Chapter 10
Natalie’s wide eyes filled with shock as her mind raced. Why is he talking about curting my tongue again?”
Realizing she hadn’t introduced herself yet, she hurriedly spoke up. “My name is Natalie Reed. Thank you so much for rescuing
- mc.
Her voice trailed off as she stole a quick glance at Jonas. His expression remained stormy, etched with unmistakable displeasure, and it made her second–guess if she should even continue.
When Jonas’s cold, assessing gaze flicked toward her lips, Natalie felt a phantom pain at the back of her tongue, as though he might actually follow through on his earlier threat.
In a panic, she hastily added, “I was kidnapped from the airport. I’m here for summer break, visiting my grandfather in Nocriudor. He runs a hotel business in the Northern District.
di were chosen carefully, calculated to
She emphasized summer break on purpose, trying to paint herself as an ordinary, harmless student. Her words were seem as non–threatening as possible.
But as the last syllable left her lips, the atmosphere in the car took on an unmistakably tense and uneasy edge
Jonas was now watching her with a probing intensity that made her skin crawl. Even Myla, who seemed perpetually nonchalant, was sneaking side glances at her through the rearview mirror
Natalie’s hands fidgeted nervously at her sides, balling into small fists as a growing unease settled over her. ‘Did I say something wrong?” she thought, her pulse quickening.
“Northern District, huh?” Jonas echoed, his voice steeped in a meaning she couldn’t quite decipher.
Natalie hesitated, then nodded, her mind spinning. Does that mean they’re not headed that way?”
Scrambling to fill the awkward silence, she rushed to clarify, “If it’s out of your way, could you drop me off at the nearest embassy? I can leave my contact information, and and I compensate you for your trouble.”
Her voice wavered slightly as she
e continued, “If the embassy isn’t convenient either, maybe we can wait until there’s phone service, and I can call my grandfather to pick me up”
Right now, the atmosphere seemed peaceful. Her request was polite, almost timid, with just enough humility to sound sincere. The compensation she referred to, of course, was the money she’d hinted at earlier
She deliberately avoided mentioning Jonas Lawson’s name, thinking, “No point in poking the bear
At first, Natalie thought she’d handled it well–her tone measured, her words tactful. But with every additional word, the air inside the car seemed to thicken, growing heavier, darker.
Her chest tightened, her Engers trembling faintly in her lap as she pressed her lips together. A deep, gnawing anxiety crept over her, leaving her completely at a loss,
Myla caught Jonas’s amused expression out of the corner of her eye and, with a sly grin, decided to spell things out for him.. “Nocriudor has only Two Mastrarian embassies. One’s in the Northern District, and the other’s in the capital–back the way we came
The implication was clear. Whether Natalie wanted to see her grandfather or seek refuge at the Mastrarian embassy, her final destination would inevitably be the Northern District
Natalie, however, hadn’t quite grasped what was so amusing about this information, wondering to herself, What’s making these two look at me like
Jonas, with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, added in a languid tone, “Convenient, isn’t it‘ We’re heading to the Northern District ourselves. If any outsider learns about this confidential info, they’d get..
He trailed off without saying the word executed, raising his hand in a deliberate motion, forming a gun with his fingers.
Seeing how terrified the trembling Natalie was, he paused for a moment, his eyes glinting with mischief as if relishing the suspense, then mimed pulling the trigger and whispered with a wicked smile. “Bang”
He comminued, “So, it seems it must be, how do you say in Mastrarian?” He tapped his chin with exaggerated deliberation before throwing out a word with a deliberately uncertain lilt. “Fate, huh?”
Jonas was deliberately playing up his lack of fluency in Mastrarian to tease and unsettle Natalie.
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Chapter 10
Natalie froze, her mind a swirl of confusion and rising panic, her eyes welling up.
From the breadcrumbs of information she had pieced together, a disturbing picture was forming in her head. They must be on some kind of
secret mission
And everything that’s happened to me so far–getting kidnapped at the airport, those bandits conveniently crashing into their car with me unharmed, the mention of Jonas Lawson, who just so happens to be this man’s enemy, and now my only viable destination being the same as their…
Tall feels way
y too coincidental. Like some elaborate scheme I’ve carefully orchestrated
Natalie instinctively shook her head, desperate to disprove the web of assumptions surely weaving itself in Jonas’s mind. But she had nothing. No ID to prove her innocence. No phone signal to contact the embassy and ask them to vouch for her.
And even if they reached a signal area, these two clearly wouldn’t let her make contact with the outside world while they were on some covert mission.
The only chance she had was to follow them to the Northern District, where–hopefully–the truth would come to light.
She forced herself to appear calm, locking eyes with Jonas, whose deep, penetrating gaze seemed to strip away every ounce of composure she had left.
Summoning the courage she harrly possessed, she mentioned the one name she was desperate to avoid but that had saved her twice. “Once we get to the Northern District and meet Jooss, everything will be proven to be just a coincidence.
“After all, he wouldn’t let his fiancée be in any real danger”
Myla, her face as unreadable as ever, visibly stiffened at the mention and her eyes widened. This girl’s got guts, I’ll give her that. Did she really just use Jonas Lawson’s name to threaten Jonas Lawson himself? What kind of lunacy is this?”
A faint doubt crept into Myla’s mind as her thoughts span wildly. Could there possibly be another Jonas Lawson in Nocriudor who’s as infamous and terrifying! Or is she truly this clueless!
Jonas, of course, had heard the empty threat for what it was.
To any other insurgent in Noeriudor, the mention of his name might have been an effective deterrent. But Natalie, with all the unintentional hilarity of a lamb trying to stare down a wolf, had just attempted to intimidate him–the very man she was invoking.
The absurdity of it all had him laughing again, a rich, deep chuckle that shook his chest. He leaned back slightly, his posture lazy yet predatory, his sharp eyes fixed on Natalie. Her body, trembling ever so slightly, betrayed her nerves, though she still put on a brave front..
He nodded slowly, as if humoring her, and Natalie, catching this, exhaled a small sigh of relief
But just as she allowed herself that brief moment of reprieve, his voice cur through the tension. “Hmm, you’ve got a point. It’s a good reminder, really. Our little partnership isn’t over yet.”
Has tone was casual, almost teasing. “So, for the next few days, we’ll need to engage in some intimate collaboration, Can’t afford to seem like strangers, now can wet Otherwise, how will we ever rile up that fance of yours with the arranged marriage?”
Jonas had an undeniable allure, the kind of magnetism that made people pause, even if they knew better. He could do nothing–say nothing–and still exude an irresistible pull. But now, with that teasing smirk and the words “intimate collaboration which were laden with mischief, he was impossible to ignore.
Natalie, however, missed the subtext entirely. Her attention was hooked on the word “partnership“, her mind racing to keep up. The last thing she wanted was for him to change his mind about letting her tag aking. She nodded quickly, her obedience almost childlike, eager to move the conversation along.
Jonas, watching her reaction, thought to himself, “Well, well. The little spy isn’t even trying to put up a front anymore. She really plans to have a deep, intimate collaboration with me, doesn’t she?
He was just getting started, his mood decidedly playful, when Myla’s quiet voice interrupted, “Ross”
Jonas’s sharp gaze shifted immediately.
Outside, faint movement caught his attention. There were people–at least five of them, closing in
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