A Woman Worth Billions Dated the Wrong Brother novel Chapter 457

He’s Not

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He’s Not

Amber POV

I was being corralled.

There was no other explanation for the way the SUVs had been moving. Every time I changed direction, other vehicle appeared somewhere ahead, forcing me toward a particular route. Whoever had organized this wasn’t simply trying to follow me. They were controlling my options, narrowing them down until I had nowhere lefto

Unfortunately for them, I wasn’t particularly fond of following other people’s plans.

“Jason, they’re trying to trap me,” I said, studying the black SUV positioned across the road ahead.

“I know. Emory is coordinating with the security team, but they’re still several minutes away. I need you to keep moving if you can do it safely.”

“Moving is exactly what I intend to do.”

“Amber, that SUV is blocking the road.”

“Yes, sweetheart. I can see that.”

“Then don’t try to drive through it.”

I almost laughed. “I wasn’t planning to.”

The road curved around the base of a mountain before descending toward the shopping district. On one side stood a concrete barrier, while the other was bordered by a steep, rocky embankment. The SUV had stopped diagonally across the available lanes, leaving barely enough room for a motorcycle to squeeze past.

I slowed slightly, studying the obstruction.

The driver had chosen his position well. Turning around would send me straight toward the other vehicles, and stopping would give them exactly what they wanted. There was no convenient side street, no open intersection, and certainly no friendly police officer waiting to help.

However, the rocky slope beside the road wasn’t completely vertical.

I looked at it again.

“Amber?” Jason asked.

“Hmm?”

“Why are you slowing down?”

“Calculating.”

“Calculating what?”

“Whether my car can do something very expensive.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Amber Asher, whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

I smiled faintly.

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He only used my full name when he was particularly concerned about my decisions.

Trust me.”

“I do trust you. That’s not the problem.”

I checked my mirrors. The SUVS behind me were closing in, and the one blocking the road remained stationary, I could make out two figures through its windshield, both watching my approaching car.

They expected me to brake.

Instead, I accelerated.

“Amber!”

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel and aimed toward the narrow space between the SUV and the rocky embankment.

The moment my front tires reached the slope, the car lurched violently.

For one terrifying second, I thought I had miscalculated.

The right side of the vehicle climbed the uneven rock, tilting the entire car at an angle that felt impossibly close to ninety degrees. My seat belt dug into my shoulder, and everything inside the cabin shifted toward the driver’s side. The world outside my windshield seemed to rotate as the SUV’s roof passed frighteningly close to my window.

I held my breath.

There was a horrible scraping sound as the underside of my car struck the rocks.

Then the front tires cleared the obstruction.

The rear wheels followed, and suddenly the car dropped back toward the road.

All four tires slammed onto the cement with a tremendous impact.

The suspension groaned, the steering wheel jerked beneath my hands, and I fought to keep the vehicle straight as it bounced once before regaining its balance.

For several seconds, I couldn’t hear anything except my own heartbeat.

Then Jason started cursing.

I had never heard my husband use so many unpleasant words in such rapid succession.

“Amber! What the hell was that? The camera showed your car practically climbing the mountain! Are you hurt? Answer me!”

I took a breath, flexed my fingers around the steering wheel, and checked the dashboard for warning lights.

“I’m fine.”

“Fine? Amber, your car was almost on its side!”

“Almost being the important word.”

“That is not funny!”

“I wasn’t trying to be funny.”

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I glanced in the rearview mirror.

The black SUV was still blocking the road, and its occupants appeared to be struggling to turn around. They Had clearly not expected me to pass them that way.

I couldn’t blame them.

I hadn’t been entirely certain it would work either.

“Jason, there was no other way,” I said, my voice growing serious. “If I stopped, they would have surrounded me If I turned around, I would have driven straight toward the other three vehicles. I had one opening, and I ook it.”

“You could have rolled the car.”

“But I didn’t.”

“Amber-”

“Sweetheart, listen to me. I’m not going down without a fight. I value my life far too much for that, especially now that I have a husband and children waiting for me at home.”

The line went quiet.

I knew Jason was frightened. I could hear it beneath his anger, and I understood why. If our positions were reversed, I would probably be threatening to lock him inside the castle for the next six months.

“Just promise me you won’t do anything like that again,” he finally said.

“I promise not to do anything like that unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

“That is a terrible promise.”

“It’s the best you’re getting.”

He sighed.

“How’s the car?”

“Still moving.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Then perhaps you shouldn’t ask questions whose answers might upset you.”

“Amber.”

“There’s a suspicious noise coming from somewhere underneath it, but the steering feels normal. I’ll have someone inspect it when this is over.”

“You’re not driving that car another kilometer after we get you somewhere safe.”

“Agreed.”

I glanced toward the road ahead.

The shopping district was finally coming into view, with the mall’s enormous glass facade rising above the surrounding buildings. Cars moved through the nearby intersections, and pedestrians crowded the sidewalks. The sight of ordinary people going about their day was strangely reassuring.

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At least I wasn’t alone on an isolated mountain road anymore.

Yason, I’m approaching the mall.”

“I can see you. Emory has people moving toward the area.”

“How far away?”

“Several minutes. He’s trying to coordinate with local security without alerting whoever is following you

I frowned.

“Several minutes might be too long.”

“Amber, don’t stop moving.”

I looked toward the mall’s parking entrance.

The problem was that continuing to drive might no longer be my safest option.

Whoever was pursuing me had already demonstrated that they could predict my movements and position vehicles ahead of me. The mall had multiple parking entrances and exits, but if they knew the area as well as I suspected, those exits could already be blocked.

Worse, my car was unmistakable.

They didn’t need to see my face to recognize it.

“Jason, I think I need to get out of the car.”

“No.”

“You haven’t even heard my plan.”

“Because every plan you’ve made in the last ten minutes has taken years off my life.”

“Then this one might give you a few back.”

“Amber, explain.”

I turned into the mall’s parking entrance, taking a ticket from the automated machine before descending into the covered parking area.

“If I keep driving, they’ll continue tracking my car. They know what it looks like, and they’ve already tried to block the roads ahead of me. But if I leave the car here and go inside, they’ll have a much harder time finding me among hundreds of people.”

“Unless they have people inside the mall.”

“I know.”

“Or someone watching the entrances.”

“I know that too.”

I drove slowly through the first parking level, searching for a suitable space.

“But I also know that sitting inside a damaged car while armed men surround the exits isn’t a particularly appealing option.”

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Jason didn’t respond immediately.

ould hear him typing again.

“Emory is sending people to the mall,” he said. “I’ll try to get access to the security cameras. Stay on the phone with me.”

“Wasn’t planning to hang up.”

“Don’t go anywhere isolated.”

“I won’t.”

“And Amber?”

“Yes?”

“Please, for once in your life, choose the least dangerous option.”

I smiled.

“I’ll do my best.”

I found an available parking space between two ordinary-looking cars near the elevator lobby. It wasn’t particularly close to the entrance, but that was precisely why I chose it. My vehicle would be less noticeable among the rows of parked cars, especially from the main driving lanes.

I pulled into the space, switched off the engine, and sat still for a moment.

My hands were shaking.

I stared at them in surprise.

Apparently, my body had finally decided to acknowledge everything that had happened during the last fifteen minutes.

“Amber?” Jason called.

“I’m here.”

“What’s happening?”

“I parked.”

“Where?”

“Between two cars, near the elevators on the lower parking level.”

“Good. Stay there for a moment. I’m trying to locate the nearest security personnel.”

I glanced toward the entrance to the parking level.

A black SUV rolled slowly past the opening.

My stomach dropped.

“Jason, I don’t think I have a moment.”

“What?”

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He’s Not

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“One of them just entered the parking area.”

Are you sure it’s the same vehicle?”

“No. But after everything that’s happened, I’m not interested in finding out.”

I grabbed my purse and checked that my phone was still connected to Jason. Then I opened the car door, epped out, and locked it behind me.

The sound of my heels echoed against the concrete floor.

I immediately regretted wearing them.

“Amber, what are you doing?” Jason asked.

“Leaving the car.”

“Where are you going?”

“Inside the mall.”

I hurried toward the elevator lobby, forcing myself not to run until I was out of sight of the main parking lanes.

There were two elevators, both currently occupied on upper floors.

Of course.

I pressed the call button repeatedly, as though doing so would somehow make them descend faster.

“Jason, can you see the elevators?”

“Not yet. I’m still working on the mall’s camera system.”

“Well, tell the elevators to hurry up.”

“Sweetheart, that’s not how elevators work.”

“I know. I’m expressing my dissatisfaction.”

A soft chime sounded.

The elevator doors opened.

I stepped inside and immediately pressed the button for the main shopping level.

Just as the doors began closing, I heard footsteps approaching from the parking area.

Fast footsteps.

I looked through the narrowing gap.

A man in a dark jacket had entered the elevator lobby.

He stopped when he saw me.

For one brief second, our eyes met.

Then he started running.

I pressed the close-door button again, knowing perfectly well that it wouldn’t make the elevator move any faster.

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Ho’s Not