya''s suspicions further. "Did you make a dewith
him?"
Lawrence had a strange obsession with studying human psychology, often dabbling in theology.
His favorite phrase? "Science leads to spiritual rity."
"No, I didn''t," Kristian lied, his gaze softening with warmth. "He owed me a favor
and came to repay it. Feels like he got the raw end of it, so he asked me to return er. Nothing major."
"You''re not lying to me, are you?" Freya asked, something still not sitting right.
Kristian gave a faint smile. "I''m not."
That answer seemed to satisfy her.
There were boundaries between them, and certain truths were better left
untouched.
"Thanks for helping me back there," Freya said after a moment. "I owe you one. If
you ever need help investigating something or breaking into a system, let me
know."
"You don''t owe me anything. Brendan was after me from the beginning." Kristian''s breathing had grown slow
andbored.
Freya parted her lips to speak, but before she could get a word out, Kristian softly called her name. "Freya."
“Hmm?” Her tone gentled, warmth blooming behind the single syble.
Kristian didn''t follow up.
He simply gazed at her-her flushed cheeks, the curve of her lips, the tenderness
in her eyes that, at that moment, saw only him.
If this was how he died, it wouldn''t be the worst way to go.
That thought brought a faint smile to his lips, and the pain in his back dulled ever
so slightly. "What is it?" Freya asked when his silence lingered.
"Nothing. I just felt like saying your name." Kristian''s voice was as soft as silk, his
eyes never leaving hers. "After everything I''ve done to you, we haven''t had a single quiet moment like this."
Freya pressed her lips together, unsure how to respond. Words weren''t her strong
suit.
Kristian could feel the strength leaving his limbs, his eyelids growing heavier by
the second. But he wouldn''t let them close-not yet. He was afraid if he did, he might never see her again.
Freya noticed the color draining from his face. "You should rest. We''ll talk after your fever breaks."
"Alright," Kristian murmured, his voice raspy.
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Time crept by
Roughly ten minutester, Lawrence brought the yacht to a gentle stop
Standing onshore, he addressed Freya with practiced ease. "Ms. Briggs, your
ride''s ready. You can head back to
Alerith now."
"Thank you," Freya replied.
She turned to help Kristian toward the car, intending to get him to a hospital
immediately.
But the second she touched him, Lawrence blocked her with a raised hand. "From
this point on, he''s in my care.
You don''t need to worry about him."
"He''s running a high fever," Freya shot back,
"I''ll bring in the best doctors avable," Lawrence assured her.
Freya met his gaze, unyielding. She didn''t want to walk away,
Kristian pushed himself upright, silently grateful for the fever. If not for it, his pale
face might''ve given him
awaypletely.
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