Chapter 210
Sharon sat quietly, her back straight.
Nicholas crouched in front of her, carefully tending to the blister on her heel–cleaning, draining it, disinfecting the area, and gently covering it with gauze.
Dressed in his sharp black uniform, tall and lean, with his cap low over his brow, he looked focused, composed, and–frankly–unreasonably attractive. The red scratch marks on his clean–shaven jaw made the contrast even sharper.
His attention never wavered..
“Give me your hand,” he said calmly.
After helping her into a pair of slippers, he looked up at her. She looked small–delicate, even. Her hands and feet were dainty, easily dwarfed by his.
But those same hands had torn through monsters.
As she laid her hand in his palm, she suddenly noticed how large and steady his hands were.
Her own were scraped raw, with several fingernails cracked and broken leaving only tender, bare skin behind.
Nicholas frowned, brows knitting tighter as he examined her fingers.
He remembered them being soft, round, almost doll–like.
But those hands… had saved lives.
“Ugly, right?” Sharon sighed, glancing down at them herself.
‘Should’ve worn gloves.‘ She’d owned plenty–collected them since she didn’t like using weapons.
“They’re beautiful. Not ugly at all,” Nicholas said, voice soft as he handled her hand with the utmost care.
The sun was warm. A breeze passed by gently.
Not far off, a member of the medical team watched the moment unfold and couldn’t resist snapping a photo.
Nicholas Baxter, of all people, crouched down, patching up his fiancée’s foot like it was the most natural thing in the world.
‘Why does he have to be this gentle? And why do we have to watch it? Some of us are single, you know.‘
Sharon pulled her hand back, eyeing the neatly bandaged fingers. Her lips curved. “Thanks.”
“Keep them dry the next few days. It’ll heal faster.”
“Got it.”
As Nicholas started putting away the first–aid kit, Sharon noticed a small cut on the back of his hand. She reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Hold on- you’re bleeding.”
“It’s nothing,” Nicholas said, barely glancing at the scratch. He hadn’t even realized it was there.
But her hand didn’t let go, firm and stubborn./
Without saying another word, she grabbed the alcohol spray, disinfected the wound, and slapped a bandage over it. “All done.”
Nicholas smiled slightly but didn’t protest.
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Chapter 210
He opened his mouth to say something else, but the team from the Investigation unit, who had been lurking nearby, coolder kejt an stepped forward. “Mr. Baxter, when exactly are we heading out?”
They’d watched enough of that couple moment.
“Now,” Nicholas said, straightening up. He ruffled Sharon’s hair lightly. “We’ll talk when I’m back”
“Okay.”
Sharon understood–the situation at the swamp needed urgent attention. She didn’t push.
What she really wanted was to ask about the Velvyn. Where they came from. Why so many had been there.
Nicholas turned and walked off to join the investigators. The warmth in his expression vanished the second he faced the team, his profile sharp as steel “Move out,” he said coldly.
Whatever joke they’d been about to make, they swallowed it whole.
That was Nicholas Baxter–back in command. That softness from a few seconds ago? Just a momentary illusion.
Sharon stood in the sunlight, staring at the villa ahead.
No children laughing, no little ones running around anymore.
The whole community had been swallowed by grief.
She stepped into the main hall with long, steady strides. Walter, her brothers, and several members of the extended family were gathered inside. But the mood was grim. All their faces were shadowed with sorrow.
“Please,” one of the grieving family members said, “we just want to recover their bodies. We need to know where they fell.”
Sharon’s fingers curled slowly into fists.
‘These must be the families of the low–ranking martial artists who died.‘
“I’ll make sure they do everything possible to find them. I promise,” Walter said heavily.
He, too, was deeply shaken. So many good people–gone in one day.
Sharon looked at the families. “You have my word. I’ll get to the bottom of this. They didn’t die for nothing.”
And when she made a promise, she meant it.
Suddenly, Jude burst in, tears in his eyes. “Someone took Puffy on purpose! I saw it with my own eyes?
A woman–probably a family member–quickly pulled him back. “Jude, we already told you—the cameras didn’t catch anything. Don’t make things up.”
“I’m not! I swear, I saw it!”
Sharon turned toward him. “Tell me exactly what you saw. Where did it happen? And how were the security cameras positioned?”
If what Jude was saying was true, then this wasn’t an accident.
Someone had lured Jude out with the dog. And once he was in the forest–everything else fell into place.
It was a trap, a deliberate setup.
Mon 10SJUN
Chapter 210
She had stayed quiet long enough. But this? This wasn’t something she would let slide.
“They really thought they could bait a child and wipe out the extended branch while I was here? They’re going to find out what it costs to pick a fight with
- me.
AD
ed gift
