A Widow's Poison, A Wife's Rebellion novel Chapter 1027

*Alive.*

It was a heavy word. For the past month, both she and Fairfax had essentially been walking on a razor's edge between life and death.

It was a reality Starla had never anticipated for her life. This constant, looming threat of violent death made the simple act of breathing feel incredibly fragile.

Slowly, Starla lowered her hand and moved to sit in the seat opposite him. She didn't look at him.

She fell into a deep silence.

Fairfax didn't push her. He simply gestured for Seymour and Romy to board with the bags, and the helicopter took off, leaving Sylvan Vale behind.

During her time in the valley, Fairfax had secretly arranged to give her the best living conditions possible, but the area was inherently rugged and isolated. Thankfully, Starla was resilient. She hadn't complained about the harsh environment once.

...

The moment Fairfax's helicopter cleared the airspace of Cyrus Sea, the intel reached Herbert.

Herbert's network had finally uncovered the identity behind the mysterious force that had been operating out of Cyrus Sea.

It was Fairfax.

Fairfax Yelchin was alive.

When Herbert read the report, his handsome face darkened into a terrifying mask of rage.

Standing nearby, Rudolf barely dared to breathe. He couldn't believe it either. "Fairfax Yelchin... he didn't die!"

Herbert remained deathly silent.

Fairfax had played them all. He had executed a flawless blindside against Licht. He had convinced the entire world he was dead, using the time to lie low, rebuild his strength, and wait for the perfect moment to strike. And his patience had paid off brilliantly.

Herbert's hands clenched into tight fists, his knuckles turning white.

"He was the one who went to pick up Starla," Rudolf added nervously.

Herbert's expression, already thunderous, turned absolutely lethal at the mention of Starla's name.

Knowing the severity of the punishment, Rudolf risked speaking up. "Sir... Amos had Romy and Seymour guarding her. With those two running interference, it would have been nearly impossible for our scouts to spot her."

Everyone in their world knew exactly how elite Romy and Seymour were. It wasn't entirely the scouts' fault they were outmaneuvered by Amos's top operatives.

Herbert slowly turned his head, leveling a freezing glare at his subordinate. He clearly did not appreciate the excuses.

"I'll make the arrangements immediately!" Rudolf backpedaled instantly, dropping the defense.

It was no use. The scouts had failed. They had covered too much ground and hadn't looked closely enough. They deserved the punishment.

Once Rudolf left the office, Herbert stood alone. He clipped the end off a cigar, lit it, and took a slow, deep drag.

Through the swirling blue smoke, the dangerous aura surrounding him only grew heavier.

"Sylvan Vale..."

He ground the words out, his jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ached. He had never imagined Fairfax would stash her in a hellhole like that.