Chapter 65

Chapter 65

MADDIE

I checked my watch for the third time while buttoning my coat. It was barely eight in the morning, and the cool Oakridge breeze was already rustling the trees outside my kitchen window. I grabbed my bag, reaching for my keys on the counter, ready to walk down to the daycare where I volunteered.

Before my hand could touch the brass keyring, my phone buzzed violently against the wood.

The screen flashed with a burner contact. Lizzie.

My chest tightened as I pressed the phone to my ear. "Lizzie? What’s going on?"

"Maddie, stop wherever you are," Lizzie’s voice came through, strained, rushed, and stripped of its usual calm composure. "Do not leave your house today. Stay inside."

My pulse spiked instantly, a cold wave of dread washing over me. "What? Why? Did something happen?"

"Hades knows about Oakridge," she whispered frantically. "He brought it up last night. I managed to redirect him—I lied and told him you’d never survive in a farm town and suggested Inverdoon instead—but he’s widening his search perimeter regardless. His men are already fanning out across rural districts."

I pressed a hand against my stomach, my knees suddenly feeling weak. "Oakridge? Lizzie, how did he get Oakridge?"

"It was just on a list of isolated towns his team flagged, but the point is it's on his radar now," she warned, taking a sharp breath. "He’s sending security details everywhere to check daycare registers, local bakeries, and municipal records. Maddie, please, just stay indoors today. Don't go anywhere public."

"Okay... okay. I'll stay inside," I breathed out, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "Thank you, Lizzie."

"Be careful. I'll call you if I hear anything else."

The line went dead. I stood frozen in the middle of my small kitchen, the silence in the room suddenly feeling heavy and suffocating. Three days of peace, and the shadows of my past were already catching up to me.

I took a deep, shaky breath and dialed Annie, the owner of the local daycare.

"Hi, Maddie! Are you on your way?" Annie greeted cheerfully when she picked up.

"Hi, Annie. I'm so sorry, but something came up at home," I said, forcing my voice to sound smooth and natural. "I have a few important errands to run this morning, so I might only be able to come in after lunch. Is that alright?"

"Oh, don't worry about it at all, sweetie! Take your time. See you after lunch!"

"Thanks, Annie. See you later."

I hung up and spent the entire morning pacing back and forth in my living room, checking through the curtain blinds every ten minutes. Every passing vehicle, every engine noise on the street made my blood run cold. But as the hours dragged on without any sign of trouble, the quiet stillness of the town slowly settled my frayed nerves.

By one in the afternoon, I convinced myself that it was safe enough to step out. If Hades' team was focused on Inverdoon, Oakridge was just a needle in a haystack.

When I reached the daycare, the courtyard was unusually quiet. The children were inside having their afternoon quiet time. But as soon as I pushed the front door open, Annie rushed over from behind the front desk, her face pale and her eyes wide with uncharacteristic anxiety.

"Maddie! Thank goodness you're here," she breathed out, grabbing my forearm and pulling me toward her small office.

My stomach dropped. "Annie? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Men in black suits, Maddie," she whispered, looking over her shoulder as if someone were watching us. "Two hours ago. A group of scary-looking security men came around together with someone from the local city government. They were going door-to-door, asking all the local businesses and offices if we had any new residents or employees."

I felt the blood drain entirely from my face. I gripped the edge of her desk to steady myself. "What... what were they asking?"

"They were asking if anyone matching a certain description had signed up for town utility applications or registered any new dependents at the daycare recently," Annie said, shaking her head. "They didn't even drop a name or show a photo—they were being so secretive and cold about it. Just asking if there were any new women in town who moved in over the last couple of weeks."

My heart pounded against my ribs. Hades was being cautious—using vague descriptions so as not to tip off the town or leak information to the local authorities.

"What did you tell them?" my voice trembled slightly, though I tried desperately to hide it.

"Well, everyone in town knows how close-knit we are," Annie added, her tone turning protective. "We don't like corporate suits coming in here acting like they own the place. So we all just told them no. We said we haven't had any newcomers and that everyone here has lived in Oakridge for years. They left about thirty minutes ago to head toward the county line."

"I... I see," I managed to say, forcing a faint, grateful smile. "That sounds terrifying, Annie. Good thing you didn't get involved with whatever trouble they were tracking."

"Right? To have men like that hunting around quiet districts..." Annie sighed, patting my hand gently. "Anyway, I'm just glad you weren't here when they came. It would have startled you."

I spent the rest of the afternoon in a complete blur, my mind racing in a million directions. Hades was close. He was so close his men were asking about new residents in the very building where I stood. If I hadn't changed my routine today, if Lizzie hadn't called...

By four in the afternoon, the sky turned a dark, moody gray, threatening rain. I stepped out of the daycare, my hands trembling as I wrapped my coat tighter around myself.

A familiar blue pickup truck pulled up slowly along the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Julian’s warm, handsome face.

"Hey," Julian said softly, giving me a gentle smile. "Looks like it's about to pour. Let me give you a ride home."

Normally, I would have politely declined to keep my distance, but today, feeling so exposed and terrified, his presence felt like an anchor in a storm.

"Okay," I agreed softly, walking around to the passenger side and climbing in.

The interior of his truck smelled faintly of pine wood, old leather, and his clean, subtle cologne. As he pulled into the road, the first drops of rain began to splatter against the windshield.

"You look pale today, Sofia," Julian remarked quietly, his eyes flicking to me before focusing back on the road. "Everything okay at work?"

"Just... tired," I lied smoothly, staring out at the passing trees. "It was a busy afternoon."

Silence settled between us, warm and comfortable, yet laced with an undeniable tension. Julian drove slowly, easing the truck through the winding backroads of Oakridge.

"You know," Julian spoke up, his tone careful, almost gentle, "you've been in town for a while now, but I realize I barely know anything about where you came from. You keep your past locked up pretty tight."

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. "There isn't much to tell, Julian. My past was pretty plain."

"Plain?" He let out a low, soft chuckle, turning onto the long stretch toward Willow Lane. "I don't buy that for a second. A woman like you doesn't just end up in a town like Oakridge by accident. You carry a lot of history in your eyes, Sofia."

He paused, glancing at me with a look so intense, so perceptive, that it made my breath catch in my throat.

"Did you leave someone behind?" he asked quietly. "A boyfriend? An ex-husband?"

The mention of an ex-husband sent a cold shiver down my spine, bringing back immediate images of Hades—his dark, possessive eyes, his relentless grip on my life, his dangerous promise that I belonged to him.

"No," I lied again, keeping my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "There’s no one like that. Just a bad chapter I decided to close for good."

Julian slowed the truck down, pulling up right in front of my cottage. He didn't turn off the engine, but he turned his entire body to face me. The rain was pouring heavily now, drumming against the roof of the cab, isolating the two of us in a small, intimate world.

"A bad chapter," Julian repeated softly, his dark eyes searching my face with deep sincerity. "Well... if anyone ever tries to open that chapter back up, or if anyone ever makes you feel unsafe..." He reached out, his large, warm hand covering mine gently where it rested on my lap. "You're not alone here, Sofia. You have people in Oakridge who care about keeping you safe. I care."

The warmth of his touch sent a flutter through my chest, a stark contrast to the terrifying coldness of Hades' memory. For a second, looking into Julian's honest, protective eyes, I almost wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to spill the truth about who I was, who was hunting me, and how dangerous my world really was.

"Thank you, Julian," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion as I looked back at him. "That... that means more to me than you know."

He squeezed my hand gently before letting go, offering a soft, reassuring smile. "Get inside before you catch a cold."

I gave him a final nod, grabbed my bag, and hurried out of the truck and up to my porch, the rain falling heavily all around us.