The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 249

The courtyard erupted with fierce barking, General’s voice deep and wild as he came bounding out of nowhere. The big dog circled Harris, teeth bared, growling low enough to make the ground seem to vibrate.

“Harris, let me go. If you don’t, General will seriously bite you,” Petty warned.

Harris just held her tighter, his jaw set. “Let him,” he said.

Petty winced. Harris could be impossibly stubborn sometimes. Before she could say anything else, she caught a flash of movement in the corner of her eye. General was lunging, ready to explode.

“General! Stop!” she shouted.

But then Franco appeared, striding straight past the dog. With one smooth motion, he grabbed Harris by the collar and yanked him back. Harris had lost weight recently. The struggle left him unsteady, and he nearly fell, just barely catching himself.

Petty’s eyes burned, on the edge of tears. She saw that same pain reflected in Harris’s face. Franco met their eyes with a cold smile, the kind that felt like a knife.

“What is it? So many things you want to share with your precious Harris?” Franco said, his voice like sleet.

Petty’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes turning red as she fought to hold it together.

Franco’s expression shifted. He clenched his fists, the knuckles popping. For a second, he seemed ready to step closer, but Petty quickly backed away, keeping her head low. A chill wind swept through the courtyard, and she felt all the color drain from her face.

Jay came out of the annex, pausing when he saw the scene. Three people stood tense in the yard, next to a Maybach with the door still open. Jay frowned, realizing the problem. Harris and Galen’s cars were allowed into Misty Vale freely. After Franco cut ties with Harris, no one thought to revoke that privilege. That’s how Harris had managed to show up. It was a security slip Jay should have caught.

Harris saw the defeated look on Petty’s face and walked toward her with purpose. “Petty, come with me,” he said, reaching for her arm.

Franco’s eyes narrowed at the sight of Harris touching her. His face grew even darker as he lifted his hand, and Petty’s stomach dropped.

Hidden guards materialized around them, silent but deadly. Franco was done being patient.

She felt crushed on the inside, all her sadness swirling together with that raw, sharp edge from Franco’s words. It was almost impossible to breathe.

Suddenly, Franco stepped in front of her, cutting off her path. His expression was icy, his thoughts dark and unreadable... but all he could think of was the way she had just shielded Harris.

His voice was low, heavy. “Don’t forget who took you from that ship, Petty.”

Petty looked up, a defiant spark flickering in her eyes. “Just because of what his father did, you think all of this is his responsibility too?”

As soon as she said it, the entire world seemed to freeze. Everyone in Misty Vale, even Jay, felt the weight of the old grudge between Franco and Petty’s family.

A dangerous, bitter chill flashed in Franco’s eyes, but the moment Petty met his gaze, he buried it deep.

All that was left was an emptiness that pressed down, cold and suffocating.