Chapter 29
D
The car sped northward, the landscape changing as they crossed the third checkpoint. The soldiers uniforms here differed from those at the last post, signaling they had entered a new territory.
Up ahead, the lead vehicles rolled to a stop.
Jonas tightened his arm around Natalie, effortlessly lifting her from his lap and setting her beside him. His large hand rested briefly on her lower hack, a gesture that was somehow both calming and possessive.
Then, without a word, he began unloading the hidden arsenal from his person, tossing an assortment of weapons onto the seat beside him.
Outside, the world was a bleak wasteland. Everywhere Natalie looked, there were crumbling ruins–remnants of buildings that had clearly endured relentless bombing. There were no towering structures anymore, only makeshift shacks patched together with scraps.
Earlier, survival had been her only focus and she hadn’t seen any civilians, leaving little time to notice anything else.
But now, seeing the hollow–eyed civilians wandering among the rubble, their faces etched with sorrow or dulled by apathy, the sheer desolation hit her like a tidal wave. The scene was suffocating, a heavy weight pressing down on her chest
Born in the safety of a peaceful country, Natalie felt an unsettling disorientation. What year is it! Where am I! How did it come to this?
The questions swirled in her mind as she clenched her hands tightly on her lap. A sharp pang of longing coursed through her–she wanted to go home, to her own country, to the life she’d left behind.
“Natalie Jonas’s deep voice cut through her thoughts, jolting her back to the present.
artled, she turned toward him, meeting 1
ng his pi
piercing gaze. 1 His brows were slightly furrowed, his expression carrying a hint of impatience.
1–L.” she stammered anxiously, unable to form a coherent sentence under the weight of his scrutiny.
“What are you zoning out for?” Jonas bossed the last blade on him onto the pile of weapons beside him on the leather seat, his lips quirking upward as he raised a brow at her.
Natalie bit her lip, unwilling to admit she’d been homesick. Her gaze darted to the small arsenal accumulating on the seat–pistols, daggers, razor- sharp blades–and she quickly changed the subject. “Are we really going in there unarmed? Won’t it be dangerous!”
Jonas chuckled, his laughter low and rich, as if her wide–eyed concern was the most amusing thing he’d seen all day, “We’re here to confront them. sweetheart. It might get ugly. Do you think they’d let us walk in carrying weapons?”
Perhaps it was the sweetness of that earlier kis or her eager to please demeanor, but Jonas seemed uncharacteristically patient as he explained, “Even if we smuggled weapons past the gate, they’d just get searched and taken. And anything they’ve touched is too filthy to use. Id throw it out
anyway.
As he spoke, a new thought seemed to strike him. He leaned forward slightly, his enchanting blue eyes sparkling with mischief. The sudden shift in his posture made her heart skip a bear
“Which reminds me he drawled, his voice low and teasing. “Stay close to me, darling. If you fall into the trash heap, don’t expect me to fish you out. I don’t like picking up dirty things
Natalie nodded eagerly, her head bobbing up and down with urgency. Even if Jonas hadn’t said anything, she would’ve stuck to him like glue.
Myla unhooked the pistol from her hip, tossed it onto the front passenger seat, and stepped out of the car with a casual air.
“Let’s move” Jonas had already opened his door when a sudden thought made him pause. He turned sharply, his piercing blue gaze locking onto Natalie “Oh, right, sweetheart–what do you call me again?”
The question caught her completely of guard. Natalie blinked at him, her mind racing to
g to catch us
She felt far more at rase with Myla than she ever did with Jonas. She’d only ever addressed him as “sir“, and frankly, it gave him the impression she was talking to some grizzled old man.
Is she truly clueless, or is she playing dumb? Jonas mused darkly. For someone who knows how to latch onto power, she’s sure doing a lousy job of
“What?” Natalie froze. His abruptness sent her scrambling for an answer. It struck her then that she didn’t even know his name.
She then thought. But does that even matter? Once we reach the Northern District, I’ll bury my dad with my mom and leave Nocriudor forever. Ell
1/3
6x
D
Dreame–Read Romance…
Download
11:43 AM
G
Chapter 29
go back to my country and won’t see this man again, so what’s the point of knowing his name?
She pressed her slightly swollen lips together and shook her head, offering no reply.
ever so slightly as if signaling that his patience had
Jonas was clearly not satisfied with her response. His expression darkened, his head tilting ever so s officially run out.
Natalie hesitated, then whispered timidly, “Sir!”
A sharp laugh escaped him, equal parts amused and disdainful. Without another word, he swung out of the car, his strides eating up the distance in
an instant..
Panic gripped Natalie. She fumbled to follow, nearly forgetting to open her own door as she awkwardly slid across the seat, trying to catch up.
But before she could make it out, Jonas turned back with startling swillness. He crouched slightly, his arm snaking around her waist, and in one smooth motion, he scooped her up as if she weighed nothing.
Natalie gasped, her body stiffening as she instinctively struggled against his hold. But his arm was unyielding, a band of steel locking her securely against his chest. Her feet dangled helplessly, toes just brushing the air, leaving her off–balance and disoriented
She ulted her head back to look at him, her wide eyes meeting his teasing ones. “Then what should I call you?” she asked nervously.
He scoffed softly, “Aren’t you supposed to be madly in love with me, sweetheart You tell me. What do
you think you should call me?”
Natalie’s lips parted in realization. ‘Oh, so this is a show–playing the loving couple for the audience, huh?
Her beautiful eyes darted around nervously as she pieced it together. But before she could speak, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, spreading from her ears down her neck like wildfire
“D–darling,” she stammered, her voice so soft it was barely audible. She dropped her pure, utterly mortified, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as if anchoring herself against her own embarrassment. Is… is that okay?”
Jonas had only meant to tease her, but he hadn’t expected such a delightful surprise in retur.
The moment Natalie shyly untered that soft, hesitant “darling“, a rush of inexplicable satisfaction surged through him, as if something deep and primal in him had been stirred.
His gaze zeroed in on her lips, those delicate curves moving in hesitant uncertainty, and he found himself unconsciously grazing the tip of his tongue over his sharp canine tooth.
“W–what? Is that not okay?” Natalie finally broke the silence, her voice trembling with unease as the tilted her head to glance up at him
The second her eyes met his, her stomach plummeted. His gaze was dark and predatory, the kind of look a beast reserves for its prey just before
the strike.
“Oh, it’s fine,” he drawled, his voice languid but edged with a teasing bite. “But sweetheart, about that little hinted request of yours to kiss me- afraid I can’t fulfill it just yet”
I’m
“What?” Natalie’s eyes widened in confusion, her thoughts scrambling to make sense of his words. The serious glint in Jonas’s eyes made her wonder if she’d lost her mind and blurted something out without realizing it.
kiss him.
But no matter how the racked her brain, she couldn’t fathom any scenario–real or imaginary–where she would have volunteered to
Jonas’s lips curved into a devilish smirk. “What’s the matter? You don’t remember? Just now, with the way you called me so sweetly, staring at me with those deep, soulful eyes. Weren’t you practically begging for a kiss!”
It hit her like a freight train, and her mind exploded like a volcano erupting under intense pressure. Embarrassment burned through her so bercely it almost numbed her sense of indignation. How dare he twist such an already mortifying situation into something even worse?
“That’s not. Natalie clamped her lips shut, panic bubbling up inside her. She could already imagine him leaning in again, making good on his taunts. Desperate to stop him in his tracks, she raised her voice and called out decisively, “Darling”
Her voice rang out clear and sweet, tinged with a playful lilt that carried an unintended charm. Jonas froze for half a second, visibly caught off guard. The sugary endearment stirred something primal in him, his irritation mingling with a heat he didn’t entirely welcome.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Myla rolling her eyes so hard it was a wonder they didn’t get stuck. Jonas decided it was time to dial it back -any more of this and things might get out of hand.
He wasn’t exactly concerned about the wait, but he had no interest in providing a live demonstration of intimacy for an unwilling audience
2.3
Dreame–Read Romance…
Download
11:43 AM
Chapter 29
With that in mind, he loosened his arm around Natalie’s waist. She landed unsteadily, her knees wobbling as she regained her balance.
Jonas, meanwhile, reached into his pocket and fished out a crumpled wad of white fabric. With a casual flick of his wrist, he unraveled it, revealing a long, intricately patterned silk scarf adorned with delicate lace trim.
Natalie’s eyes darted to the scarf, her brow furrowing in confusion. She had no idea what he was planning.
3/3
