Obsession His Runaway Bride (Noelle and Adrian) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Silver-Eyed

Chapter 19: Silver-Eyed

As they walked down the quiet street, the occasional flickering of streetlights cast long shadows along the pavement. Noelle glanced at the boy beside her. His small hands were stuffed deep into the sleeves of her cardigan as he trudged forward in silence. She was about to ask him if they were close to his house when the low hum of approaching engines caught her attention.

Suddenly, a convoy of sleek black cars rounded the corner. Their headlights illuminated the street with an eerie glow which somehow made Noelle’s heart leap out of her chest. Noelle instinctively reached for the boy’s hand, sensing something off. Before she could react further, the lead car came to a sharp stop right in front of them, followed immediately by the others. The doors swung open almost in unison, and several men in black suits stepped out with

urgency.

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Noelle felt the boy stiffen beside her. His small fingers curled into the fabric of her cardigan, but his face remained

unreadable.

A tall man emerged from the first car, his every movement exuding authority. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit and his coat flared slightly as he strode toward them. His silver-grey eyes that looked sharp and unyielding, locked

onto the boy with an intensity that sent a chill down Noelle’s spine.

Noelle’s breath hitched. The resemblance between the two was undeniable-the same striking eyes, the same aristocratic

features. This had to be the boy’s father.

So this was the man who didn’t care?

Something hot flared in Noelle’s chest as she remembered the boy’s words from earlier.

‘He doesn’t come home. He doesn’t pick me up. He won’t notice if I’m gone.’

The sadness in his small voice had been real, and now, seeing this man in his crisp suit, arriving in a whole convoy of

expensive cars like some high-ranking official, Noelle couldn’t hold back her anger.

Before she knew it, she stepped forward, shielding the boy with her body. “Took you long enough,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the cold night air.

The man stopped in his tracks. His expression darkened as his gaze flicked to her. His eyes, though eerily similar to the boy’s, carried a sharp, scrutinizing gaze, as if he was trying to place who she was and why she was standing in the boy’s

way.

“Who the hell are you?” The man’s voice was low, clipped, and sharp enough to cut through the night air like a blade.

Before Noelle could respond, the suited men around him tensed, exchanging quick glances. One subtly stepped forward

while his hand hovered near his waist as if ready to draw a weapon. Another murmured something into a hidden earpiece,

his cold gaze fixed on Noelle with suspicion.

The burden of their presence settled on her like a thick fog that felt suffocating and dangerous.

Then it hit her.

They thought she had kidnapped the boy.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered under her breath, exhaling sharply. She raised her hands slightly, more out of sheer exasperation than fear. “Seriously? You think I abducted him?” She turned to the boy beside her with his small fingers still curled tightly around her sleeve. “Tell them, will you?”

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But the boy hesitated, his silver-grey eyes flickering between her and the man standing in front of them.

Noelle followed his gaze and felt something click into place. Those same piercing silver-grey eyes. Sharp, assessing, and brimming with authority.

The resemblance was uncanny and she was now sure he really is the boy’s father.

The man took a slow step forward and the sheer force of his presence was enough to make the air feel heavier. “Get away

from him.”

Noelle’s jaw clenched. The raw authority in his voice sent shivers down her spine, but it also fueled her irritation.

“I’m not holding him hostage,” she shot back. “He was alone in a playground, freezing his little fingers off because he didn’t want to go home. I gave him my cardigan, sat with him, and walked him back because I actually cared that he was by himself. But sure, let’s pretend I’m the villain here.”

A ripple of unease moved through the suited men. One of them stepped forward, addressing the silver-eyed man cautiously. “Sir, we should-”

But the boy suddenly moved, stepping in front of Noelle slightly. His small frame was tense, but his voice was firm. “She didn’t do anything.” He swallowed hard, his hands balling into fists. “I was the one who didn’t want to go home.”

The suited men suddenly became hesitant.

The silver-eyed man stared at the boy with an unreadable expression. “So you ran away?” He asked, but softly this time.

The boy looked down at his shoes. “…Yeah.”

A muscle in the man’s jaw ticked. His expression remained stoic, but something flickered in his gaze-something Noelle couldn’t quite place. Was it concern? Frustration? Guilt?

Noelle’s frustration simmered beneath her skin. This man, whoever he was, stood before her with the presence of someone who seemed used to commanding an army, and yet he was completely blind to the fact that the child in front of him had been so desperate for attention that he had chosen to run away rather than return home.

She crossed her arms, refusing to let his imposing presence shake her. “Maybe instead of glaring at me like I’m some kind of criminal, you should be asking why he ran away in the first place.”

The sheer audacity of her words made one of the suited men tense. His hand twitched at his side, close to where she assumed a weapon was concealed. His dark eyes flashed with offense.

“This impertinent-!” The man bit back his words, his jaw locking as he turned to Valerian, clearly waiting for permission to

act.

But Valerian didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple as if Noelle’s words had struck a

nerve. He rolled his shoulders slightly before shifting his gaze back to the boy.

“Get in the car.” He gently demanded somehow sounding calm this time.

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The boy stiffened beside Noelle. His small hands curled into fists at his sides as his gaze darted between her and

Valerian. He looked hesitant and Noelle could see it. Noelle glanced down at him as her fingers twitched with the urge to

reach out to him, to offer some kind of comfort, but she knew she had no place in this situation. She was a stranger, a complete outsider who had just stumbled into something far more complicated than a simple runaway child.

Even so, she couldn’t just stand by and say nothing.

She crouched down beside him and spoke softly, “It’s okay. You can try and talk it out.”

The boy’s lips pressed into a thin line. For a moment, she thought he might refuse and bolt in the opposite direction just to prove a point.

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Chapter 19 Silver-Eyed

But then, after what felt like an eternity, he slowly let go of the breath he’d been holding and nodded.

+15 Points >

Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked toward the sleek black car. The door opened for him instantly, and he climbed inside, disappearing behind the tinted glass.

Noelle exhaled as her shoulders sank slightly. She turned her gaze back to Valerian, meeting his cold stare head-on.

She half expected him to issue some kind of warning, to threaten her for interfering. Instead, he simply studied her in

silence.

Finally, his lips parted, and in a low voice he said, “Stay out of things that don’t concern you.”

Noelle’s spine stiffened at the man’s rudeness. But she refused to back down. Instead, she lifted her gaze and met his with unwavering determination. “Then maybe you should start taking care of what does concern you.”

For a moment, she thought he might say something and put her in her place with a cutting remark or a glare that could freeze over hell itself. But instead, he merely tilted his head slightly, regarding her with smirk.

Noelle didn’t wait for another word. She turned on her heel as fast as she could. But she could still feel his gaze on her

back.

Only when she was far enough down the street did she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Her heart was still hammering against her ribs and adrenaline made her fingers tingle.

Who the hell was that man?