Chapter 321 [ 513 words ] Chapter 321: He trapped her within his intimidating proximity, planting his heavy left hand flat against the headboard beside her ear, his broken right arm rigidly secured in its splint against his ribs, blocking her exit with his broad chest. He lowered his voice

Chapter 320 [ 526 words ] Chapter 320: Jarrod shifted his weight and leaned back against the headboard, pulling her entirely on top of him to maximize contact, carefully positioning her weight against his chest to avoid jarring his shattered right shoulder. He whispered fiercely against her ear, “I have

Chapter 319 [ 500 words ] Chapter 319: She realized that without her family, her connection to her past was severed, and without Jarrod in the room, her present was terrifying. Her mind fixated on a single, obsessive thought: she only wanted to see Jarrod. Nothing else mattered to her

Chapter 318 [ 501 words ] Chapter 318: Caroline glared at him, tears of pure exhaustion welling in her eyes before the heavy medication pulled her down into darkness. Jarrod stripped off his wet shirt with a single, practiced tug of his left arm, climbed into the bed, and pulled

Chapter 317 [ 492 words ] Chapter 317: Jarrod grabbed the small plastic cup from the tray. It was filled with a thick, cherry-flavored liquid medication. He sat on the edge of the mattress, wedging his strong thighs beneath Caroline’s shoulders and leveraging his upper body to lift her torso,

Chapter 316 [ 534 words ] Chapter 316: Jarrod wrapped his powerful left arm around her waist, anchoring her flush against his chest, while his rigid right arm acted as a static, protective barrier to support her upper body. He buried his face in her wet, matted hair. His heart

Chapter 315 [ 504 words ] Chapter 315: The cold, untouchable authority vanished from his face. It was replaced instantly by a raw, terrifying panic that widened his eyes. Without a single word of explanation to his bewildered lieutenants, Jarrod turned and bolted toward the tent exit. He barked a

Chapter 314 [ 503 words ] Chapter 314: K.C. snapped out of his shock. His face turned completely ashen, drained of all blood. He violently roared at Dr. Reed to drop the needle immediately. He commanded everyone in the room to step exactly five feet away from the bed. He

Chapter 313 [ 506 words ] Chapter 313: Hayes angrily reprimanded Riley. His voice boomed over the rhythmic hum of the medical monitors. He ordered the corporal to stand down and move aside immediately. Riley refused to move an inch. He argued vehemently, his voice cracking slightly. He stated that

Chapter 312 [ 500 words ] Chapter 312: Caroline swatted the cup away violently. Her hand moved in a blur. She sent the liquid splashing across the sterile floor and the cup bouncing off the wall. She clamped her mouth shut. Her jaw locked tight. She refused to ingest anything

Chapter 311 [ 501 words ] Chapter 311: The stretcher burst through the heavy double doors of the base medical bay. The rubber wheels squeaked loudly on the pristine linoleum floor. Dr. Evelyn Reed, the senior medical officer, rushed out of her glass-walled office. She snapped a pair of blue

Chapter 310 [ 512 words ] Chapter 310: He ordered Riley to load her into the back of the Humvee. He keyed the radio on his shoulder strap, alerting base medical to prepare for an incoming civilian trauma. Riley holstered his weapon. He lifted Caroline’s limp body from the mud.

Chapter 309 [ 495 words ] Chapter 309: Her knees buckled completely. She slid slowly down the length of the wet fence. The flashlight flickered, its beam weakening as the cold drained the last of the battery’s power, before finally dying, plunging her into darkness. She collapsed into the freezing

Chapter 308 [ 500 words ] Chapter 308: The red taillights of the yellow cab disappeared around the sharp bend of the mountain road. Their departure plunged Caroline into absolute, suffocating darkness. The freezing rain lashed against her face like tiny, icy needles. It instantly soaked through her hoodie and

Chapter 307 [ 503 words ] Chapter 307: She walked slowly up the stairs to check on her friend. As she passed Caroline’s room, she noticed the door was slightly ajar. She pushed the door open. She called Caroline’s name softly into the dark room, but received no answer. She

Chapter 306 [ 498 words ] Chapter 306: She unlocked the window sash. She slid it up slowly, wincing slightly as the old wood emitted a faint squeak. Caroline slung the duffel bag across her chest, securing the strap tight. She swung one leg over the wet windowsill, feeling the

Chapter 305 [ 513 words ] Chapter 305: Downstairs, Julian and Brenna sat on the living room sofa. They spoke in hushed, worried tones. They were determined to stay the night and keep a close watch over the grieving family. Caroline walked out of her mother’s office. She carried a

Chapter 304 [ 484 words ] Chapter 304: She transferred two million dollars into a holding account. She set a strict twenty-four-hour delay on the final wire transfer to Vinnie’s account. She then pulled out a second, older burner phone from a hidden desk drawer. She dialed a number she

Chapter 303 [ 506 words ] Chapter 303: Brenna sat on the edge of the narrow cot. The mattress dipped under her weight. Her hands trembled violently as she offered the paper plate to Caroline. She begged Caroline to eat. Her voice was a fragile, broken whisper. She stated she

Chapter 302 [ 482 words ] Chapter 302: A cheap, untraceable burner phone sat on the desk. It suddenly vibrated violently, shattering the quiet elegance of the room. Cornelia snatched it up instantly. She pressed the cheap plastic to her ear. She demanded a status report in a hushed, harsh