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    Connor took Zayne away, while Brandon arranged for a private jet to send him out directly. They moved so quickly that it felt like someone was right behind them. Fortunately, Briar wasn’t paying attention to Zayne anymore. Otherwise, with all the noise they made, she definitely would have tracked them in the shadows.

    Today was a good day, and Briar had a hearty appetite for dinner. After the meal, she and Ashton rode home.

    together. “Make sure to get some rest early tonight,” Ashton said as he walked Briar to her door, handing her cupcakes. “Don’t overthink things.”

    The cupcakes were Briar’s favorite vor, which Ashton had specially purchased just for her. Though indulging in

    sweets at night wasn’t the healthiest choice, Ashton made it a point to bring her one.

    Briar had a sweet tooth and never refused a treat, no matter howte it was. She always made sure to finish it

    before the night ended. “Okay, you should get some rest too…” Briar nodded, cradling the cupcakes in her hands.

    Remembering how Ashton often struggled to sleep, she teased, “Do you want me to tuck iyou /iin tonight?”

    Briar never forgot to offer to tuck him in every night, and it always filled Ashton’s heart with warmth. He gently cupped her cheek and said, “No need. I’lle byter and watch you fall asleep instead.”

    “What?” Briar stared at him, caught off guard. “You’reing over to watch me sleep?” She shot Ashton a suspicious look, trying to figure out what he was plotting this time.

    Ashton felt a mix of amusement and exasperation at her reaction. He raised an eyebrow and replied, “Oh? You

    alwayse over to tuck me in. Why can’t I tuck you in tonight?” His tone was so casual, as if tucking his girlfriend

    in for the night was something he did regrly.

    Briar bit her lip, wanting to remind him that even if he came over to help her fall asleep, with how things usually

    went between them, he’d likely end up dozing off first. But Ashton looked so serious, and after the closeness

    they’d shared earlier that day, Briar couldn’t bring/herself to refuse when she looked into those bright, earnest

    eyes of his.

    “Alright, but just to help me sleepi, /iokay? You take the couch, I’ll be in bed–just like when I help you fall asleep,” Briar emphasized.

    Ashton certainly knew how to test the boundaries of his luck, and Briar couldn’t resist him. Ashton caught the underlying meaning of her words, his eyes dancing withughter. “Babe, as your boyfriend, I don’t even get the chance to sit by your bedside and help you fall asleep? That genuinely breaks my heart, you know.”

    As he spoke, he dramatically clutched his chest, as if Briar had genuinely injured him. But Briar wasn’t convinced. “Don’t even think about charming me with your looks, Ashton. Haven’t you been told that you’re far too dangerous?” People who looked good were always a threat.

    Ashton let out a soft chuckle. “What a pity. I can’t believe my looks aren’t enough to impress my girl tonight.”

    Worried Ashton might try something again, Briar hurriedly pushed him out the door. “Go on, get back and freshen

    iup/ii./i”

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    Brandon was standing by the gate. Seeing Ashton get brushed off by Briar again, he couldn’t help butugh. “Mr. Wade, never thought I’d see the day you got treated like this.” His face was practically glowing with glee at Ashton’s

    misfortune.

    Ashton shot Brandon a sidelong nce, a faint smile on his lips, before walking away. In his mind, teasing only came with care, and care could grow into love. And love–well, that was unshakable. Briar was already his heart

    and soul.

    Once Briar got home, she hurried straight to the bathroom. Rather than jumping right iinto /ithe shower, she took out her phone, connected to a securework, and dialed a hidden number. The person on the other end answered almost immediately, sounding a bit excited. “Miss Jennings.”

    “Memphis, any updates on those individuals?” Briar’s tone was cold–quite different from ihow /ishe spoke to Ashton. Yet, for Memphis and his team, this was the voice they recognized best.

    “I’m sorry. By the time we arrived, they were likely tipped off and had already left. Theb was empty–just old equipment, nothing useful,” Memphis reported. It was rare for Briar to give him a direct task, and returning empty-

    handed frustrated him more than it did her.

    Briar offered a brief acknowledgment, saying little. It wasn’t shocking. “Understood. Keep searching, and let me

    know if you discover anything.”

    “Understood,” Memphis replied.

    Before hanging up, Briar added onest reminder: “Make sure to tell the guys to stay safe and not underestimate

    the enemy.”

    Memphis chuckled. “Don’t worry, Miss Jennings. We’re all people you trained–taking us down isn’t that easy.”

    Briar replied, a slight smile in her voice. “Alright.”

    As soon as the call ended, the smile faded from Briar’s face. She calmly removed her clothes and stepped into the

    shower, letting the warm water cascade over her. Zayne and the puppeteers behind him had better hope they

    would never cross paths with her. If they did, she would have made sure their torment was so excruciating they’d beg for death.

    Half an hourter, the doorbell rang downstairs. Briar quickly dried off, slipped into her pajamas, swept her damp hair over her shoulder, and hurried downstairs to answer the door. It was a chillyte autumn night, and when Ashton saw Briare down like that, he frowned slightly. “Why didn’t you dry your hair beforeing out?”

    Briar shrugged and led him inside. “It’s fine. My hair will dry soon enough.”

    Briar never enjoyed blow–drying her hair, Even when she did, she would only dry it halfway. When she visited Ashton’s ce, she always made sure to dry it thoroughly so it wouldn’t drip and wet her clothes. But now that she was at home, she couldn’t be bothered.

    Ashton followed Briar upstairs and into the bedroom. Instead of heading to the couch, he slipped into the

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    bathroom. A momentter, he emerged holding a hair dryer and gestured for Briar toe over. “Briar,e sit

    by the bed.”

    Briar tilted her head. “Wait, is he going to dry my hair for me?” In the end, she didn’t say no. She obediently walked over, sat cross–legged at the edge of the bed, and turned her back to Ashton.

    Ashton’s delicate fingers delicately gathered her damp hair, clumsily trying to dry it for her. As he lifted her hair, it

    showcased the elegant curve of her neck–captivating in an irresistibly way. The steady hum of the hair dryer in the background intensified the cozy atmosphere, adding a subtle sense of intimate tension.

    Sensing the air between them thickening with unspoken tension, Briar instinctively attempted to pull away.

    However, with Ashton’s hand still gripping her hair, she found no escape. His voice came from above her: “Don’t

    move; I’m almost done here.”

    Briar felt as if the heat on her neck was intensifying, which might have been her imagination, but it reminded her

    of the way Ashton had stared at her earlier that day. Just as she attempted to pull away again, Ashton turned off

    the hair dryer and said, “Alright, it’s done.”

    The whirring suddenly ceased, and Briar immediately noticed Ashton’s breathing behind her–slightly rough and

    heavy. She turned around, giving him a cautious nce, and warned, “Ashton, you promised–you’re only here to

    help me sleep, nothing more. Keep it appropriate.”