Chapter 65
Chapter 65 (Nell’s POV)
The morning sun crept in softly through the tall windows, lighting up the corners of the room with a warmth I hadn’t felt in weeks.
Alex was still asleep beside me, his arm loosely wrapped around my waist. His breathing was steady, his face softer than I’d ever seen it.
For a moment, I just lay there—watching him, listening to the sound of his heart under my cheek. After everything, after the dreams and the files and the fear, it felt surreal that we were here. Together.
But we couldn’t stay here forever.
And I had a family to go home to.
\---
I pulled myself out of bed gently, careful not to wake him. My feet touched the cool floor, and I padded across the room to the window, tugging the curtain aside.
Outside, a sleek black car was waiting near the steps—polished, gleaming in the morning light.
Two men in dark suits stood beside it, talking quietly into their earpieces. They looked like the type that didn’t blink unless ordered to.
Alex’s guards.
I’d almost forgotten.
He wasn’t just the boy from my dreams. Not just the man who held me through the worst night of my life.
He was powerful now.
Wealthy. Respected. Watched.
And yet, when he looked at me, it was like none of that mattered.
\---
By the time I’d washed my face and changed, Alex was sitting up, phone in hand, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Cancel the Berlin call,” he said into the receiver. “Tell them we’ll reschedule for next week. Family emergency.”
His eyes flicked up to me, softening when he saw I was awake.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” he added into the phone. “Just take care of it.”
He ended the call and tossed the phone aside.
“Sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “They don’t stop calling, even after near-death experiences.”
I smiled faintly. “They?”
“Board members. Lawyers. Clients. Half the world, apparently.”
I crossed the room slowly. “You really are... loaded, huh?”
He smirked. “You just figured that out?”
“No, I guess I just forgot. The dreams never showed the wealth. Just... us.”
He stood and reached for my hand.
“We can still have that. Us. Without the mess.”
I nodded, even if I didn’t fully believe it yet.
\---
We met Rick in the foyer an hour later.
He was pacing, holding two burner phones in one hand and a folder in the other.
“Tracker’s still scrambled,” he said, glancing at Alex. “But if you’re leaving today, I’d suggest you go in convoy and stay off your main routes.”
Alex nodded.
“I’ve already prepped the car,” he said. “Driver’s outside.”
Rick handed me one of the phones. “This one’s encrypted. You’ll only use it if something goes wrong.”
“Something like what?” I asked.
“Something like Reed showing up,” he said.
I swallowed hard.
Alex’s jaw clenched. “He’s not getting near her again.”
“I’ll do a full sweep before you leave,” Langston said from the top of the stairs, holding a laptop. “We’ve got two clean routes. Stick to them.”
Everything was happening fast—but somehow I felt safer than I had in days.
Alex’s world moved like a machine. He gave a single nod, and things were done. The driver appeared at the door, holding it open. The guards fanned out, eyes alert. A car phone inside the black BMW blinked silently, waiting for instructions.
This wasn’t just protection.
It was power.
And it was Alex’s.
\---
We packed in silence.
My bag was lighter than I remembered. Clothes, a few scattered notes, the file from Langston. That was it.
No real pieces of home.
Except one.
At the bottom of the bag, folded and worn, was a drawing.
It was from Chris.
Crayon lines. Blue sky. Me, him, and Mom standing under a tree. Dad in the background, always a little separate.
He’d slipped it into my bag weeks ago. Before everything.
Tears pricked my eyes as I ran my fingers over it.
“Chris,” I whispered.
Alex turned. “What is it?”
I showed him the drawing.
“He gave me this the night before I disappeared.”
Alex stared at it, then gently took it from my hands.
“They miss you,” he said.
“I know,” I whispered. “And I left without saying goodbye.”
“No,” he said, putting the drawing back in my bag. “You were taken. That’s different.”
I nodded, but the guilt didn’t leave me.
\---
When we stepped outside, the morning air was crisp.
The guards moved first, scanning the perimeter. One opened the door for me, nodding politely.
“Ma’am.”
I blinked.
Ma’am?
Was that... me?
Alex’s hand touched the small of my back. “They’ll treat you like royalty now,” he whispered with a smile. “Get used to it.”
“Do you always travel like this?”
“Only when people want to kill me.”
“Comforting.”
\---
We slipped into the backseat.
The driver shut the door and got into the front silently.
Rick leaned in through the window.
“If you see anything unusual, call me. If you get stopped, say nothing. And Nell…”
“Yeah?”
He hesitated.
“Be careful. You’re stronger than you know. But they’ll come for you again.”
I nodded.
Alex spoke firmly. “They’ll have to go through me.”
The window rolled up, and the car pulled away from the estate.
\---
The ride was smooth. Silent.
For a while, we didn’t speak.
Then Alex reached over and took my hand.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Not really. But I will be.”
He squeezed gently. “When we get there... if you want me to stay outside—”
“No,” I said immediately. “I want them to see you.”
He blinked. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I want them to know who pulled me back.”
His eyes softened, and he kissed my knuckles.
We drove on in silence after that, the city unfolding around us like a memory.
\---
Across town, in a room lit only by screens, a man watched the feed from a hidden camera mounted near the mansion gate.
Reed.
He didn’t blink. Didn’t speak.
Beside him, another man waited, silent.
Reed’s voice was low, almost thoughtful.
“She’s not just the prototype anymore.”
He leaned closer to the screen as the car disappeared down the road.
“She’s the key.”