Chapter 30

Khloe's mood was already hanging by a thead. By the time she got back from a day of swallowing her anger,she unleashed it on her own apartment-crystal vases,picture frames, whatever was in reach took the brunt of her temper.

Neal knew words wouldn't calm her, so he settled on a different tactic-buy her a designer handbag,hoping the gesture might soften her edge.

What he didn't dare admit-at least not yet-was that he'd taken his mother to Qidence earlier.

Khloe's dislike for his mother had always been thinly veiled at best.

That meant he'd have to get her in a good mood before even thinking about telling her.

The problem was, his wallet wasn't exactly flush.Splurging wasn't on the table.

Eventually,his search ended with a modest handbag.

Khloe usually turned her nose up at anything too plain,but this one came in a rare shade-one her impressive closet hadn't claimed yet.

He was just about to flag down a saleswoman. "Hi,I'm looking for-"

The newcomer moved with a glow that seemed to command the room, and her face sparked an instant,nagging recognition.

Memory struck like a flash-he'd glimpsed that same figure earlier in the day, right outside the herbal pharmacy.

Could it be Eliana? The girl who used to come home dust-streaked from the fields? Wasn't she supposed to be dead? And yet,here she was-alive,breathtaking,and carrying herself like she'd never known dirt under her nails.

Neal's breath caught, his eyes fixed on the figure ahead.

He started to move toward her, ready to close the distance and be sure, when a man stepped into view right behind Eliana.

The newcomer wore a suit cut to perfection, his polished demeanor matched by the overly warm smile he aimed at Eliana.

Recognition clicked instantly-Carl. Neal had crossed paths with him a few times at the kind of parties he only attended because of Khloe.

For a split second, doubt crept in. Maybe it wasn't her after all.

He slipped behind a towering potted plant, phone already in hand, and pulled up Janessa's contact for a video call.

The screen lit up to Janessa dusting a shelf, hair tied back and sleeves rolled up.

Neal had put her in a downstairs unit precisely to avoid Khloe showing up at his place unannounced.

"What's going on, Neal? Are you finally introducing me to Khloe?" Janessa's eyes brightened with hope.

His tone stayed sharp. "That's not what this is about.I need you to tell me if this is Eliana."

Tilting his phone, he switched the camera and aimed it straight at the girl's face.

Shock flickered across Janessa's face, her voice sharp with disbelief. "I thought that bitch burned to death!How the hell is she still breathing?"

Neal's eyes narrowed, his tone clipped. "You're absolutely sure it's Eliana?" "Of course I'm sure," Janessa retorted without hesitation. "I'm the one who sold her to Emma."

The statement landed hard, slicing through Neal's thoughts like ice water.

So it was true-Eliana was alive. The questions came fast and relentless. Had she turned up in Qidence by accident, or was this calculated? Was she here to settle old scores? And Carl-what was he to her? A man from the Murray family didn't just fall into the orbit of someone with Eliana's past. If she decided to use him, would the Clarkes find out what his mother had done? Or would Eliana take it straight to the police?

Neal's head swirled with possibilities, but Janessa's expression showed not a shred of awareness of the danger curling around them.

Her voice bubbled with excitement as she continued,"If she's alive, that's even better! Emma still owes me the final payment. We can grab her again and sell her off for an even bigger payout. Qidence is full of rich people-the price would blow Emma's offer out of the water. Once we cash in, I can throw you a grand wedding,and the Clarkes won't dare look down on us."

Neal's patience frayed to its limit. Did she really think this was some lawless backwater where people could be snatched and sold like livestock? And no matter how lavish the wedding, he knew the truth-his family would never be considered a real match for the Clarke family.

"Enough!" Neal interjected sharply. "You should be hoping she doesn't go straight to the police."

Janessa scoffed, "Police? Why would we be scared of them? Khloe's on our side. We've got nothing to worry about."

Her ignorance made Neal's jaw tighten. She had no clue that the law didn't bend for anyone, no matter who stood behind them.

If things ever spiraled out of control, the Clarke family would turn their backs on him in a heartbeat-unless had already sealed the deal by marrying Khloe.

Exasperation edged his voice. "This is Qidence,not some lawless village! You know what, forget it. I'm done wasting my breath. I'm hanging up."

There was no point trying to reason with someone as clueless as Janessa.

He ended the call without another word, his eyes narrowing on Eliana in the distance.

Though his mother's words were somewhat foolish,they did remind him of something He needed to get his hands on Eliana. Leaving her free to move around was far too dangerous.

Qidence wasn't a quiet little town-it was worse. In a city where gangs could be bought with the right amount of cash, anything was possible.

As long as she kept breathing, Neal's life would never be free of that shadow. Which meant waiting for trouble to come knocking wasn't an option.

Across the store, Carl had already gathered several handbags and laid them out. "Lia, tell me which one you like."

Eliana's gaze drifted over the selection. None of the handbags struck her as practical;all form, no function -and certainly useless for carrying her medical kit.

"I'm not interested in any of these," she said plainly.

Carl blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

He hadn't expected that answer, not when every piece he'd chosen was from the latest trend lists.

Before he could respond, a saleswoman appeared with an iPad in hand. "Sir, our display is limited. If you'd like,you can browse on this. Anything you choose, I can have brought out from the warehouse." "Alright," Carl answered, taking the iPad and scrolling through the images, stopping now and then to turn the screen toward Eliana. "What about this one? Or this?"

His calm persistence was hard to miss-even Neal,lurking behind the cover of a tall plant, found himself surprised.

To Neal, that level of patience only meant one thing: Carl was trying to charm Eliana.

In his view, a man only would show such patience when he was courting a woman he hadn't won over yet.

That possibility made the situation far more tangled.

After all, even a weakened giant still cast a dangerous shadow. Going up against Carl was like stepping in front of a moving train-Neal knew it was suicide without a solid plan.

An idea struck, and he immediately pulled out his phone. "Vulture Brotherhood, right? Still taking jobs?I've got a target for you-need her taken, fast."

Once the terms were settled, he drifted toward a saleswoman,leaning in tospeak quietly.

Her brow furrowed. "I'm not sure we're allowed to do that."

"Not allowed?" Neal's voice dropped to a chill. "Do you have any idea who l am? I'mn Khloe Clarke's fiancé."

Everyone in the store knew Khloe's status as a VIP client, and this saleswoman had seen Neal by her side more than once.

A few seconds of hesitation passed before she decided he wasn't worth crossing. She gave a small nod and made her way over to Carl.

"Sir, the iPad isn't the best for browsing.Would you like to see the selection in our warehouse?"

Carl agreed easily. "Sounds good. Lia, let's go check it out."

The saleswoman quickly added, "I'm afraid our policy doesn't allow outside guests. Two would draw attention. Only one person can come."

Eliana leaned back, her tone lazy. "Carl, just pick one for me. I'll wait here."

"Alright. I'll make it a surprise," Carl said with a smile before following the saleswoman toward the warehouse.

Shopping had never been Eliana's idea of a good time.A yawn slipped out as she turned toward the store's sofa,ready to sink into it, when a blur of movement crossed her path.

Her gaze sharpened instantly-something about the stride, the build-looked far too much like Neal.

"Hey! Stop right there!" The words left her mouth before she even thought about it.

The man ahead suddenly picked up speed.

That reaction told her everything she needed to know.

Without a second's hesitation, Eliana pushed forward and went after him.