Chapter 289

The sound of footsteps echoed louder, and Evelyn's eyes snapped open in shock.

Alexander appeared at the top of the stairs, his movements swift and purposeful as he rushed toward her.

She blinked rapidly, half-convinced she was hallucinating.

His form was a blur, moving with such speed that it stole her breath.

It's really him!

Alexander! He came for me!

Tears pooled in her eyes as if she were witnessing a miracle.

With a sharp tug, Alexander pulled the gag from her mouth, his gaze flicking briefly to the bomb beside them.

"Don't be afraid. I've got you," he murmured, his voice steady, grounding her.

Evelyn had fought uselessly against the restraints, but Alexander worked with practiced efficiency, freeing her wrists in seconds.

Her pulse raced as she remembered—Alexander had spent years in the force.

His hands were sure, his movements precise.

She gasped as the last of the ropes fell away.

Then, the world exploded.

The explosion's timer ticked mercilessly in the background.

Alexander moved with military precision, his movements honed from years at the academy. This was second nature to him.

"We're out of time. Move. Now."

His voice was clipped, urgent.

Gently, he assessed Evelyn. "Can you stand? If not, wrap your arms around me. I'll carry you."

Before she could answer, he lifted her effortlessly against his chest.

Evelyn's skin was ice-cold, but Alexander radiated heat like a furnace. The contrast made her shiver—then melt into him.

Her fingers curled into his shirt. "There's a bomb," she whispered. "Aren't you terrified?"

His grip tightened. "Terrified? Yes. But leaving you here alone would've destroyed me."

He sprinted down the staircase, each step fluid and sure, as if the crumbling building was nothing. Evelyn clung to him, refusing to slow him down.

"Fool," she breathed against his neck. "If we don't make it—"

"We will."

His certainty was a blade cutting through fear.

The exit loomed ahead. Shadows swallowed them whole.

"It doesn't matter. This worthless life of mine—you saved it once already."

Evelyn felt her throat tighten.

She had rescued him ten years ago, a split-second choice, something she would have done for anyone in danger.

Yet Alexander had remembered it all this time.

With the bomb threat, the building had been evacuated. Everyone downstairs had already fled. Alexander and Evelyn were the last ones left.

Just as they cleared the collapsing structure, a rapid succession of pops echoed from the upper floors.

Dark smoke rolled out in thick waves.

Evelyn blinked, confused.

Is this the explosion?

It sounds more like fireworks.

This is… anticlimactic.

Alexander guided Evelyn into the waiting car, then glanced back at the scene with a smirk.

His gaze landed on the handcuffed kidnappers being wrestled to the ground by police.

The corner of his mouth lifted in satisfaction.

"Bloody hell! We've been tricked!" The kidnappers, now handcuffed and shoved into the back of a police cruiser, were seething with rage.

"You conniving bastards! This is a complete rip-off!"

The so-called "explosive device" they had shelled out a small fortune for turned out to be nothing more than a glorified firework—utterly useless.

Alexander leaned over to fasten Evelyn's seatbelt. His fingers brushed against hers, and he immediately noticed how icy they were. Without hesitation, he grabbed a thick woolen blanket from the backseat and draped it around her shoulders, tucking it securely to ward off the chill.

"Better?" he murmured, his voice low with concern.

Evelyn gave a small nod, though her hands still trembled slightly beneath the fabric.

Alexander's jaw tightened as he glanced back at the police cars pulling away. Those idiots had no idea who they were dealing with.

But they would soon find out.