Chapter 820

Her expression hardened. Instead of retreating, she stepped forward boldly, stopping a few paces ahead, and said coldly, “Come out, I know you’re nearby!” “Mmph… mmph…” A muffled sound came from behind a large tree.
Arin emerged, her hands bound, her face pale, struggling desperately with tears still in her eyes.
Behind her was a man who sneered at Nina, “I’ve been waiting for you. If you don’t want her to die, come here quietly and don’t make a sound.”
Nina laughed, “You’ve gone to great lengths to catch me. If you’d just told me you wanted me, I would’ve come without all this trouble.”
“In the village, it wasn’t easy to catch you. We had to use some tricks,” Wes sneered.
The previous assassination attempt by Wes had failed. If they had gone into the village, they would have been swarmed and killed before they even found Nina. He had timed Captain Nash’s departure perfectly and knew that Arin and Nina were close. This allowed him to capture Nina successfully. Nina looked at him and asked, “Was it you who tried to kill me?”
“Enough talk!” Wes snapped, his patience wearing thin. He pressed the knife closer to Arin’s throat. “Get over here, I don’t have time to waste!”
“Alright, just be careful with that knife, don’t hurt her,” Nina said, raising her hands and walking forward slowly.
Arin shook her head frantically, tears streaming down her face. She struggled hard, her emotions running high.
Wes yanked the cloth from Arin’s mouth, and she cried out, “Don’t come over! They’re after you. You shouldn’t come out. I’m fine!”
“If I don’t come, you’ll die,” Nina replied calmly. “Arin, I’ll be fine. Don’t cry. You’ll be home safe soon. Don’t worry your parents.”
“Let her go,” Nina said to Wes, “I’m the one you want. Don’t harm her.”
Wes released Arin and captured Nina immediately. He quickly tied Nina’s hands to prevent her from escaping.
Arin, filled with regret, said, “I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come to the mountains. If anything happens to you, how can I face Captain? I should go with you.”
“Listen to me,” Nina said sternly. “Go home now. Don’t act recklessly. If you don’t return, everyone will worry about your safety.”
Arin bit her lip, hesitant. She didn’t want Nina to be taken away, but if she didn’t return to report, no one would know what had happened. She needed to get help.
Finally, she stopped crying and ran back without looking back.
Wes sneered as he watched Arin run away. “People always talk big, but when it comes down to it, they’re all scared to die.”
Nina didn’t struggle after Arin left. Instead, she felt a strange sense of relief. She understood that one had to go into the tiger’s den to catch its cub. She knew she had to face this ordeal alone. “Why did you try to kill me?” Nina asked. “Now that you’ve captured me, where are you taking me? Have you decided not to kill me?”
Wes, annoyed by her questions, snapped, “You sure talk a lot!”
Nina smiled, “Who’s behind this? Is it Ivy, Micah’s sister?”