The Platonic Trap novel Chapter 74

The girl remained stubbornly silent.

Alistair lowered his gaze. For some inexplicable reason, his eyes fell directly onto his own cufflink.

Under the sharp overhead lights, the emerald gleamed with a brilliant intensity.

"Celia," Alistair began again, his tone completely calm but leaving absolutely no room for argument. "Tell me."

--

By the time Alistair arrived at the alley she described, he found her huddled against the dirty brick wall. The meager, flickering streetlamp barely outlined her fragile silhouette.

The sudden appearance of his aggressively luxurious, multimillion-dollar vehicle idling at the mouth of the alley immediately drew the stares of cautious pedestrians.

The man who stepped out of the driver's seat was a force of nature.

Carrying a tailored suit jacket over his arm, Alistair strode directly toward her.

The second she saw him, Celia's eyes welled with tears. Blinking her damp lashes, she slowly pushed herself up from the wall.

Alistair instantly locked onto the grotesque, bloody scrape running down her arm. The ruined white silk was torn to shreds, exposing her raw skin.

Frowning deeply, he stepped close and draped the heavy, warm jacket securely over her shoulders.

"Get in the car."

The alley was biting cold, and his first instinct was simply to get her out of the elements.

He turned to lead the way, only to feel a tiny tug on his sleeve.

"Uncle Alistair, my battery died. I had to borrow a charger from that nice lady over there just to call..."

Her voice was impossibly small, as if she were terrified of testing his patience.

"Oh, no, no, no! That's entirely unnecessary!" the woman waved her hands frantically, suddenly looking embarrassed. "To be honest, I thought she might be running a scam at first. She asked to use my phone and I refused, so I just let her rent a charger from the kiosk instead."

The woman looked genuinely guilty. "I shouldn't be so suspicious of people. You two clearly mean well. Put your money away!"

"Please take it, ma'am. Thank you so much for helping me. Without my phone, I honestly didn't know what I was going to do," Celia said softly.

Hearing her sweet gratitude, the woman chuckled warmly. She gently pulled a single bill from Alistair's stack. "One is more than enough! Now hurry up and get her to a doctor before that pretty skin scars!"

Alistair thanked her one last time, relenting on the rest of the cash, and carefully guided Celia to the passenger side.

Once Alistair was settled behind the wheel, the heavy doors sealed them into the quiet luxury of the cabin. The car purred to life, sliding smoothly toward the nearest elite hospital.

Throughout the drive, Alistair stared straight ahead, his hands firmly gripping the steering wheel. He didn't say a single word.

"Uncle Alistair..." Celia murmured softly, her tone cautious and incredibly gentle. "Are you angry with me?"