Chapter 546 A Life-and-Death Escape
"Without you, I can't get better." Darian gently kissed her lips. "Stop overthinking."
"Got it. So, are you still mad?"Cecily asked.
"Yes. You even cried at proposal, were you moved by what Evander said?"
Cecily's eyes darted around, "Yeah, those sincere and touching words, it's the first time a man has said that to me. How could I not be moved to tears?"
Darian's slightly softened expression turned cold again, "Did you really like hearing it?"
Cecily nodded, "Yeah, I did."
Darian's eyes darkened, and he moved closer with a dominant air, "When we get home, I'll say it to you over and over until you get tired of hearing it, okay?"
Cecily was a bit scared. "You're so harsh. If you're this mean now, imagine how much you'll scold me once we're remarried. Maybe I should just forget about this ring."
She made a move to take off the diamond ring from her finger.
Darian's expression hardened, and he grabbed her hand. "When was I harsh with you?"
"You were definitely harsh just now, Mr. Thompson. Didn't you see?" Cecily shot back.
Larkin's lips twitched. He wasn't sure how to handle this.
Cecily pushed Darian away. "Forget it. I don't want to deal with you right now. I'm heading home before you scold me more." With that, she turned to leave.
"Was I harsh with her?" Darian asked Larkin, looking puzzled.
Larkin was momentarily caught off guard but quickly gathered his thoughts. "If Mrs. Fitzgerald says you were harsh, then you must have been."
Darian gave Larkin an appreciative nod before rushing to catch up with Cecily.
Larkin shook his head, bemused. He thought, 'Love really does make men act strange.'
Darian caught up with Cecily and grabbed her arm. "Where are you going? Planning to walk home?"
"Why not? If my future husband is going to be like this, do you really think I'll ride with him?"
"I wouldn't dare be harsh with you."
"Oh, you're quite brave!"
"I'm sorry, Cecily."
Darian's voice carried a genuine note of remorse, and Cecily bit her lip to keep from laughing. "I can't forgive you."
Seeing her struggle to suppress a smile, Darian's face softened even more. "So, what will it take for you to forgive me?"
"Let me think. For tonight, I'm not forgiving you," Cecily said as she turned to walk away. Suddenly, Darian grabbed her arm, leaned in, and nipped at her lips.
"Are you a dog?" Cecily asked, pointing at her now red lips.
Darian looked at the spot he had bitten, which was now tender and flushed.
"It really is red," he said, his eyes darkening slightly as he leaned in for another kiss.
Cecily pushed him away in irritation. "You bite me and then want to kiss me? Dream on."
Darian sighed with resignation. "Alright, no more kissing. How about you just come home with me? Do whatever you want."
He took Cecily's hand, and this time she didn't pull away. They walked hand in hand, enjoying the rare, pleasant evening breeze.
Just then, Cecily's phone rang with an urgent tone. It was Aurelie. Without hesitation, Cecily answered, "Aurelie?"
"Cecily, help me, help me, I..."
Cecily's brow furrowed immediately. "Where are you? What's going on?"
"I don't even know where I am…"
The line went dead.
"Aurelie! Aurelie?" Cecily's voice trembled with worry.
When he saw Cecily's hands shaking with anxiety, Darian's concern deepened. "What's wrong?"
"Aurelie's in danger. I'm not sure what's happened, but she's definitely in trouble." Her heart raced. Something terrible must have happened.
Darian said, "Don't panic. I'll have someone find her."
"Do you have Nathaniel's number?" Cecily asked urgently.
Darian dialed the number and handed the phone to Cecily. It was answered almost immediately.
Nathaniel's voice was slow and tinged with a hint of drunkenness. "What's up?"
"Aurelie's in trouble. She's pregnant with your child. If you don't want anything to happen to her or the baby, you need to find her right away," Cecily said, her voice trembling.
There was a brief silence on the other end before the call was abruptly disconnected.
Cecily quickly dialed Blaise for help.
Blaise's voice was indifferent. "I can help, but you'll need to name your next kid after me."
"Are you addicted to being called 'godfather' or something? My two sons already call you that, isn't that enough?" Cecily rubbed her forehead in frustration. "Fine, you can even be my father once we find her."
Hearing this, Darian's expression darkened. "What do you mean my two sons call him 'godfather'?"
Cecily glanced at Darian's suddenly cold face and felt a wave of pressure.
Meanwhile, Nathaniel called the apartment where Aurelie was supposed to be. "Has Aurelie returned?"
The apartment's housekeeper answered, "Mr. Kensington, Miss Miller has returned and is resting in her room."
"Are you sure?"
The housekeeper hesitated before replying, "I'm sure."
"Send me a photo of her right now."
"Mr. Kensington..."
"Now," Nathaniel's voice was icy.
"But, Mr. Kensington, Miss Miller locked the door after she came back. I can't get in."
"Can't get in, huh?" Nathaniel's voice turned dangerously cold.
"Yes, yes," the housekeeper stammered.
"I'll ask you one more time. Is she at home or not? Think carefully before you answer. If I find out you're lying, you know the consequences." Nathaniel's words were cold and menacing, striking fear into the housekeeper's heart.
The housekeeper trembled uncontrollably, her voice quivering. "Mr. Kensington, Miss Miller—she—she's not home. But Miss Lewis came by today. Everything I said was at her direction."
Nathaniel's patience snapped.
"Nathaniel, what's got you so worked up?" A nearby escort sidled up, offering him a glass of wine she had just poured. "Have another drink, let me serve you."
The escort's hand froze mid-air, and the glass fell to the floor with a crash.
Nathaniel's eyes were icy and dangerous, his expression menacing as if he could kill with a glance. He stood up abruptly and walked out, leaving the escort paralyzed with fear.
"Nathaniel, where are you going? We still have business to discuss. If you leave now, this project is done for." A businessman, surrounded by several women, voiced his displeasure at Nathaniel's abrupt departure and called after him.
Nathaniel didn't slow down, ignoring the man's complaints. His refusal to stay riled up the businessman further.
"Hey, what's with the attitude? He's got a nerve, acting all high and mighty after serving ten years for manslaughter. Who gave him the courage?"
A nearby man scoffed and added, "Don't let it get to you. If he wasn't born into the Kensington family, he wouldn't be worth a second glance. Why bother getting worked up over someone like him?"
"Just a castaway from the Kensington family," another chimed in. "If the Kensington family hadn't dumped him long ago, he wouldn't have spent so many years in prison."
"A castaway? But isn't he set to be engaged to Miss Lewis? The Lewis family is quite respectable, so the Kensington family must value him somewhat."
"Just a marriage tool. Do you really think Miss Lewis is something special?" "She's just a washed-up escort from overseas. No one in the circle thinks much of her. It's only out of respect for the Lewis family that anyone's marrying her. Without the alliance, no one would want her, and the Kensington family's other sons wouldn't touch her. Nathaniel's the only one left."
Meanwhile, Aurelie stumbled into a derelict building.
It was a desolate place, overgrown with weeds, and the wind howled through broken windows, creating eerie noises. The building loomed dark and foreboding, like a giant beast ready to devour everything.
She could hear hurried footsteps behind her.
They were closing in.
Aurelie ran for her life, ignoring everything, even the shoe that slipped off her foot. She dashed barefoot over the rubble-strewn ground, the sharp stones cutting into her soles and drawing blood.
"She must've gone that way."
More footsteps approached from the front.
Panic rising in her chest, Aurelie stumbled back a few steps, biting her lip in fear. Then she plunged into the depths of the dilapidated building, seeking refuge in a pitch-black corner. She curled up tightly, wrapping her arms around herself.
She thought, 'I can't let them catch me. Who can save me now?'
Footsteps echoed through the empty structure.
"She was just here. She must have gone further in. Miss Lewis said we have to find her. Keep looking—she won't escape this building."
"Yes, sir." A group of men fanned out, searching every inch of the crumbling edifice.
Aurelie trembled as she realized the "Miss Lewis" they were after was Lillian. Lillian was hell-bent on getting rid of the child growing inside her, and even if Nathaniel promised he'd help her keep it, it wouldn't make a difference. Lillian wouldn't stop until she was gone.
Aurelie had no idea if Nathaniel was aware of this situation, but she couldn't afford to dwell on that now. All she could do was pray that Cecily would find her soon; it was her only hope.
With each step drawing nearer, amidst her growing despair, all that remained was prayer.
Her heart raced, constricted in fear, breath held tight.
A flashlight beam darted into her hiding corner, but thankfully, it missed her. The man turned and left, still oblivious to her presence.
When the light moved away and the footsteps faded, she allowed herself a small sigh of relief.
"Found nothing? Do you think she slipped away?"
"No way. You're just not looking hard enough. Didn't you see the blood on the ground? Keep searching; she's still in here."
Aurelie knew she couldn't just sit in silence any longer. While they were talking, she bent down and spotted a window. Making her move, she prepared to climb through.
Biting her lip hard to keep from making a sound, she finally managed to pull herself through the window.
Once outside, there was no time to lose. She turned and sprinted away, seizing the moment while they were still searching inside the deteriorating building.
With every ounce of strength, she ran, her heart pounding as she prayed.
But just as she thought she was free, a hand shot out and seized her arm.
A rush of panic coursed through her, her skin prickling with dread.
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