Love beyond the mask (Whitney) novel Chapter 319

Two hours earlier—

In the heart of Banyan City, within the dimly lit confines of the local police station's holding cells, the clock struck eleven, plunging the hallway into darkness save for the lone sentinel patrolling outside.

Amidst the hush, a shadow fell across the entrance, heralding the arrival of a figure cloaked from head to toe in black.

Jaxon, slumped at the corner desk, lifted his weary gaze. The newcomer, clad in a dark ensemble, strode in with a purposeful gait, face shrouded beneath a hat.

"Jaxon."

"Who are you?"

"Zane sent me. Time to get you out. Let's move."

Locked up for five interminable days, Jaxon's disheveled appearance belied the flicker of hope that now ignited within him.

The Bartels family and Elaine had kept their word.

He was right to believe that leverage meant safety.

Skeptical of Whitney's warnings, he now felt a surge of relief.

Quickly rising, Jaxon stretched, a hint of ease crossing his face. "How did Zane swing it with the cops?"

"Inside connections. Top secret. Once we're out, Elaine's arranging for you to skip the country."

The man in black led the way, a beacon of freedom to a desperate Jaxon.

Yet, as they progressed, the path seemed amiss. This was not the route to the station's main exit.

"This isn't right," Jaxon's voice tightened with suspicion.

The man turned, the moon casting a sinister half-light across his face, transforming him into a harbinger of doom.

That chilling smile...

Jaxon's heart sank. He had been too trusting of the Bartels, dismissing Whitney's cautionary advice.

Feeling a cold dread, he realized the Bartels intended to silence him permanently. After years at Elaine's beck and call, holding her darkest secrets, how could she betray him?

In a panic, Jaxon turned to flee.

"Wrong way, Jaxon," the man called out, eerily calm as he pursued.

Screaming for help proved futile; the corridors were eerily deserted.

It was all a setup.

Overpowered and fearing for his life, Jaxon found himself cornered against a dead-end wall.

"Why? I've done everything for the Bartels, been Elaine's right hand. I know too much for her to kill me!"

"Your overconfidence was your downfall, Jaxon. Your house has been cleared out by Zane."

A cold smirk crossed Jaxon's face. "You won't find the key evidence against Keegan there!"

His words hinted at a hidden failsafe.