chapter429

Lydia was curled up quietly on the big bed, looking just like a little princess of a cat, graceful and lazy. Her long hair spilled across the pillow like silk, soft and glossy, almost as if it was whispering its own gentle story.

Connor couldn't help himself. He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her smooth forehead, then carefully lifted her pajama sleeve to check on her. The moment he saw her arm, his heart clenched. Her skin, usually so soft and flawless, was covered in bruises. The edges were a pale purple, but toward the center, they turned dark, almost black. There were scrapes too, small cuts where the skin had broken and a thin line of red peeked through.

Seeing all this made Connor's chest ache with guilt. He always swore he'd protect her, but every time something happened, he wasn't there. What good were his promises if he couldn't keep her safe?

He checked her other arm, then her legs. More bruises. He didn't even need to look to know she had more injuries hidden under her clothes.

Connor got up, his eyes stormy with anger, and stepped out onto the balcony to make a call. He dialed Aiden's number and waited.

"Boss."

"How did the cleanup go?" Connor asked, his voice low.

"We finished up with the bodies on the mountain. We're just getting back to the base now, Aiden replied. With Jonas's help, they'd found the bodies and traces of the fight much faster than usual.

"Good. Make sure no one hears a word about what happened today. When you're back, figure out where they came from and find their headquarters. Fast.

"Yes, boss."

Connor hung up, still fuming. If they wanted peace, those criminals needed to be wiped out for good.

He put his phone away and headed back inside. As he reached the bed, he noticed Lydia's phone lighting up. Someone was calling her through a messaging app.

Not wanting to wake her, Connor moved quickly and picked up the phone. When he checked the screen, he saw it was Chris. Connor's face darkened even more. It was almost midnight. What was Chris doing calling Lydia at this hour? Was he looking for trouble?

He hesitated, then answered.

Chris had been waiting all day for Lydia to reply, so when she finally picked up, he blurted out, "Lydia! You finally answered! I was getting, worried: thought something happened to you since you didn't reply."

Chris was about to fly to France for an international racing competition and wanted

to make plans to meet up with her.

Connor cut him off. "Lydia's asleep. Don't call her again tonight."

Chris went silent. For a second, he thought he'd dialed the wrong number. He double-checked, but no, it was definitely Lydia's account.

"Wait, Connor... you're with Lydia?"

Connor answered with a quiet "Yeah. Whatever you need can wait until tomorrow."

"But I-"

"Just wait."

"...Okay."

Chris could barely stand the pressure from Connor and quickly ended the call. He remembered his grandfather saying that Connor was going to France to see Lydia, but he never thought things would move this fast. Itwas already late at night France, and Connor had just told him Lydia was sleeping. Sleeping... together? Chris couldn't help where his mind wandered.

The next morning, sunlight was just starting to filter into the room and

Lydia was still sleeping soundly

when someone knocked at the door. Connor still holding Lydia in his arms, snapped awake. The knocking, continued, steady and insistent, pulling him fully into the moment.

Was Blake about to walk in and check up on them? Connor felt a headache coming

on. What was he supposed to do now?