Chapter 1553 The First is Raymond?
Clifton rested his chin on his hand, his gaze shifting from Raymond to Lawrence before finally settling on Selena, who sat quietly on the sofa.
Something felt off about the dynamic between these three, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
With Raymond's announcement that they'd move tonight, preparations needed to begin immediately.
Lawrence turned to Clifton. "You'll come with me. Watch yourself out there."
Clifton's lips curved into an amused smile. "Always do."
Raymond headed for the door, pausing only to carry Selena back to the bedroom so she could rest. She slept deeply, not stirring as he left.
The explosions jolted Selena awake that evening. She scrambled out of bed and rushed to the living room, finding it empty. Anxiety crept up her spine until she spotted a note by the light switch near the door.
It read: [Stay inside. I'll be back soon.]
Relief washed over her, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. It was the woman with the hat from next door.
"Selena? Are you awake?" The voice carried through the door.
When Selena opened it, she found the woman holding a steaming bowl of broth. "You probably haven't had dinner. You should eat something."
Selena invited her in, and they settled at the table. "Do you know Raymond?" Selena asked.
It seemed more than coincidental that the woman had disappeared after Raymond's arrival, only to return the moment he was gone.
The woman nodded, her gaze drifting toward the window. "I saw him at the underground fighting rings in Vistalia."
Selena's eyebrows rose. "Does he know you?"
"He might not know me by name, but he'd recognize my face." The woman's demeanor had shifted back to coldness as she leaned back in her chair, her slender fingers toying with a dangerously sharp dagger. One careless move would slice skin.
"I don't mean to intrude, Selena. I just felt a connection with you," she continued. "I came from the fighting pits, though not by choice. I was sold there as a slave, forced to battle beasts just to survive. In five years, I was only the second person to make it out alive."
She paused, glancing at Selena, uncertain whether to continue.
"And Raymond was the first?" Selena asked, her voice calm, her expression cool and composed.
The woman nodded, a flash of intensity crossing her eyes. "Yes. Since he was the first survivor, I followed news about him. I never expected the person you were looking for would be him. He probably wouldn't recognize me, but my face might seem familiar."
Selena nodded thoughtfully. She knew little about Raymond's time in the fighting pits, but becoming a leader there as a teenager must have required unimaginable suffering—suffering he'd never voluntarily share. Especially with someone he cared for. He always shouldered his burdens alone.
That's why she'd followed him here—worried he'd face danger and hide it from her again. Better to be in the same city with him than waiting helplessly back at the Smith family home.
Selena noticed a small gemstone bead strung on a red thread around the woman's wrist. Catching Selena's gaze, the woman smiled softly.
"Our parents gave these to my brother and me when we were born. Mine has his name carved into it; his has mine." Her typically cold demeanor melted when speaking of her brother, her features softening with tenderness.
"He was snatched from my hands. I chased after him, crying, but I had no idea it would be the last time I'd ever see him." Her voice grew distant. "Fifteen years ago, regulations weren't as strict. Child abductions weren't uncommon."
She seemed frozen in that moment—the day her brother was taken—never truly moving beyond it.
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