Page 6 of Tempting My Billionaire Master

“Chloe, there’s no time. We have to get to the road.”

“I’m not going anywhere until we bandage that arm.” She ripped a strip of fabric from the hem of her blouse. Before I could protest further, she had wrapped it around my bicep, tying it off with a firm knot.

I stared down at her bowed head, her hair spilling over her shoulders like strands of fire. Here I was, trying to protect this woman, and she was fretting over me. When was the last time anyone had shown me such compassion?

My chest tightened. I didn’t deserve her concern—not after putting her in danger.

This was my fault. I never should have allowed her to come to the mansion. I could have conducted the interview over a video call, but instead, I had invited her into my world—into all of this. Now she was paying the price for my selfishness.

Guilt and something else twisted inside me, something I didn’t dare name. I tamped it down. Right now, I had to focus on getting Chloe to safety. Nothing else mattered.

I took her hand again, squeezing it in silent thanks, and plunged into the woods. The trees loomed overhead, branches intertwining to block out the sun. An owl hooted softly in the distance. The rustle of leaves underfoot was the only sound breaking the eerie silence.

Chloe quickened her steps to keep up with me. I could feel her trembling, could sense her growing panic. I gave her hand another reassuring squeeze. We were going to make it out of here. I wouldn’t stop fighting until she was safe.

After what seemed like hours of struggling through the dense forest, I finally spotted a break in the trees up ahead.

My heart swelled with relief. We’d made it.

Just as we reached the edge of the woods the familiar shape of a police cruiser came into view, heading straight for us… Relief spread across Chloe’s face as she broke free from my grip and ran onto the road, waving her arms frantically.

“Help! We’ve been attacked!” she cried out.

The car screeched to a halt, and a single policeman stepped out.

“Please, we’ve been attacked! And Ethan, he’s hurt. He needs a doctor,” Chloe pleaded.

“Get in the car,” the officer said, his gaze shifting to me. “I’ll take you both to the station.” The officer glanced at me, his eyes narrowing. “Don’t worry, Mr. Hamilton.”

Shit.

The edges of my vision blurred and adrenaline surged in my body when I heard my name. How did he know who I was? Without hesitation, I lunged forward and knocked the man unconscious with a swift punch to his jaw.

“Ethan, what are you doing?” Chloe shrieked, her voice high-pitched with shock and anger.

“Chloe, listen to me,” I implored as she tried to resist my grip on her arm. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of confusion and anger.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Chloe demanded, her body trembling with fury and fear alike.

“Think about it, Chloe,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite my irritation at having to explain myself. “How could that officer have known who I am by sight? He knew my name. Whoever is after us has bought out the police. This situation is far worse than I initially thought.”

As the weight of my words sunk in, Chloe’s face paled, and her bottom lip began to quiver. “So… we can’t trust the authorities?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

“Unfortunately, no,” I replied, my heart aching at the devastation etched onto her beautiful face. “Whoever is behind this has bought off everyone they could, and the entire area is probably cut off.”

“Then what do we do now?” she asked, tears forming in her wide, frightened eyes.

My chest tightened—I never meant to scare her like this.

“I made a promise,” I told her gently, pulling her into my embrace. “I told you I’d keep you safe, and I intend to keep that promise.”

Chloe bit her lip, conflict flashing across her face, before she nodded reluctantly, placing her faith in me once more. I took her hand and led her back towards the house—a move that clearly surprised her.

“Wait, why are we going back?” she asked.

“Because it’s the last place they’ll expect us to go,” I explained, a small smile playing on my lips despite the circumstances. “One lesson from business success that I learned is to always do what people don’t expect you to do. Right now, they’re probably searching for us in the woods.”

“Promise me you won’t let go,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over the rustling leaves and crunching gravel beneath our feet. She clung to my hand tightly, her slender fingers wrapped around mine, anchoring us to one another.

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