Marrying my secret admirer after my husband's fake death novel Chapter 144

Moonlight spilled over Justin, its silvery glow tracing his profile, but any trace of concern on his face was swallowed by the shadows.

By the time Edith looked up again, there was no emotion left to read on his face.

She shook her head with a half–smile and started toward the Hawksley Estate, calling back over her shoulder, “I’m fine. It was my cousin who ran into some creep tonight–I’ve never had to deal with anything like that.”

She muttered under her breath, “She’s so brave. Dragged the guy straight to the police. If it had been me, I probably would’ve run in the opposite direction.”

Justin kept pace beside her.

He was a full head taller, so Edith’s stride felt slow to him. He had to

consciously slow down just to match her steps.

“You’re brave too,” he said softly. “When the Vance family tried to mess with you, you were the one who sent them packing to the police.”

Edith pulled a face at the mention of the Vance family. “I didn’t really have a choice. They just wouldn’t leave me alone.”

Justin hesitated, then said with careful clarity, “Edith, if you ever want to be done with the Vance family for good, I’ll help you. Whatever you need.” Edith glanced up, her eyes shining even brighter than the moon above. “Didn’t I already leave all that behind?”

Justin was quiet for a long moment.

Maybe she really had escaped the Vance family. Maybe he was the one who hadn’t.

To him, Beckett Vance was like a ticking time bomb–one that could go. off any second.

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Chapter 144

And what unsettled him most was never knowing when it would happen. The next minute, the next lifetime–who could say?

Unease twisted in his chest. Almost without thinking, Justin reached out and took Edith’s hand, grounding himself in the warmth of her presence. Only then did he feel that anxious knot begin to loosen.

Edith blinked in surprise at the sudden touch.

She looked down at their joined hands, their shadows stretching across the path as they walked side by side toward home. For the first time in a long while, she felt an odd sense of peace.

Night had finally fallen.

Northcrest in the height of summer was still stifling, but the estate’s main house kept the heat at bay with its steady, cool air.

Edith glanced at the time, guessing Lauren should be back at her hotel by now, and dialed her number.

Lauren, just back in her room, saw the call and could only sum up her feelings in two words: Oh brother.

She answered, and Edith’s face–unfiltered but strikingly elegant–filled

the screen.

Any irritation Lauren had melted away. What could she say, really? With a face like that smiling at you, who could stay mad?

“Cousin, show me the bed in your room. Is it tiny? I don’t take up much space, you know–I’m not exactly huge,” Edith teased.

Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose. Was this girl seriously suggesting they share a bed? Did that mean Justin would be left alone in the master bedroom? Where did Edith get the nerve to leave Justin by himself?

Trying to sound stern, Lauren replied, “Edith, you’ve gotten way more clingy since you grew up, you know that?”

Edith gave a little huff. “What do you mean ‘since I grew up‘? I was always this clingy when I was little, remember?”

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