Chapter 274

NICK

Marcus’s arrival had not been in vain. Because of him, we were able to find Olivia, and that in itself made every second of the chaos feel worth it. Seeing her alive, her breathing shallow but steady, was a relief that I hadn’t known I had needed until I saw it. But even in my relief, couldn’t shake the sense of unease that settled in my chest. Olivia wasn’t moving, her eyes vacant, her body still There was something deeply unsettling about it. She wasn’t the vibrant woman I knew, she wasn’t responding to anything

The worry gnawed at me. Something had happened to her. Something that had robbed her of the energy and life she once had.

As we made our way toward the cars, I glanced back at Marcus, still clutching her to him, the man who had done what none of us had been able to do. He had found her when the rest of us were too blind to see the clues. I watched him, and even in that moment of triumph, I felt a pang of jealousy twist deep inside me. He had been the one to save her, and she was his now, his wife, his responsibility. A life that should have been shared with someone else. A life that had slipped through my fingers.

I wasn’t a fool. I knew my place. I knew where I stood in this story. But that didn’t stop the knot of bitterness that tightened in my throat as I looked at the pair of them.

“Why don’t you just go?” he asked, his tone laced with something I couldn’t quite place, annoyance, maybe. His eyes flickered toward Marcus and Olivia, but his focus was

cryptic games or power plays. I wasn’t in the mood for Luke, either. His presence

the hotel,” I added, shaking my head. “Where are you

didn’t answer right away, his face hardening as if he was calculating something in his mind. I was starting to feel like I was just another piece on his chessboard, a pawn for him to

act like you don’t know,” he said, stepping in front of me and blocking my path. “I know you want to follow her,

okay. But I had no right to be with her not now. She had Marcus with her, and Marcus was her husband. Her real husband. She had her brother, and for all intents and purposes,

in my throat and tried to keep my voice steady. “No, I’m just concerned. But I want to be with my kids now. I need to tell them their mother is fine and that she will be home soon.” I tried to sound casual, as if this was just another day in a life that wasn’t mine to claim anymore. But the words felt hollow, as if they weren’t even my own. Luke’s eyebrow raised at my statement, an almost imperceptible look of amusement flickering in his

sarcasm. “And you only mentioned their mother, not their father. Did you

what I had just said settling heavily on my chest. I wasn’t blind. I knew exactly what I had done. In my mind, they were both my kids. I had been there for them, watching

Chime: 274

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