Shattered Rose He Held On Tight novel Chapter 178

Chapter 178 Let’s Go Home

It felt like Sterling was slipping into a dark hole, dragged down by all those memories.

Claudia’s throat tightened, her voice almost gone.

She kept quiet for a few long seconds before finally speaking.

“Sterling, let’s go home.”

Her familiar voice cut through the storm. The man who’d been sitting like a corpse finally moved.

His sharp, stone–like face tilted upward, stormy blue eyes locking on her like a predator catching sight of its target.

Behind her, the hallway glowed soft yellow. Step by step, she left the warm light and moved straight toward the shadow where the beast waited.

He said nothing, just tracking her every move.

She avoided the glass on the floor, walked past the rain–streaked window, and stopped right in front of him.

“Sterling, let’s go home.”

She said it again.

Her voice shook as she bent down, dropping to one knee. Without thinking twice, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him right there in the middle of the storm.

They stayed there for minutes, holding on without a sound.

Both were soaked through, and the hug wasn’t warm. But somehow, it felt … real.

In that endless sea, he’d finally grabbed the only driftwood.

“Why are you crying?”

His voice was rough but gentle. For the first time, his eyes had a spark of life.

Sterling eased her back a bit, his rough thumb brushing her cheek.

That was when she realized her face was wet with tears she hadn’t even felt.

How embarrassing.

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11:43 Fri, Oct 10 d

Chapter 178 Let’s Go Home

74

Finished

Not even when the Lancasters had forced her until she burned her grandmother’s house had she cried.

She ducked away from his touch, hiding her face in his neck and holding him even tighter.

“I’m not crying. It’s just the rain.”

Sterling’s arm slid around her waist while his other hand stroked the back of her neck. “Yeah. Just rain.”

Claudia stayed quiet for a while, then whispered, “It’s just … There were so many snakes. I was scared.”

“Don’t be scared. We’ll handle them together, okay?”

She nodded, her voice muffled. “Yeah.”

“How’d you end up here?” He shifted a little, making sure she was behind him.

After getting that photo from Paula, he’d told people to keep an eye on Claudia. At this hour, she should’ve been in her room.

But as soon as he asked, he knew something had gone off.

Not exactly wrong–just that his people had been a little too late.

The whole manor was chaos tonight, and Paula’s plan had worked. By the time they got to the main hall, Claudia was already missing.

Even if she had gotten into the car, they could’ve stopped it fast.

But she was clever. She ditched the car and doubled back to find help.

The lock on the side building hadn’t been opened by Paula’s team.

Claudia leaned against him. “I went to ask Paula.”

Sterling’s hand froze in her hair. “You’re not hurt, right?”

She shook her head.

Then, she looked up at him. “What about you? She said you were drugged.”

“I’m fine,” he said.

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