The Scorned Heiress's Hidden Empire (by Jade Quinn) novel Chapter 399

Chapter 399

In the darkness, Winter’s scalp prickled and her ears rang. She could hear the rush of her own blood and the pounding of her heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Her heart slammed hard against her ribs.

Just now, she had heard Gavin’s voice call Fabian “Boss Kane.”

Winter had looked into Fabian before. He had grown up near the border. Back then, the man in charge there was Bart. Fabian had been one of Bart’s men, and at the time, he hadn’t even had a real name.

Bart had called him Kane.

Later, after Bart died, Fabian gave himself the name Fabian Kane. By then, “Kane” had become a name known throughout the border factions, and everyone there called him Boss Kane out of fear and respect.

There was no doubt it was a title of respect.

So how could Gavin possibly address Fabian that way?

Gavin and Chris might look like employer and assistant, or employer and bodyguard, but their bond was more like brotherhood.

When Chris left the military and returned to Liono City, Gavin had already been by his side.

Winter had once asked Gavin about it. He had only told her briefly that when he was a mercenary, he had been seriously injured, and Chris had saved him.

Gavin would never betray Chris.

That voice couldn’t have been Gavin’s. It only sounded so much like him that she had almost mistaken it for him.

Then what about Skyla’s voice?

She had heard Fabian take a call saying Skyla had been rescued. It wasn’t strange

for Skyla to appear here.

The problem was, this mountain path was steep, and the woods were almost impossible to walk through. How had Skyla gotten up here?

Had the man whose voice sounded like Gavin’s carried her up?

Winter had no time to think about that now, because the rustling sounds were getting closer and closer, moving right toward her.

She held her breath and quietly stepped back.

One hand braced against a tree trunk, while her other hand reached behind her, feeling for another tree to use as support.

Slowly, she backed away.

She planted her shoes carefully on the ground. When she felt a dry branch sticking up beneath her foot, she immediately shifted away to avoid snapping it.

After taking two steps back, she reached behind her again, trying to find another tree trunk.

But suddenly, her fingertips touched something that wasn’t rough bark.

It was soft.

+25 Bonus

Fabric.

A shiver shot through her entire body. A cry almost escaped her throat, but she forced it back down.

The instant she pulled her hand away, a cold hand wrapped around her wrist like a snake and locked down tight.

Icy rain dripped from the branches overhead.

A breath drew closer. Damp and cold, it brushed against her ear. Then a light, ghostlike voice sounded beside her.

“Ms. Scott, you really are naughty.”

Winter’s ears buzzed.

Her body reacted faster than her mind. If she escaped only to be caught again, she would never get another chance. She struggled with everything she had, but Fabian’s grip was too strong. He pinned her against the tree trunk.

His cold breath poured into her ear again.

“When I was still just a foot soldier, I climbed more mountains like this than I can count. Trying to escape from me is nothing but wishful thinking.”

He leaned close to her ear and laughed softly, like a snake flicking its tongue.

Winter’s whole body went cold and stiff.

The rough tree bark scraped painfully against her ear, but she still refused to stop struggling. She lifted her foot and kicked at Fabian.

In the darkness, someone stepped on a dry branch.

Crack.

“Who’s there?” A cold shout rang out, followed by the sound of a gun being raised.

Fabian released Winter’s shoulder, but one hand still clamped around her wrist like a cuff. His voice remained calm, almost amused.

“Garrett, it’s me.”

Footsteps slowly approached.

A faint blue light gradually lit up the small patch of woods around them.

+25 Bonus

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