Chapter 628:

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“Why is it always about Aidan?” He cut her off, and this time, his voice sank even lower. It scraped the edge of a whisper, but it landed like a blow. It was full of pressure, thick and stifling.

Before she could stop herself, she said, “You’re not Aidan?”

There was a pause. Then came the reply, soft and laced with pain. “How many times do I have to tell you, Nikki? I’m Aidy. Not Aidan.”

Her eyes went wide. She stared at the screen. Her mind turned blank. Her chest began to pound so hard it almost hurt. Thoughts scattered, slipping past her grip like dry leaves in the wind.

𝖱o𝗆𝖺𝗇с𝖾 𝗇𝘰v𝘦l𝘴 o𝗇 𝗴аln𝘰𝘃e𝗅𝗌.𝘤𝗈𝗆

Aidan’s other side had emerged again. Only this time, he made a call. She stared at the phone, unsure what to do next.

Aidy’s voice returned, quiet but heavy. “Why aren’t you by my side?”

Nicole blinked. Wasn’t it him who had claimed he had business? Why did he now sound so wounded?

His tone made it hard to ignore the sense that he believed he had been mistreated. What had triggered this sudden shift in his mood?

Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that. Aidy’s mind was too simple, too gentle. If danger came for him, he wouldn’t know how to guard himself.

She sat up in bed, panic starting to set in. “Aidy, where are you?”

His voice came through again. “Do you not care about me anymore?” The words sounded small and sad, like a child asking to be held.

She gritted her teeth. Trying to reason with him would get her nowhere. He probably didn’t even know who Leonel was.

She ended the call and immediately dialed Leonel instead.

Somewhere else, Leonel stirred. The ringtone hadn’t finished its second round when he scrambled to pull his phone out.

Still groggy, he checked the screen. The moment he saw Nicole’s name, he straightened up. “Hello, Mrs. Moore.”

She didn’t waste time. “Where’s Aidan?”

The question jolted him fully awake. Nicole never reached out like this without reason. If she was asking, something had gone wrong.

He jumped to his feet and moved toward the light switch. He pushed open the inner room door and glanced toward the bed. His breath caught. The bed was empty.

His voice pitched in alarm. “Mr. Moore is not here!”

Her stomach dropped. “What?!”

Leonel’s mind scrambled to recall the past two nights. “His mood hadn’t been right this evening. He locked himself in. I waited outside, didn’t go in. Just now I opened the door. He’s gone.”

Nicole didn’t hesitate. “Check the bed. Is it still warm?”

“I will.” Leonel’s shoes thudded as he crossed the room.

Nicole clutched the phone tighter. Her heart hammered. Every breath came sharp.

She didn’t know the full extent of Aidan’s enemies in Tachary, but each time she pictured the wound on his back, she felt ice slide through her veins.

That cut had been meant for his neck. It was only due to his skillful dodge that the blade struck his shoulder instead. If he’d gone out alone in that condition and crossed paths with someone just as brutal, would he still be alive?

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