Chapter 5
Matthew did not ask Elena to trust him.
That mattered.
He did not say you’re safe, because they both knew the road was still moving and the pursuing headlights were still there.
He did not say calm down, because calm had been demanded from her by people who planned to use her.
He did not say I’ll fix this, because fixing things usually meant deciding things for her.
Instead, he asked, “Can you tell me where they were taking you?”
Elena looked at the window.
The rain turned her reflection into a stranger.
“I don’t know the address.”
“House? Hotel? Private estate?”
“Private property. Outside the city. There were gates. Men at the door. My stepmother said I had to be grateful because he was paying enough to save everyone.”
Matthew’s eyes darkened.
“Everyone except you.”
She let out a broken breath.
“Yes.”
The driver glanced back once, then forward immediately.
“Sir, rear vehicle is dropping speed.”
Matthew did not relax.
“Because they’re thinking.”
“About?”
“How far they’re willing to follow.”
Elena looked behind them.
The pursuing SUV was still there, but farther back now, its headlights smeared by rain.
“What happens if they stop?”
Matthew’s jaw tightened.
“We keep moving.”
“And if they don’t?”
He looked at her.
“No one touches you.”
The exact words again.
Not everything will be fine.
Not you are safe forever.
Just no one touches you.
It was specific enough to believe for one minute.
Elena nodded, barely.
Her scratched ankles burned. Her cheek throbbed. Her fingers ached from clutching his coat.
Matthew noticed her hands.
“Are you injured anywhere else?”
She shook her head too quickly.
“Elena.”
The way he said her name made her look up.
Not soft.
Not demanding.
Serious.
“I don’t know.”
His expression shifted.
Not visibly to most people, maybe.
But she saw the anger bury itself deeper.
He reached toward a small compartment and pulled out a sealed medical packet.
He set it on the seat between them without touching her.
“For when you want it.”
She stared at it.
No one had asked what she wanted all night.
The SUV behind them suddenly accelerated again.
The driver spoke sharply.
“Sir.”
Matthew lifted his phone.
“Bring the rear wall in.”
Outside, two more headlights appeared behind the pursuers.
Elena’s pulse stopped.
May you like
Matthew had cars behind them too.
Read Chapter 6 👉 Because the pursuers were not only being blocked ahead; Matthew’s men had quietly surrounded them from behind.
