Chapter 206

Without warning , they were forced into a close embrace , leaving both Owen and Aria momentarily stunned ,
Owen’s warm breath brushed past Aria’s ear , and she realized she could actually hear a heartbeat that wasn’thers- it was pounding from ev
Aria pressed her lips together , then pushed him away . “ My hair’s caught , stop moving . ”
“ Okay . ” Owen forced down the wild pounding in his chest , trying to steady himself . Something was definitely off with him tonight .
Her hair had gotten tangled around the button of his coat .
Aria spent a good ten seconds trying to untangle it before she lost patience , grabbing her hair and getting ready to yank it free .
But just as she moved , her fist was caught in his hand . Warmth spread from his palm to hers .
“ Let me , ” Owen said gently .
A flicker of something strange crossed Aria’s mind , but she let go . “ Fine . ”
Owen quickly freed her hair . Aria stepped out of the car , instantly sensing a threatening presence in the air .
Owen followed , leaning close to her ear . “ They’re coming . ”
They strolled to the trunk and pretended to rummage for something . The next moment , the cold barrel of a gun pressed against them .
“ Hands up . Don’t move , ” a man barked .
They’d never met Hudson before , but both recognized him instantly . A flashlight beam slashed across their faces , making them squint .
“ It’s them , Hudson , ” Isaias said .
Hudson nodded . “ Search them . ”
Owen switched to Erenolanian . “ How much do you want ? ”
Hudson’s lips curled into a cold sneer . “ You two are worth ten billion dollars , you know . ” His gaze landed on Aria . “ Search her – especially her . ”
Owen stepped in front of Aria . “ Search me if you must , but not her .”
Hudson shoved the muzzle of his gun against Owen’s temple . He spat , “ Move , or I’ll blow your head off . ”
Owen didn’t budge .
Aria bent down , pulled out the two knives she’d hidden , and tossed them to the ground . “ Try anything and I guarantee you’ll walk away with nothing . You’ve tracked me all the way here , risking everything to sneak into Huthailia . Are you really ready to walk away empty – handed ? ”
One of the men picked up the knives and looked to Hudson for guidance .
Hudson lowered his weapon , his smile dark . “ Guess I underestimated you two . Didn’t expect to see such true love . Take them .”
As they were marched along , Aria suddenly felt Owen’s hand grip hers , heat surging through her palm .
She tried to pull away , but he held on , his gaze steady and unreadable . He was still playing the role .
But they were supposed to be “ lovers , ” not a real couple – was this really necessary ?
She didn’t fight it any further .
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206
They were led at the front , deliberately avoiding the traps sel along the way Twenty minutes later they amber at the s
Hand over your phones .
Owen and Aria surrendered their phones . The man in the yellow bandana immediately started working on them “ Hudson , give me hall a transfer their assets . ”
Meanwhile , at the police station , Allen stood with a radio in hand , eyes glued to the screens as three tech specialists sat at attention
“ It’s started , ” someone muttered as the clatter of keyboards filled the room .
Fryderyk’s voice crackled over the radio . “ Strike team in position . Weapons checked . ”
“ Snipers ready . ”
In a clearing , a young man lounged lazily atop a stone slab . “ We’re ready too . ”
Allen let out a small breath of relief , then turned to the tech team . “ Catching them is only part of the mission . The real key is identifying who’s receiving the money . ”