Chapter 260

ETHAN

The moment Nick hung up the phone, his face shifted, his expression unreadable. It was as if all the colour drained from him in an instant, his skin paling in a way that I had never seen before. I had been around Nick long enough to know that he was no stranger to bad news, but this? This was different. It was as if something beyond our worst fears had just been set in motion.

We had already been living through the chaos, Luke, Xander, Olivia’s disappearance, and now, the kids were safe with us. That much, at least, had been a small mercy in the storm. But Nick looked like he had just been hit with the weight of something even worse, something that none of us could prepare for. My mind raced, trying to figure

out what could possibly be so bad. And then it hit me. Could it be 2 No, it couldn’t be.

Before I could make sense of it, I moved closer to Nick, my concern deepening. I needed to make sure that whatever was going through his mind wasn’t as bad as I feared. Leaning in, I whispered in his ear, my voice low to make sure no one else overheard. “Did something happen with Lupita and Grandma?”

Nick didn’t respond right away. His eyes were distant, empty. Something was off. Whatever had happened on that phone call had shattered something inside him. I could almost feel the weight of his thoughts, pulling him deeper into a place I couldn’t reach. His silence told me everything he was in a place I couldn’t follow. And I didn’t like it one bit.

His gaze met mine, but it was like he wasn’t really seeing me. His eyes looked almost dead, devoid of life. “I think we should tell Marcus where we are,” he said, his voice hollow. The words struck me like a punch to the gut. Tell Marcus where we were? What the hell was going on?

Before I could process that, Luke’s voice cut through the tension. He sounded irritated, like he was already over the conversation before it had even started. “Why would we tell Marcus where we are? He’s just going to cause more trouble. No, just because Olivia isn’t here doesn’t mean we give him any information.”

I couldn’t take my eyes off Nick. I needed to understand what was going on in his head, but he wasn’t giving anything away. Still, I couldn’t ignore it. Something was happening, something he wasn’t telling us. And I knew him too well, whatever it was, it was big.

Luke, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. “I think the situation has changed. Don’t you

Marcus can stay wherever he is, we’re not telling him anything.” He brushed it off with a

sigh escaping him. “I think Nick has something to tell us,” I

angry at me, though, he was

patience, always thin, was starting to wear even thinner. “Well, talk then, Nick. Don’t leave us hanging.‘ His voice was impatient, his gaze fixed on Nick as he waited for him to

in real time, his desire to protect everyone around him, but also the unbearable weight of the truth he was holding back. Finally, he spoke, his voice quieter than I expected. “I think you shouldn’t dismiss Marcus like

break. The words left

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Chapter 260

any longer, my curiosity took over, and I leaned in closer to him, my voice barely above a whisper. “Nick, I’m getting tired of all this. It’s either you tell us what’s going on, or you keep quiet. But no more holding back. I don’t want to

let go of his stance. “Not now, Ethan. We

done holding back. The truth came crashing out. “Marcus isn’t bluffing. He’s threatening to bomb certain areas of the continent. He said he’ll keep going, setting off bombs, until we either find his family or tell him where

nightmare. But the reality of it was worse than anything I could imagine. Luke, ever the sceptic, chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “He’s bluffing, Nick. There’s no way he’d actually go through with it. Not him.” He sounded almost relieved, like he

so sure.

his eyes darkening. “Check the news,

My heart stopped.

He’s already started.

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