Obsession His Runaway Bride (Noelle and Adrian) novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31: The Game Has Begun

Chapter 31: The Game Has Begun

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She exhaled sharply and shook her head, trying to push away the lingering warmth in her chest. The moment she convinced herself she was fine, a sudden knock on her door made her jolt.

Her pulse spiked for an entirely different reason now.

Noelle frowned. He came back?

She hesitated for a moment before pushing herself up, wincing slightly as her sore foot protested the movement. She hobbled toward the door, unlocking it and pulled it open–only to be met with the familiar sight of Mrs. Ellis standing there, holding a neatly folded letter between her fingers.

The older woman arched a brow, her gaze sweeping over Noelle with thinly veiled amusement. “Goodness, dear, you look a little flustered.”

Noelle quickly shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Mrs. Ellis chuckled knowingly. “Sure you are.”

Noelle resisted the urge to groan. She didn’t have the energy to explain why Valerian had just walked out of her apartment, nor did she want to give Mrs. Ellis more fuel for whatever theories she was likely forming.

Before she could say anything, Mrs. Ellis extended the letter toward her. “A young man came looking for you earlier. You weren’t here, so he left this.”

Noelle blinked in surprise and took the letter. “A young man?”

Mrs. Ellis nodded. “Handsome fellow. Wore a cap, looked a little restless. He didn’t stay long.”

Noelle’s fingers tightened around the paper. She then swallowed and forced a small smile. “Thank you, Mrs. Ellis.”

The older woman gave her a knowing look. “I won’t pry, but if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me.”

Noelle nodded, offering a small smile before gently closing the door.

The apartment felt eerily quiet now. She stood frozen in place, the letter heavy in her hands despite its small size.

Her heart pounded as she slowly unfolded it, her breath catching the moment she read the first few words.

~Run, Adrian is coming. – M~

Her grip tightened on the paper as her suspicion settled in her stomach. Now she knew who this letter came from.

Miles.

She reread the sentence, as if the words would change. As if she had imagined it. But no matter how many times her eyes scanned the ink, the message remained the same.

Panic crept up her spine, cold and suffocating.

Adrian.

She had known this peace wouldn’t last forever, but a part of her had foolishly hoped she had more time. That he would eventually move on. That he wouldn’t come looking for her.

But Miles wouldn’t have left this message if there wasn’t a real threat.

Her breathing became uneven as worst–case scenarios flooded her mind.

‘What do I do?‘

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Chapter 31: The Game Has Begun

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Her instinct screamed at her to run. But where? She had already uprooted her life once and disappeared into this new city, cutting ties with everything she knew. And now Adrian was coming to take that away, just like she feared.

Out of desperation, Noelle threw the paper on the floor and rushed to her bedroom. She began packing everything she brought with her. She couldn’t dare waste another minute.

Her hands trembled as she yanked open the closet and pulled out a small, half–empty duffel bag. She barely thought about what she was grabbing. She was just stuffing in clothes, essentials, anything she could reach.

Her breathing was quick and shallow as panic clawed at her chest.

‘He’s coming.‘

She didn’t know how soon, didn’t know how much time she had, but she refused to be here when Adrian arrived.

‘I need to go. I need to leave now.‘

Her hands shook as she threw on a jacket. She then grabbed the bag as she hoisted it over her shoulder and forced her legs to

move.

‘Bus or train? Where to? How far is far enough this time?‘

Noelle rushed down the stairs while her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Every step felt like a countdown, like the moment she stopped moving, Adrian would be right behind her.

Her grip on the bag strap tightened as she reached the last few steps with uneven breathing. ‘I can’t stop. I have to go.”

But the second she stepped into the lobby, she skidded to a halt.

Mrs. Ellis was sitting at the front desk, flipping through a magazine, completely unaware of the storm raging inside Noelle. The older woman looked up at the sound of footsteps and her face instantly lit up–only for her expression to falter when she noticed the bag slung over Noelle’s shoulder.

“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Ellis frowned, setting her magazine aside. “Going somewhere?”

Noelle forced a small smile, though it felt wrong on her face. “Yeah, something came up. I–I won’t be staying here anymore.”

The older woman’s brows knitted together. “So suddenly? What happened?”

Noelle swallowed, gripping the strap of her bag tighter. “It’s nothing serious. Just… I need to go.”

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Mrs. Ellis studied her for a long moment with eyes filled of concern. “Noelle, if something’s wrong-”

“I’m really okay,” Noelle interrupted, her voice barely above a whisper. She hated lying to Mrs. Ellis, someone who had been nothing but kind to her since the day she arrived. But she couldn’t explain, couldn’t drag anyone else into the mess she was running from. The less involved, the safer they’d be.

Mrs. Ellis sighed. Her expression softened as she nodded slowly. “Alright, dear. If you say so.”

Noelle reached into her pocket, fingers brushing against the few bills she had set aside. She hesitated for a split second before pulling out a quiet large amount of cash, far more than what she owed for rent. Without a word, she placed it on the desk.

Mrs. Ellis‘ eyes widened. “Noelle, this is too much!”

“Please, just take it,” Noelle insisted, pushing it toward her. “For this month and… as a thank you. For everything.”

Mrs. Ellis opened her mouth as if to argue, but then she really looked at Noelle. At the way she clenched her jaw, at the way her shoulders shook slightly despite how hard she tried to keep her composure.

Something was very wrong and it worried her. But she couldn’t speak another word as it would make Noelle uncomfortable.

Instead of pressing further, Mrs. Ellis reached out and placed a gentle hand over Noelle’s. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I hope you find what you’re looking for, dear.”

Chapter 31: The Game Has Segun

Noelle bit the inside of her cheek, forcing herself to nod. “Take car, Mrs. Ellis.”

The older woman gave her a sad smile but didn’t stop her.

Noelle turned toward the door without looking back.

She couldn’t.

Because if she did, she knew she might not leave at all.

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Noelle sighed and began to walk under the setting sun. The nearest bus station wasn’t far. Just a few blocks away from her apartment. So she kept her head down and moved as fast as she could while still in a dress she had worn earlier during her time with Alexei and Valerian. The thought of the two made her chuckle bitterly. But she couldn’t stay longer to say a proper goodbye to the boy since every unfamiliar face at the moment, made her paranoid. Every step felt like a ticking clock.

She reached the station and scanned the schedule.

The next bus was leaving in ten minutes. A long–distance route. Perfect.

She dug into her bag for cash, counting just enough for a ticket without drawing attention. The last thing she needed was to use a card and leave a trail.

As she handed the money to the cashier, she forced herself to steady her breathing.

‘This is fine. This is what I should do. Disappear until everything settles down.‘

Mer 02 Gompert

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