Chapter 1289

Shock flooded Sadie’s mind, leaving everything spinning. The river where Tina’s body was discovered… What reason could Blaine possibly have for being there?

A heavy dread gripped her, squeezing tighter with each second. Her voice shook as she said, “Don’t lose sight of him. I’m coming now.” Volume rose as panic overwhelmed her.

Hanging up, Sadie felt her strength drain away and the color fade from her cheeks. Noah, who had been watching her closely, noticed every nuance of her reaction. Silence stretched between them as she slipped her phone into her pocket; he didn’t need to ask what had happened. Tires screeched as the black sedan swung around, and Noah pressed the accelerator, racing back along the road they had just traveled.

Thirty minutes later, the black sedan barreled down the riverside road, tires sending pebbles flying as it screeched to a halt. Before the car had even stopped, Sadie yanked the door open and stumbled onto the muddy ground. Terror thrummed in her chest, each heartbeat so loud she thought her heart might burst from her throat.

Please, anything but the worst, she begged silently, fear clawing at her resolve.

Police tape still marked the riverbank, though the crowds and camera flashes had long since faded, leaving only a few bodyguards standing at silent attention. Sadie’s frantic gaze swept the shoreline, searching for any sign of Blaine.

At last, she spotted him—a lone figure huddled in a quiet corner. Blaine sat with his back to her, empty liquor bottles scattered around him, lost to the world. His posture was slumped, his entire frame quivering with silent misery and a depth of loss that seemed to swallow him whole.

Relief washed over Sadie the moment she saw him alive, even if grief and alcohol had left him barely holding on. Alive was all she needed to see—her heart could finally unclench. A shaky breath escaped her lips, tangled with both gratitude and lingering anxiety, as she took a hesitant step forward.

Before she could go any farther, a steady, comforting hand closed around her arm. She glanced over at Noah, gentle yet unwavering, confusion flickering in her gaze as she searched his face for answers.noveldrama

A subtle nod and calm, thoughtful eyes told her everything she needed; Noah was urging patience, asking her to wait. He sensed her urge to reach out but recognized that Blaine needed something different in this moment. Certain kinds of anguish could only be eased by another man’s presence. “Let me handle this,” Noah said quietly, his tone smooth and resolute, leaving no room for doubt.

As Sadie watched the firm set of his jaw and the steady focus in his eyes, a quiet warmth rose in her chest. For a moment she hovered, torn, before finally giving a silent nod of approval. Something deep inside her admitted that Noah’s instincts might be the right call. Perhaps men really did have their own unspoken language for moments like these.

One more anxious glance drifted to Blaine, hunched and shivering in the morning chill, his figure nearly swallowed by sorrow. Sadie tore her eyes away with effort and turned on her heel to make her way into the nearby Nirvana. Answers had to be hiding somewhere within those walls, clues to Tina’s tragedy and the tampered surveillance that still gnawed at her mind.

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Sadie vanished through Nirvana’s doorway, leaving Noah alone with Blaine. He stepped closer until he settled beside the grieving man, offering a gentle pat on the shoulder as a silent gesture of support. Blaine stayed frozen in place, unmoving, a man carved out of grief and regret.

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