?Chapter 855:


    She took a deep breath, her stance unyielding, every inch of her radiating a mama bear’s resolve. “Hear me loud and clear: if you darey a finger on my children, I’ll fight you tooth and nail to the bitter end!”


    To her shock, Gorman didn’t get mad. Instead, a soft smile curved his lips, unruffled. He lifted a hand—not to shove her off, but to gently wrap around her clenched fist. “Easy, Linsey. I’m not an idiot. I know those kids are your whole world right now. Why would I do something so boneheaded as to hurt you like that?”


    Locking eyes with her, he continued, “Nah, I’m ying the long game—charming them, winning them over. I’d appreciate it if you’d y along. But if Zenia and Zander suddenly turn on me, well, I can’t promise I’ll keep my cool forever.”


    With that, Gorman reached out, his fingers brushing a loose strand of hair from Linsey’s face with a tenderness that felt like a trap. His voice dropped to a murmur. “Take care of yourself, Linsey. Get some rest. I’ll swing by again soon.”


    Linsey’s face was a mask of stone as she pped his hand away, the motion dripping with barely contained fury.


    Gorman let out a low chuckle, hollow and mirthless, before turning on his heel with the grace of a cat.


    The second the door creaked open, Zander’s bright voice floated in from the hall. “Gorman!”


    Linsey’s eyes widened, her heart lurching. On pure instinct, she rushed forward, scooping Zander—who was still clutching Caylee’s hand—into her arms, cutting Gorman off before he could get a word in.


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    Caught off guard by the sudden hug, Zander stumbled slightly but quickly wrapped his arms around her waist, peering up with a worried frown. “Mommy, you okay?”


    Linsey froze, her eyes locked on Gorman, who returned her stare with a smile that didn’t touch his eyes. Her fingers, pressed protectively against Zander’s back, trembled just enough to betray her.


    “I’m fine, baby,” she replied, her voice rough but steady.


    Anyone who caught the ghostly pallor of Linsey’s face in that moment could see she was anything but okay.


    Caylee stood rooted to the spot for a heartbeat, her eyes darting nervously between Linsey and Gorman, worry etched across her face. For reasons she couldn’t quite pin down, the air between them felt charged, like a storm about to break, thick with unspoken tension.


    Linsey, especially, was a live wire—her every nce and subtle shift screaming distrust toward Gorman, her wariness practically a physical force.


    What the hell had just gone down?


    Before Caylee could even start to untangle the strange vibe, Gorman turned to her, his voice dropping into an unexpectedly grave tone. “Look after Linsey, alright? If anything feels off, you let me know right away.”


    Gorman’s words mmed into Caylee like a freight train, her eyes popping wide in utter shock.


    She shot a quick nce at Gorman, who gave off a cool, careless vibe, before her gaze darted back to Linsey’s, brimming with a hollow despair that stole the air from Caylee’s lungs.


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