Chapter 114 Keep Your Promise
Chapter 114 Keep Your Promise
ARDEN
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I woke up in cold sweat despite not having any nightmares. It just happened spontaneously. Normally, there would be some kind of stimulus. But for this, there wasn’t any.
My body had grown tired for the last couple of days, especially with the unending campaign. period. Honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way because I was doing it with Cade for the sake of Fenra.
However, seeing the recent polls, where Mr. Winters‘ rating had increased and Cade had decreased, made me a little bit uneasy. It seemed that the news about Bethany’s Viremia had shaken some of the voters‘ opinions.
Bethany hadn’t released a statement since. I have been texting her to say that everything was alright, but even then, she was quiet. I hoped she would visit soon. For some reason, I missed.
her.
I turned to my side, hoping to hold Cade’s hand, but I found that he wasn’t there. My brows slightly raised. I remembered him hugging me as I slept. However, he must have slipped away in the middle of the night to continue preparing for his campaign.
There were less than two weeks left, and with the latest polls shifting to Mr. Winters‘ favor, it wasn’t looking good for us. I let out a deep breath, feeling my heart squeeze a bit.
“You’re working so hard,” I whispered.
I stood and grabbed a thin blanket from the cabinet and made my way outside. I saw a faint. light coming from the study room, but the door was not completely closed. I walked slowly, taking a peek, not wanting to disturb his work.
However, the scene inside the room made my heart squeeze again. Cade was slumped on the hard table, a mountain of paperwork hovering above him. I sighed and shook my head, walking softly toward him and placing my hand over his hair.
I gently pushed it back to look at his face. His skin was still clear, and he
$ill looked more handsome than ever, but even then, his tiredness was very visible. His dark under eyes. appeared even darker than before; however, there was a soft curve to his lips. I smiled to myself and leaned down before placing a kiss on his forehead.
a
“Just a little bit more, Cade,” I whispered, hoping it would bring him comfort. His lip
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Chapter 114 Keep Your Promise
twitched, causing me to giggle. “You’re excited too, hum?”
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He didn’t answer, but the relaxing of his brows was enough. “I am, too,” I muttered. “Let’s win this together.”
With that. I placed the thin blanket over his body and smiled again when he snuggled into my touch. Like this, he didn’t seem like the intimidating, competent leader, but instead a pup that needed love.
I liked it that way. I hoped he leaned on me just a little bit more to ease his burdens.
I continued looking at him, unable to take my gaze away. The Moon Goddess really took her sweet time on him, hmm?
The smile on my lips faltered the moment my phone vibrated in my pocket.
I glanced down at Cade, still slumped peacefully against the desk, the blanket I had just draped over him slowly rising and falling with each breath. My fingers hesitated, thent reached into my sweater to grab the phone.
The screen glowed with a number I didn’t recognize.
I frowned.
“Hello?” I muttered, keeping my voice low.
There was silence.
Then came a voice I hadn’t expected to hear so directly.
“Are you alone?”
I froze where I stood, my body stiff as I instinctively turned my head back to Cade. There was no mistaking that voice.
Mr. Winters.
He sounded amused, like he already knew I wasn’t alone.
“Answer me.”
My lips parted, and the lie nearly slipped out. “Y-”
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“Don’t,” he snapped, cutting me off. “I know you, Arden Stone. You’re many things, but you’re not a good liar. Now, do me a favor and stop fooling yourself. Move to a place where you’re alone.”
My pulse pounded in my ears. I couldn’t figure out how he knew, but his certainty made my skin crawl.
I glanced down at Cade again and saw his brow twitch slightly. I quickly ran my hand through his hair. ruffling it gently. He exhaled and relaxed, just like I hoped.
“I’ll be back.” I told him silently, smiling when I saw his peaceful expression.
Then, I moved.
Quietly.
I slipped from the room and padded through the corridor, then turned the handle to the balcony. The cold met me like a slap, but I welcomed it. Maybe it would numb the sudden fear in my gut.
I pressed the phone to my ear again. “I’m alone now. What do you want?‘
There was silence on the line at first. Then, some rustling.
A low grunt and some sort of muffled sound followed. Along with that, I couldn’t shake off the fact that it sounded like Mr. Winters wasn’t alone. After a second, a cry, not too loud. broke through the noise.
“No…” I breathed, gripping the railing tight enough that my knuckles turned white.
That voice–however faint, however distorted through the receiver–belonged to someone I
knew.
“Tessa,” I whispered, horror blooming like wildfire in my chest. “No, that can’t be ”
“Now, Arden,” Winters said, almost gently. “I don’t need you lying to me. You lie, people get hurt. You understand that, right?”
“What the hell do you mean? What are you doing? Let her go!” My voice cracked.
More muffled sounds followed, and the sound of pain but trying to
muffle it with the best of their efforts made my omeone crying out in
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Chapter 114 Keep Your Promise
It was really Tessa.
No amount of disbelief could shield me from that truth. I knew her voice.
My chest ached, feeling like something had broken inside it.
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“Now you know what’s at stake,” Winters said. “I don’t need to explain myself further. So I
won’t.
Tell me where she is!” I demanded. “Let her go! She’s not a part of this war.”
He ignored me.
Instead, he calmly read out coordinates. I had to repeat them internally, shakily, to commit them to memory.
“Go there,” he said coldly. “Alone. No help. No Cade. No Bethany. No one. Otherwise…”
He let that hang in the air.
“She will perish.”
A lump rose in my throat.
“You know,” he went on casually, “I keep my word, Arden. I always keep my word.”
“Why are you doing this?” I whispered. “Why her?”
He chuckled. “Because she’s your weakness. Just like Bethany. Just like Cade. You think people don’t notice? You try to act brave and clever, but you’ve shown your hand too many.
times.”
“I honestly can’t touch the other two you’ve mentioned because of their influence, but this little woman. I can do anything I want with her.”
I was shaking now, the wind clawing at my hair and sleeves.
“I swear,” I said, “if you hurt her-
But then her voice pierced through again, faint but raw. “Arden, no! Don’t go! Please!”
I slapped a hand to my mouth to keep myself from sobbing.
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“Oh.” Winters murmured. “What a touching sight. You must really love your little friend. So dramatic, isn’t she?”
My vision blurred.
“Tessa…” I whispered.
“You want her to live?” he asked.
“You know I do.”
“Then go. But keep my conditions. No funny business, Arden. I have eyes and ears everywhere, and you wouldn’t want to try me.”
I breathed out slowly, my mind conflicted on what to do.
“Say it,” he said. “Say it, and we begin.”
I closed my eyes.
The wind howled.
And when I opened them again, I said the only thing I could.
“I’m going.”
There was a pause. I could practically feel his smile.
“Good girl.”
“Keep your promise,” I whispered, voice trembling. “Or I swear-
If you keep yours,” he said evenly, “then Tessa won’t die.”
Then the line went dead.
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