NovelEnglishChapter 77
Instead, | calmly stepped back into my car and shut the door
gently. | pressed the lock button.Click.
| pulled my blindfold from the glove box and leaned the seat back. Carefully, | draped the blindfold across my
face but left a
sliver at the bottom so I could watch.
And | did.
He was still there-smoking, murmuring into the phone. His
posture was relaxed, but the tension in his eyes gave him away.
They kept sliding toward me, as if checking whether | was still
inside or had disappeared.
| remained motionless. Breathing shallow. Observing.
Eventually, he ended the call and walked to his car-an older
model with plates | didn’t recognize. He sat in the driver's seat,
reclined casually, and sipped from a paper cup.
And he didn’t leave.
He didn’t drive away.
He justsat there. In the vehicle directly across from mine. No
rush. No urgency. Just lingering.
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It wasn’t the only thing bothering me.
Three days ago, when | had left New York in the dead of night. | had noticed a car-smake, sdull gray-
behindfor longer than felt reasonable. | had chalked it up to paranoia.
Stress.
But now? Now | was certain.
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The fact that both of us had left the city at the same
timeandwere now returning on the sday, on the shighway, stopping at the sservice station?
That was no coincidence.
| stayed still for half an hour, barely breathing, muscles stiff
with tension as | lay across the backseat. Through the thin slit
between my fingers and the edge of the blindfold, | kept
watching him. The man hadn’t moved from his vehicle. He was
just... waiting. Still. Too still.
| already knew now that something was off. People didn’t linger
at rest stops for that long without a reason. My instincts kept
whispering that this wasn’t random-and Yve was alert too,
coiled insidelike a spring. Her low growl echoed in my chest,
silent to everyone else, but loud in my blood.
But | had no proof.
Even if | called the police, what would | say? That a man was
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parked legally at a rest stop and happened to glance in my direction more than once? They'd laughoff. Or
worse- report it. And the last thing | needed right now was to show up
on the news again with another scandal.
| sat up slowly, adjusted the blindfold to shield my eyes from the sun, and started the car with feigned
casualness. My fingers
trembled around the steering wheel.
In the rearview mirror, | saw the man’s car pull out moments
after | did. Sdistance. Srhythm. Not tailgating, but
keeping steady behind me, as if he’d done this before.
As if | was prey.
| merged back onto the highway, heart thudding the whole
time. Each mile felt longer than the last. Every t| glanced in
the rearview, he was there. Still. Always there.
It wasn’t until | passed the sign that welcomedback into the city that | finally dared to exhale. Duskhollow
Pines was close
now. My home. My safe corner.
| gripped the wheel tighter.
No matter what happened next, | just needed to reach the
garage.
When the dusky gold light of the streetlamps started dotting the sky, | took a sharp right turn-too sharp. Tires
screeched.
Chapter 27
The car behind slowed, but didn’t turn. | blew through a yellow
light, then another intersection, ignoring the horn that blared
behind me. | glanced into the mirror-he was gone.
| zigzagged through the
neighborhood until | reached then
gate. Entering the cide ith iery
fikigers Nifthlly rolled into the
underground garage of Duskhollow
Pines, pulled into my spot, The
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and turned off the engine.
Only when the silence closed in arounddid | allow myself to
slump over the steering wheel.
Gone. He was gone.
| whispered it aloud to reassure myself.
“He's not here.”
But Yve didn’t relax.
| grabbed my bag, exited the car, and
locked it three times just for good
measure. The hallyigy Belton’
Place Wak empty, Just the echo of my
shoes clicking on the floor. | tapped
Ava’s number as | walked, lifting the
phone to my ear. The content is on
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chapter there!
She answered after one ring.
“Liv? Where are you?”
“Home,” | said, letting out a breath. “Something weird happened.
Chapter 77
| think | was being followed all the way from Jersey!”
Ava'’s voice sharpened. “What? Are you inside?”
“Not yet,” | said. “I'm at the front door now. Unlocking it.”
She swore under her breath. “Don’t hang up. Stay on the line.
You wantto cover?”
“| don't know.” | kept my eyes flicking
left and right, | losthiif)THe Ednitent
GOREN NOTE, com! Read the latest
chapter there!
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Chapter 78
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