Chapter 255
Chapter 255
He didn’t get a chance to try.
Claire bolted.
She was out of her chair and through the café door in a blur panic etched across her face.
Rae surged forward instinctively, but Kieran was already on his feet, blocking her path with infuriating calm.
“Rae,” he said gently. “There’s no need for p>
She shoved past him hard enough that he staggered back.
“Don’t touch me,” she snarled. “You manipulative snake p>
“Rae,” he said with exaggerated innocence. “This is all a misunderstanding. Just let me p>
She pushed past him and ran from the cafe.
She burst out into the street, scanning desperately for Claire. She caught a glimpse
of blonde hair vanishing around a corner and ran, her lungs burning, her thoughts chaotic.
Claire was fast.
But fear made people sloppy.
Rae followed her through the crowd, down an alley, across a small square-and then she was gone.
Just gone.
Rae skidded to a halt, chest heaving, dread pooling low in her stomach.
She ran. She wouldn’t have done that if she were innocent. This was worse than Rae had ever imagined. She’d fled Moonstone.
Rae took off again, in the opposite direction. She didn’t stop moving until she reached Cassian’s office in the packhouse.
She didn’t knock. She was too frantic to bother with formallies or propriety. She just needed Cassian right now.
Cassian looked up from his desk as the door banged open, sartled, and immediately stiffened at the look on her face.
“What happened p>
“It’s Claire,” Rae said, voice shaking. “She’s spying for Kieran p>
The words hung between them, heavy and irrevocable.
Cassian stared at her, disbelief flooding his expression. “That’s not-Rae, that doesn’t make sense p>
He stood and quickly walked around the desk, coming to stand in front of her. He gently tripped her arms, just above the elbows. It wasn’t until he made contact that Raealized she was trembling.
“I saw them,” she said. “Together. She admitted it. She thinks Nolan is manipulating Ellie. That Kieran is the right choice for her. She’s been feeding Kieran information about Ellie to help him win her over. To manipulate
her p>
Cassian’s face drained of color.
“She fled,” Rae continued. “She knows I saw p>
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Chapter 255
+25 Bonus
He rubbed her arms slowly, his eyes fixed on hers as he absorbed her words.
Claire had been his friend since they were young. She’d supported him through Ellie’s disappearance. He’d trusted her to take care of his little sister, his nephews. He’d trusted her completely.
“She was my responsibility,” he said hoarsely. “I brought her into this. I vouched for her p>
Rae stepped closer, gripping his arm. “You didn’t know p>
“I should have,” he snapped, anger flaring briefly before collapsing into something hollow. “I trusted her p>
Rae’s chest ached at the raw hurt in his voice.
“She had access,” Cassian said quietly. “To Ellie. To information. To p>
“To the boys,” Rae finished.
The silence that followed was unbearable.
Claire could have told Kieran anything. She could have helped him get to Ellie, to the boys. She could have helped him work around security. If things had gone differently p>
It didn’t bear thinking about.
He felt sick to his stomach, but he knew that now wasn’t the time to fall apart. The damage was done; now all that he could do was try to manage the fallout.
Cassian straightened suddenly, resolve hardening. “I’m contacting Nolan p>
“Yes,” Rae said immediately. “He needs to know Kieran isn’t done.” Cassian pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly for a long moment.
“You were right,” he murmured. “About everything. Thank you for not listening to me. But don’t you ever go off by yourself like that again. If Kieran was a more violent person… if you’d seen something more damning p>
“I know,” Rae admitted softly.
She had been reckless. She could have been hurt, and she knew that Cassian wouldn’t forgive himself if that had happened.
“I can’t lose you,” Cassian whispered, his voice breaking with emotion.
“You won’t,” Rae promised, pulling him firmly against her Cassian let his head fall to her shoulder. She rubbed his back, trying to soothe him through the rare display of vulnerability.
Rae closed her eyes, leaning into him. The contact helped to ease the panic in her chest-but the sense of dread didn’t fade.
Because Claire wasn’t just gone.
She was running.
And wherever she was headed, the chaos that had been swirling around them all would follow.
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