Chapter 61 - 65
"Are you ready?"
I nod fervently, combing through my hair that I funnel over one shoulder. Vance squares his shoulders, the movement precise and deliberate, as though donning an invisible armor. Without a word, he strides out of the cabin, and I follow close behind. The air around him has shifted—his stoic, detached demeanor snapping back into place like a well-worn mask. His gaze sharpens, his posture exuding his unapproachable confidence as he closes the distance to the two guardsmen.
"What’s the meaning of this?" Vance demands as if there is fault to find in their actions.
"Your father sent me to find and deliver you and Miss Du Pont," one of them said smoothly.
"Do we look like cargo to you?" Vance snaps back. "Items to be tracked and delivered?"
"Your father was concerned about your collective safety," he replies calmly, trying to quell matters. "We are under orders."
I take a gentle hold of Vance’s elbow from behind before I brush past him. The other guard signals me to the first vehicle and I comply, then Vance follows. The first guard impedes his path with an apologetic but halting hand raised.
"We are under strict orders," he clarifies. "You two are expected elsewhere. Your father wants to speak with you privately and the soon-to-be Governor demands his daughter."
I turn around fully to send Vance an emphatic look, nodding carefully.
"Call me as soon as you’re home," he makes me promise.