Page 258 of Unravelling The Beast

He lays his hands on my shoulders and looks at me at eye level.

“Put your pride aside, Wren, and let him spoil you. This isn't going to make him fucking bankrupt, trust me.”

I let out a defeated sigh as I glance away. When he removes his hands from my shoulders, I look up at him and reluctantly give a small nod of acceptance.

He smiles widely before looking back at the assistant again.

“She'll take this one.”

After entering my car and closing the door behind me, I pause for a while, feeling frustrated and fatigued from the day's shady Elite meetings. I reach for the engagement ring box in my pocket, which has been there all day, reminding me how huge tonight will be for the three of us.

When I open it, I gaze down and observe it sparkle against the light before closing it again with a slight smile on my lips. I reach over to get my suit jacket before placing it in the inside pocket and then pulling my phone out of my sweatpants to text Wren.

“Are you home yet?”

“Not yet; we're just about to leave, though.”

“Did you find anything nice?”

“I did, and I'm sure you'll love it.”

“Yeah, fucking love ripping it off you later.”

“Lol. Oh, don't do that; it wasn't cheap.”

I smirk before I respond.

"Good. It'll be worth destroying it to get it off your sexy body. All that cash was well spent.”

After that, I slip my phone back into my pocket and drive home to get ready for tonight.

When I finally arrive home, the sun is setting, and there's no sign of Jasper's car. When I’ve opened the car door, I step out calmly before closing it behind me. I stroll up the path, my keys jingling in my hand, and when I reach the front door, I enter the key. While pushing the door open and entering, a text message suddenly came through on my phone again.

Once I'm fully inside and ready to close the door behind me, I dig deep into my sweatpants pocket to retrieve it.

My eyes scan across the screen, reading Wren's text.

“Today has been perfect, baby. Thank you. I love you so much x”

Smiling, I swipe my thumb across the screen to unlock it so I can text back.

Suddenly, I sense someone near me, and as I’m ready to turn around, a gloved hand slaps over my mouth from behind, followed by a powerful, sharp puncture to the side of my neck.

I resist the cunt, whipping my knife from my sleeve, but I can feel my body weakening rapidly, and before I know it, I'm on my knees, my eyes close, and I fall onto my front with a thud.

Jasper and I are caught in New York traffic as the sun sets. I continuously check my phone, realizing that Arlo has yet to respond to my text, which is rare for him. As my anxiety grows, I sigh and sink back in my seat, and Jasper notices right away.

He gives me a sidelong glance before returning his attention to the road ahead, driving slowly.

“What's up?”

I shake my head before responding.

“I just have a feeling that things are strange right now. I'm constantly worried about Arlo; his mental health is in such a good place, but I can tell he's worried about me as well.”

He glances my way again.

“It'll be okay, Wren. Arlo always fixes things and comes out on top.”

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