?Chapter 867:


    Had he nned this ahead of time?


    The ointment smelled fresh, with a hint of mint. Its coolness slowly turned into a gentle warmth.


    Corrine absentmindedly twisted the lid of the bottle in her hand. The texture was just like the small, intricately shaped bottle Jayden had given her, though this one didn’t have the medical institute’s steel seal.


    “Would you like toe to my officeter?” Nate asked.


    Corrine shook her head. “I’ve got other things to take care of.”


    Nate’s brows knitted together, just slightly. “You’re hurt, and you still won’t rest?”


    Corrine gave a faint smile. “It’s just a minor injury.”


    Before she could finish speaking, Nate’s long fingers gripped her chin, and his dark eyes sparked with a dangerous glint. “Then tell me—what kind of injury wouldn’t be considered small?”


    They were so close that their breaths mixed, the air between them thick with an unspoken, electric tension.


    With Nate’s face so near hers, Corrine’s gaze shifted. Then, without thinking, she leaned in and kissed him briefly on the lips.


    It was a quick, delicate touch, but it stirred something deep inside Nate’s usuallyposed heart.


    The coldness in his eyes softened, reced by a warm gentleness. Seeing the change in him, Corrine seized the moment. “Don’t forget to finish work early tonight. I have a surprise for you.”


    “Then let’s go home now,” Nate said, grabbing her arm.


    Corrine gave him a look, part amused, part frustrated. “Hey, hey, can’t you show a little more restraint?”


    Discover endless worlds on gα?ησν????s﹒??o??


    “I can’t hold back around you.”


    Matias, sitting in the front seat, couldn’t help but shudder. Ever since his boss had started seeing Corrine, he had bepletely brazen. Once Corrine had left, Nate’s expression darkened, his usual cold, distant demeanor settling back in. “Have you found anything out?”


    Feeling the weight of Nate’s intense presence, Matias took a deep breath before answering carefully, “So far, all the signs point to the Becker family.”


    But anyone with half a brain could tell the Becker family wasn’t behind this.


    After all the chaos they’d been through, the Becker family was desperate to stay under the radar. They wouldn’t dare attack Corrine directly—it would be suicide.


    Clearly, someone was making them a convenient scapegoat.


    From the driver’s seat, Saul paused before speaking up. “Could it be Ms. Hopkins?”


    After all, there were plenty of people in Lyhaton who would dly follow her orders.


    Nate scoffed, hisugh cold and sharp, full of disdain. “I highly doubt she has the courage to match her ambitions.”


    His voice was icy, harsh, and unyielding, with a chilling tone. His gaze, calm yet ruthless, was like a de waiting to strike. “Keep an eye on her.”


    .


    .


    .