Sophia’s attack had come dangerously close.

Vincent’s expression softened as he looked at her, his tone soft and calm.

“You needn’t thank me. I know you’d do exactly the same thing if you were me.”

Without thinking, Katelyn nodded.

He was right.

She wouldn’t have hesitated to protect him if he was the one in danger.

When there was no time to think, sometimes the way you acted said everything.

Jaxen, standing off to the side, raised an eyebrow as he took in their exchange.

“Oh, listen to this heartfelt back-and-forth! And yet, I’m the one accused of talking nonsense. Anyone passing by would swear you two were a couple.”

Katelyn opened her mouth but found herself speechless for a moment. Usually quick with sharp retorts, she was at a total loss, unable to think of a single comeback thanks to Jaxen’s teasing.

Vincent’s stare hardened, his gaze carrying a silent warning as it settled on Jaxen. “Maybe I should teach you how to keep quiet.”

Jaxen’s hands shot up in surrender, a nervous smile spreading across his face. “Easy there! I was only kidding! No need to bring up my father again—I’m still sore from the last time he heard about my ‘antics.’”

Word of Jaxen’s reckless behavior had somehow reached his father, and the punishment had been swift. That night, he had been summoned home and disciplined so thoroughly that he’d been stuck in bed for three days, the pain still vivid in his memory.

Vincent’s expression remained unmoving, his voice cold and even. “Then watch what you say.”

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For once, Jaxen wisely stayed silent, clearly uninterested in risking another painful “reminder.”

“Let’s get back to what matters,” Katelyn said, her tone turning icy. “Where’s Sophia now? Is she even still alive?”

The memory of Sophia flashed vividly in her mind—Vincent’s powerful kick sending her flying before Samuel had taken her into custody. The kick had been brutal, strong enough to cause serious harm, possibly even internal damage. Without immediate help, Katelyn doubted Sophia could have survived.

Vincent gave a short nod, his gaze sharp and unwavering. “I told Samuel to take it easy on her and keep her alive.”

Sophia had already made multiple attempts on Katelyn’s life. Letting her live wasn’t an act of mercy—ending her life would have been far too easy.

Vincent wanted Sophia to suffer through every ounce of pain she had caused Katelyn, only multiplied tenfold.

“Where is she? I need to talk to her,” Katelyn demanded, her voice steady, but her eyes filled with questions. After years tangled in this mess, even though it was finally nearing its end, she couldn’t walk away without answers. Why had Sophia left Pine Mountain so long ago? What had happened that turned her into an assassin for the T Organization? And most importantly, who was the true mastermind behind it all? Who had been trying to take her life? This text is hosted at FιndNovel.net

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