Reclaiming My Broken Luna by Selene Souchon

Chapter 265: DNA Sample

Killian's

POV

"Are you done with task I gave you?" My voice came out steady and cold, unable to ask for the results directly.

Ryder shifted, his silence stretching a second too long. "Not yet," he admitted, his words clipped, like he hated saying them.

My eyes shot up at him in surprise. I had assumed the DNA test results were already in, mistaking Ryder's gloomy expression for confirmation.

But as it turned out, Ryder's expression had nothing to do with the test - he hadn't even done it yet. "It's been... difficult," Ryder scratched the back of his neck, unable to look at me directly to my eyes.

I fixed him with a hard stare. Difficult? This was supposed to be a simple task.

"Difficult?" My tone was sharp. "I gave you simple instructions, Ryder. Do it quietly, without anyone knowing. What seems to be the problem about that?"

He clenched his jaw, frustration clear in his eyes. "It's Giselle, she never walks around without her attendants. She's always guarded and every time I get close enough to her to try, she picks up on it - senses something's wrong. I can't get anything from her without raising suspicion."

I tapped my fingers against the task, my mind working through the situation. I should have expected this. Ryder and Giselle were never close, and it would make sense for her to be suspicious if he approached her out of nowhere.

Even so, I expected more from Ryder. I gave him this task because I believed that he could handle it. "You're telling me you can't collect one simple trace of DNA? A hair? A glass she's touched?" My patience was wearing thin.

me. I can't just take something from her without raising suspicion. His words echoed in my head - "alone". Yes, I'd told him that

I could trust with this except for him. But now, his

truth as soon as possible. I want to know as earlier as possible if

out if Astrid and I still really stood a chance to

want to fix all this once and for

you need to find a way. This task is too important for mistakes, and I'm not interested in excuses. If you can't get it done, I'll

him, and I wanted him to feel it. This wasn't

hair for DNA testing," he spoke with a low voice. "He spends more time with his nanny than with Giselle, so it was easy to get a strand of his

satisfied at

shifted uncomfortably. "As for Giselle... I can't think of anyone better

at his

are the only who

Ryder continued cautiously, as if he feared pushing too far. If you took her out, spent time with her... she'd welcome the attention. It wouldn't be hard to

us could see the logic in it, but the very thought of taking Giselle out on a date

QUMS

not if I

she'd let

A brush of my hand, a stray hair, something. Anything to get

it

his eyes on me, waiting for my reaction, nervous that he might have pushed too