The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 373

Ethan’s first instinct was to pull Ramona into his arms, his movements so swift she barely had time to register what was happening.

“What’s wrong?” he demanded, his voice sharp with displeasure.

“There seems to be a problem with the tire, sir,” the driver reported immediately. “I think we have a flat.”

The bodyguards exchanged worried glances and quickly got out to inspect the tires. Before every trip, Ethan’s car underwent a rigorous inspection. A sudden flat tire on a well-maintained road was practically impossible.

Ethan’s eyes narrowed with a chilling coldness. Ramona immediately understood. “Was it those two men from before?”

“…”

The lead bodyguard reported back. “Mr. Jordon, it’s the right rear tire. The valve stem is gone. The cut is clean, looks like it was done with a professional tool.”

The air inside the car turned to ice. Ethan didn’t move, but his arms tightened around Ramona.

“Can you estimate when it happened?” His voice was devoid of emotion, each word sharp as a shard of ice.

“It must have been while we were parked. Someone tampered with it then,” the bodyguard captain admitted, his own voice strained. “It’s been four hours since we picked you and Mrs. Jordon up, so the tire has been leaking slowly this whole time. They must have calculated that we’d be on our way home… If we hadn’t been delayed just now, we would have lost control completely on the highway…”

The implication sent a shiver down everyone’s spine. A blowout on the highway would have been catastrophic. In a strange twist, the two men had inadvertently saved them.

But… was this a warning, or a reminder?

“Ethan, it looks like they’ve been watching us for a while…”

But Ramona’s heart was anything but calm.

Ethan never let go of her hand, keeping her protectively tucked against his side. “Are you scared?”

Her face was pale. Even in the dim light, he could feel the coldness of her cheek and sense her fear.

“You’re so calm. We almost got into a serious accident tonight…”

“Our car has a very high safety rating, and the protection in the back seat is even stronger. If we had crashed, I would have shielded you. I would have been your last line of defense. I would never let you get hurt.”

Ethan’s soft voice cut through her anxiety, his dark eyes filled with a deep, unwavering love. Anyone else might have said such things to be comforting, but Ramona knew Ethan meant every word with absolute sincerity.