The scarred man threw a dismissive glance at Selina. "I don't want her anymore. I'll go with this," he said, rising to his feet.
Noah gave him a collaborative smile. "Have a nice day."
The scarred man said nothing more and left, his men trailing behind with their precious cargo in hand.
That usual amicable expression clinging to his face gradually melted into an intense stare, fixed on the retreating men until they disappeared from sight.
Through clenched teeth, Noah gave a hiss. "I promised myself not to get involved in dirty work, and here I am," he murmured, just beyond Selina's hearing, his voice tinged with self-reproach.
After remaining quiet the whole time, Selina finally pulled herself together once she felt safe from those scary men's absence. She felt her body heavy with gratitude toward this young man who saved her from a nightmare.
Just as her eyes remained on him, she could see the disappointment simmering beneath Noah's calm demeanor. She wondered who he was and how he knew she'd be in trouble for him to appear on time, out of nowhere, like a knight.
"Thank you, Mister," she whispered, her voice laced with deep gratitude.
Noah snapped his attention from the entrance to Selina. His amicable expression swiftly returned as he squinted at her. "How will you repay me for saving you?"
Selina remained silent for a while, choosing her words carefully. "How should I repay you, then?"
Noah's thin lips curled into a charming smile—one that could make a heart flutter. But Selina's heart was too heavy to feel anything beyond the ache and sadness still lodged inside her.
As he stepped closer, Noah reached out and gently clasped her hand. "Why not be my woman?" he said in a low, coaxing tone. "I saw the way you stared at Zane like the other women do. But forget that cold-looking man and be with me. I promise I'll change your life. I won't hurt you."
His hand squeezed hers, warm and too reassuring. Selina stared at it for a second and then dragged her hand away from his warm grasp.
"I don't know who you are, and I know I'm indebted to you. But you can't get what you want from me. I'm poor to repay you tangibly," she declined softly, her voice heavy with pain. She hates being indebted to anyone. It was a scary feeling.
Noah rubbed his chin while his eyes sparkled with intrigue. "This is the first time a woman has rejected me and it turned out to be an ugly one."
Selina looked at him blankly, and she didn't find his comment sharp or condescending that could cut at her worth. It just sounded oddly humorous to her.
When Noah noticed her blank expression, he stopped. He could see she must be too terrified for his teasing to reach her.
Noah cleared his throat. "I didn't mean to mock your appearance. I'm sorry," he said sincerely.
Selina raised her hand and gently brushed away the trace of spilt tears beneath her eyes with her index finger. She then adjusted her glasses, as if they could hide the grief creeping in her teary gaze. The weight of her father's condition twisted her stomach, pondering if he had bled to death. Maybe suffocated from exhaustion and unbearable pain inside the grave.
He doesn't deserve such an awful end. The tears she'd been holding back pricked at her eyes, begging to fall. Despite that, she held them in, not ready to break just yet.
Selina stared at the young man who saved her and hoped he'd be useful to what she needed from him.
"You saved me, even though we're strangers. But I think you've gotten yourself into a mess because of me," Selina whispered, her face hinting at her fear of Zane's reaction to his ruined plans.
"I've already accepted being caught up in this mess," Noah replied, his voice steady and determined.
Hearing his bold words, Selina felt her curiosity pique. "Are you close to Mr. Zane?" she asked, hoping to glean a clue from him.
"Yes. We're close," he answered, a hint of pride in his voice.
A slight hope coursed through her as she stepped closer, her voice trembling with desperation. "Then do you know where he buried my father? Please take me there. I can't leave him behind. I promise, Mr. Zane won't find out about your involvement."
Noah swept his gaze across the room, then toward the entrance, before answering. "We need to leave before he finds out I ruined his plan. I won't be able to save you if he does," he said, already heading toward the exit, his men following.
"But you haven't answered my question," Selina called out, desperation rising in her voice.
"Let's leave here first."
Hesitation clung to her legs, holding her in place. She couldn't afford to walk blindly into more trouble, just as she had when she followed Zane's secretary. Still, she didn't want to get caught a second time. So she slowly trailed behind Noah.
Eventually, she stepped out of the basement and neared him, close enough yet still keeping a safe distance as he stood beside a black car.
"Get in," Noah said, observing how hesitant she was. "You won't find a cab in this desolate area."
Selina's eyes drifted to the open door. She couldn't bring herself to move. "Where is my father?"
Noah looked at her, seeing the desperation in her eyes. "Get your lips treated before they get infected."
"I don't mind the wound. Do you know where he took my father? I need to get his body," Selina pressed.
Even if her father were dead by now, she still needed his body. She couldn't leave him rotting in an unknown place—unreached, unburied, ungrieved. She wanted to give him at least that fleeting farewell with flowers.
"Stop asking so many questions," Noah said flatly, looking away from her.
"But why save me if I can't ask questions?" Selina retorted, her expression a mix of confusion and frustration.
"I'm just stopping an innocent girl from walking into a place of no return," Noah replied, his voice low, almost detached. "Not even I, nor anyone else, could save you once that scarred man has you."
He paused, his gaze hardening. "And don't think I'm doing this out of kindness. Just keep quiet about what happened, and stay away from Zane."
Selina didn't understand why he was dodging her question and wanted her to be secretive about what happened. She noticed him, saying something discreet to the driver inside the car before her.
Then he got into another car, driving away from the lonely estate with his men, leaving her and a car behind. Seeing she couldn't find her way out of the unfamiliar area, she made her way into the car.
***
Meanwhile, tension hung thick in the air inside Everett's grand, sprawling mansion—its high ceilings and polished floors offering no comfort as each minute ticked by with no sign of Hudson. Family members paced or sat rigidly, their eyes lingering at the entrance and phones pressed to their ears, desperation etched across their faces as they tried again and again to reach him.
Clarissa bit her finger as she desperately dialed Selina's and their father's numbers for the umpteenth time since morning. She couldn't help but feel anxious about their safety, hoping that her father's line would connect this once, and Selina wasn't picking up either.
"Have you finally reached him?" Leah asked once again.
"The number you're trying to reach isn't available," came the automated voice.
Clarissa turned to face her mother's anxious expression and shook her head in disappointment. "No, Mother. It's not connecting, and I think there must be a signal issue where he is," Clarissa complained softly, full of worry.
Leah clenched her fist, her polished red nails digging into her palms. Thoughts of Hudson's whereabouts, linked to Selina, preoccupied her mind. It was unusual for Hudson's line to be unreachable for an entire day, and without getting in touch with them somehow.
During the previous day's party, Leah couldn't confront Selina publicly to avoid drawing unwanted attention. It was almost afternoon, yet Hudson still hadn't come home.
Today was Friday, a day he rarely went to the office, and Leah had already confirmed with his secretary that nothing important was on his schedule. She also checked with the hotel staff members at Cassius's hotel, who confirmed they hadn't seen him after the party or around the hotel. She wondered what that girl had schemed.
"If Hudson had no business to manage today, then where could he be?" inquired Gilbert, an elderly man sitting behind Leah on a gold velvet baroque sofa
Leah slowly turned to her father-in-law, the patriarch of the Everett family—a man of seventy-seven, with distinguished lines marking his tanned, well-kept face and a full crown of silver hair swept neatly back. His posture remained straight, and though age had softened the sharpness of his gaze, it still held a steady, commanding strength.
"He was with Selina throughout the previous evening," Leah replied.
"Selina?" Elder Gilbert muttered as if the name sounded strange to him.