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Chapter 77
Was it Issac?
No, that made no sense. Even if he realized she’d escaped and guessed which direction she’d gone, how would he know she was hiding, on this specific,
unremarkable hillside?
It didn’t add up!
In a flash, she remembered the man who had called out to the car earlier.
Could it be him?
Maybe he’d been hiding nearby, saw her crawl out of the trunk and walk this way, then followed her?
The thought sent ice through her veins.
She crouched lower and pushed deeper into the vegetation. It was too dark to see clearly, and she didn’t dare use her phone’s flashlight. She stumbled blindly through the bushes like a panicked moth.
The footsteps behind her continued, growing closer.
Terrifying scenarios raced through Charlotte’s mind–being dragged into the woods in the middle of the night, assaulted and murdered, kidnapped and sold into trafficking, harvested for organs…
She should have stayed in the car.
No, that wouldn’t have helped either. Once Issac left, this person could have easily broken the window and attacked her there!
She moved faster.
Ignoring the pain in her leg completely.
A beam of light cut through the darkness. She vaguely heard someone calling her name, but fear had filled her ears with a buzzing sound, and her thundering heartbeat drowned out everything else…
“HELP!” she screamed.
Sensing someone right behind her, about to grab her, she leapt up and ran.
She sprinted uphill a short distance when suddenly something heavy circled her waist. Her feet left the ground as a long arm lifted her into the air.
“HELP! HELP! MURDER! HELP!” Charlotte shrieked, her legs kicking wildly in midair, landing several blows on her captor.
“…No one’s trying to kill you.”
The familiar, pleasant voice entered her ear at close range.
Like someone’s appearance or demeanor, voices were uniquely memorable–smooth, rich but not overly deep, with the clarity of spring water over snow. No matter what tone it used, it was always pleasant to hear.
Charlotte instantly went still.
She turned her head to look up. In the diffused light, a pale, handsome face appeared before her.
Her confusion deepened.
Anyone else showing up here wouldn’t have surprised her. Even a monster would have made more sense than… Zarek Weasley.
“Y–y–you…” she stammered, seemingly even more panicked.
“Shocked speechless?” Zarek asked. “Don’t recognize me?”
With his second utterance, reality finally sank in for Charlotte. Relief nearly brought tears to her eyes. “How are you here?”
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The Moment I Let Go My Uncle: Escaping the Forbidden Past.
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She knew he was being ridintos
But then again, her question had been dinkones too. Wiky a od te behera exet to true hers
Zarek propped one long leg on the slope and set the woman had been holding is the roses his fighting her as wide his armed from her waist to circle her shoulder. “I called your name. Why did you no
*…My ears were ringing, Charlotte answered Awwarly, ding on his bag as shefirarty as a integ
“Running so fast–aren’t you worried above reopening your wond?
No sooner had he mentioned it than she felt a burning nation in her ly
Damn it
Zarek could tell from her winding expresion “Charktte, are you deliberately trying to extend your fase di will
“How could you think that?” Charlotte protected.
“Then why didn’t you stay home where you bekong, instead of walking into an obvion tray? Zere’s expreston remated cool. After a pause, be added, “Maybe you should quit being my assistant and become my veterated ancestor instead. You certainly have the talent for ”
“…I’m sorry.”
Charlotte hung her head, thoroughly chastised
“Considering you were injured working for the company, I’ll rescue you this one more time,” Zarek sad. “But if something like this happens again. I’m not getting involved.”
Charlotte nodded repeatedly. “I understand, I understand. You’re so compassionate, CEO Weasley, practically a sant reincarnated. I born incense for you–I mean, I’ll work extra hard
Zarek: *…*
He considered dumping her down the hillside.
In the end, not only did he refrain from dumping her, he served as her human wheelchair, carrying her on his back down the slope.
Charlotte lay against his back, unsure where to put her hands.
Wrapping them around his neck seemed inappropriate.
After hesitating, she gently rested them on his shoulders… Those manga–style “double–door refrigerator” shoulders weren’t false advertising.
At the bottom of the hill, his car was parked by the roadside. He carried her to the passenger seat, then walked around to the driver’s side, got in, and started the engine.
He’d driven himself here…
As far as she could remember, he rarely drove himself. Usually it was Mr. Morgan driving, or Rex
Charlotte felt honored once again.
She texted Summer, letting her know she’d been rescued and was on her way back to the city.
Summer was naturally curious about who had saved her.
After all, she’d driven all the way to this godforsaken place. Who else would be out here in the middle of the night rescuing her friend?
She pulled over and texted back: Who rescued you?
Charlotte wanted to gloss over it, but not answering would seem…. like she had something to hide.
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The Moment I Let Go My Uncle: Escaping the Forbidden Past.
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What did she have to hide?!
Straightforwardly, she typed three words: Zarek Weasley.
Summer’s excitement on the other end was like a fangirl who’d just seen her ship sailing: WHAT?! WHAT’S HAPPENING? Zarek Weadey ressed you?! Isn’t that a bit beyond normal boss employee relations?!
Charlotte: It’s because I’m a valuable employee.
Summer: If you prove your value one more time, is he going to propose? With benefits like that, I might quit being a lawyer. Ask if he’s hiring not interested in you, I’ll eat my shoes!
Charlotte: I won’t let you eat anything so disgusting. Believe it or not, he’s just a genuinely good person who likes rescuing people. Besides, he’s not into women anymore.
Summer: …?
Charlotte ignored her string of question marks.
Looking at her last message, she felt a twinge of regret. Whether his preference for men was true or not, it was something he’d told her privately Spreading it around wasn’t right.
Zarek noticed her troubled expression. “Something wrong?”
Charlotte quickly shook her head. “No, nothing at all.”
She pressed the phone against her chest.
Zarek observed her guilty demeanor and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Meanwhile.
Issac returned with a bag of food to find the empty car and opened trunk. He threw the bag to the ground in frustration
Hadn’t she been in a wheelchair today, her leg injury still healing?
Little liar!
But even if she could walk, she couldn’t have gone far.
Suddenly, he thought about the dangers she might face–wild dogs or boars in the mountains, criminals on the road. Hadn’t there been a man walking past earlier? And she was so beautiful… Instantly, he was frantic with worry.
She must have gone in the opposite direction from him. He started running after her.
Even though… he’d been gone nearly fifty minutes.
As Issac ran down the road, Summer’s car approached from behind. With no streetlights, she nearly hit him, slamming on the brakes just in time.
She got out. “Are you trying to get yourself killed, running in the middle of the road at night-”
She fell silent when she recognized him.
Issac stared at Summer, one hand on her hip, momentarily stunned.
A second later, realization dawned. He rushed to open her passenger door, checked the empty seat, then the back seat. “Where’s Cha
“How should I know? I’m just passing through.”
“Cut the crap. Where is she?!”
“Mr. Wood, I honestly don’t know. I need to get home now. It’s eleven already, and I’ll be back after midnight. I have court in the morning.”
Summer yawned, looking exhausted.
She got back in her car.
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13- Doct
Chapter 77
To her surprise, Issac got in too, buckling his seatbelt with a stony face, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Summer was incredulous.Do you think this is your car and I’m your chauffeur? Get out!”
Lesar remained unmoved.
He sat with his arms crossed, like an ice sculpture.
Summer had no idea what to do with him.
She couldn’t physically remove him, and yelling wouldn’t help. She fastened her seatbelt. “Fine, fine. You don’t believe me? Then sit there and see for yourself whether I’m picking up your… ex–wife,”
The words “ex wife made Issac’s eyes flash with cold fury.
Summer felt a little afraid of him. She started the car and focused on driving.
After all, Charlotte had already been picked up. If he wanted to waste time in her car, so be it.
Twenty minutes later, she showed no signs of stopping, and Issac’s frown deepened.
Just then, Summer’s phone chimed with a message.
She had barely unlocked it with facial recognition when a pair of elegant hands snatched it away.
