The Unwavering Heart That Broke (Nathalie and Lance) novel Chapter 615

"Okay."

Nathalie nodded, her body giving out as she slid down the trunk of a tree. She was so exhausted she felt like she might pass out.

A river flowed just ahead of them, opening up their field of view. As the dawn light steadily brightened, they could finally see their surroundings clearly.

Nicol went scavenging for food.

Nathalie looked a wreck. Her hair was tangled, her face scratched by thorns, and sweat mixed with dirt coated her skin, leaving her filthy.

She simply sat on the grass, drank a few gulps from her water bottle, and pulled out a protein bar from her pack.

"Nicol, eat this."

Nicol turned around and looked surprised. "You brought rations?"

"Yeah," Nathalie nodded weakly. "I knew someone was tailing me, and I figured I couldn't start a fire in the jungle, so I bought a few."

Nicol took the bar, sat down beside her, and started eating.

The bar tasted awful, but it provided much-needed calories. Once she finished it, she closed her eyes.

"We can actually rest for a bit, right?"

Nicol nodded. "You sleep. I'll keep watch."

"Thanks, Nicol," Nathalie managed a faint, tired smile.

Nicol waved a hand. "Don't mention it. We're friends, aren't we?"

A rush of warmth flooded Nathalie's heart.

To have a friend treat her this well moved her deeply.

She had to survive. She couldn't drag Nicol down. Once they dealt with the tail on them, they would leave this place.

Sylvie Winter was pushing her into a corner, and she couldn't just keep running forever. She needed to take the offensive. When that moment came, whether she lived or died, she would know she fought her hardest.

Exhaustion completely took over. Her thoughts blurred into a chaotic mess, and within minutes, she fell fast asleep.

...

She should have talked to him.

She should have told him to his face that she was ready to let the past go and start over with him.

He had to find her and demand to know exactly what was going through her mind.

His earpiece chimed. He tapped it, his tone icy. "Speak."

"Boss, the suburban villa in Cabinda was raided. Felice James is gone." It was the security detail assigned to the property.

Lance's brows snapped together. "Who raided it?"

"I... I'm still looking into it. They hit us fast. They had a clear objective—they were exclusively after Felice," the guard stammered hesitantly.

"What about everyone else?" Lance demanded.

"Some are injured and unconscious, some are fine. Only Felice was taken," the guard reported.

"Understood. Handle the fallout. Get Bagot on this and have him find out exactly who did this," Lance ordered flatly before cutting the line.