Chapter 1624

[ 622 words ]

The heiress’s emotional intelligence was practically in the negatives tonight. No wonder Reid had her completely wrapped around his finger.

She had gone from fiercely resisting him to basically following his every command.

“I’m not staying,” Dane said smoothly, shooting Reid a knowing look.

Using me as an excuse to get your girl alone? Nice try.

Reid sighed in defeat. “Fine. You girls have fun. We’ll head out.”

“I’ll be staying nearby tonight. Call me if you need anything.”

In truth, Reid hadn’t been trying to drag Zara off for anything nefarious.

He was genuinely worried about her safety.

Claire had literally been kidnapped recently.

Rumor had it one of the assailants got away. Who knew if they were planning to strike again?

He just wanted to make sure Zara was out of the crossfire.

Paradoxically, Claire’s apartment was probably the safest fortress in the city.

Hillary Harding had recovered here, and while the apartment itself was empty of security, Claire’s lethal bodyguards lived right next door.

Rory and Jace James were stationed in the adjacent unit.

They monitored every sound and shadow with hawkish intensity.

If any threats approached, they would neutralize them instantly.

With hidden cameras blanketing the hallways and windows, sneaking into Claire’s home undetected was entirely impossible.

So, she was perfectly safe.

Yanis left with the other two men, and the trio considerately hauled out all the party trash on their way out.

Dane had even thrown on an apron and wiped down the dining table before leaving. Claire had felt a bit guilty watching him work.

“You don’t have to do that. I can just hire a cleaning crew tomorrow,” she had told him.

Neither of them was strapped for cash. If a problem could be solved by swiping a credit card, there was no point in sweating over it.

Mary had raised her well; Claire certainly hadn’t grown up penny-pinching.

“I’m just clearing the table so I can order you girls breakfast tomorrow,” Dane had replied easily.

It was late, and since they all had early classes, they would definitely forget to eat. Claire thought Dane was incredibly thoughtful. Were all ruthless corporate titans secretly this domestic?

No wonder he was capable of running such a massive empire.

“Okay, okay, thank you!” Claire smiled brightly, walking him to the door.

“Go back inside. Get some sleep,” Dane instructed, not wanting her to stress. Stress caused wrinkles, after all.

But Claire’s restful night was brutally interrupted just two hours later by a blaring phone.

It was Hanson Patton.

“Claire, I’m so sorry to wake you,” his grim voice crackled through the speaker.

The tension in his tone sent a jolt of adrenaline straight to her brain.

“Hanson. Calling me at this hour-did Hillary’s condition crash?”

I.ne

Hillary had plummeted from a fatal height during her mission. Even though she’d used her target to cushion thè fall, the impact had shattered her.

She had been rushed to the military wing of the hospital, where Dr. Tandy himself performed the emergency surgery.

But her post-op recovery had been a nightmare. She had never left the ICU, and just moments ago, her vitals had begun plummeting.

Hanson was terrified she wasn’t going to make it through the night.

Dr. Tandy had urgently requested Dr. Sterling Senior’s expertise. Unfortunately, the old master was out of the country.

With his first choice gone, Dr. Tandy immediately recommended Claire Hanson was stunned to learn that Claffe was already highly respected by the elite medical staff.

“Dr. Tandy said you might be her only hope. That’s why I’m calling.”

Claire was already throwing on her clothes while holding the phone to her ear.

She had tried checking on Hillary’s status earlier, but given the

classified nature of her militare

ything was heavily redacted

unit

All she knew was that Dr. Tandy was the lead surgeon, so she had naturally

assumed Hillary was in the clear.

Dr. Tandy was a legend. His reputation as a master surgeon wasn’t just for show.

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