Quietly, he said, “That’s it—the same scent. No doubt, it’s you. I would have lost you again if I hadn’t remembered it…”

Confusion flickered in Elissa’s eyes. What scent? Did she really have a smell strong enough to give her away?

Her own scent had betrayed her? Had Ernest picked up on something like a bloodhound?

For what felt like forever, Ernest didn’t break his stare. He simply watched her, making no move to strip away her disguise. Elissa stared at him from behind her dark lenses.

Why wasn’t Ernest saying anything?

She was lost in thought when, without warning, Ernest reached for her and pulled her close.

He wrapped her in a fierce hug, one arm steady at her back and the other gently cradling her head, refusing to let go.

All those restless days and sleepless nights had tormented him, but holding her now, his heart finally settled. A wave of relief washed over him.

His breath tickled her ear as he leaned in, voice raw and strained. “How could you be so heartless? Do you have any idea what these days have been like for me?”

She had vanished. She had let him believe the worst.

He was unraveling. The pain nearly drove him mad. But right now, none of it mattered.

He had thought he had lost her for good, yet she was right here in his arms.

In this moment, everything else faded away.

Quietly, Ernest whispered, “What matters is that you’re back alive…”

He could convince himself that she was just mad at him, and he would accept that. She had every right to mess with his head if she wanted, because he had failed her first.

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Elissa stiffened, jaw clenched. “Let me go. You’re hurting me!”

Her words snapped him back. Ernest loosened his hold, looking into her face for the first time.

With careful hands, he slid away Elissa’s sunglasses and mask.

At last, the face he had ached for stood before him—real and heartbreakingly familiar.

His hand shook slightly as he reached up to touch her cheek. “Didn’t you hear me calling? Why did you run?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” A cold, hollow laugh escaped Elissa. “Isn’t it clear why I ran? I ran because I can’t stand the thought of being around you. I don’t want to see you. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

She shoved him back with both hands, anger flaring in her eyes. “Why are you doing this? Why can’t you just leave me alone?”

“Out of the way!” A sharp voice rang out, slicing through the tension.

The bodyguards reacted instantly, splitting into two lines to clear a path.

Linda appeared then, seated in a wheelchair, with Jane guiding her forward.

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