Chapter 255: Torn Between Paths

The moment I heard the name, Anna, my heart clenched. What's her game this time? Could something have happened to Grandma? If she’s targeting the Sanders, there’s no way she’d spare Grandma either. I panicked. Anna had already come dangerously close to harming Grandma before.

Carter Jung picked up the phone and quickly reassured me, seeing the worry on my face. “Don’t worry, Grandma’s fine. If she dares touch her, I’ll catch her red-handed. The hospital is covered in cameras; she’s not foolish enough to risk it.”

“Then what happened?”

“She didn’t return to the Hudsons’ residence. Instead, she drove to the seaside. The route she’s taking seems unusual. She may be meeting someone from her organization.”

We’d been holding back for so long, waiting for a chance to uncover the people behind her. Anna wasn’t stupid—she knew the police were suspicious of her. She hadn’t been to that repair shop even once lately. Now, though, she was headed to the coast, which was definitely strange.

“Carter, can we follow her from a distance, just to see?”

“Alright, as long as you don’t act impulsively.”

“Got it.”

We hurried to catch up. I couldn’t help but imagine the person behind Anna and what kind of figure they might be. Were they someone as old as Grandma, with decades of entanglement with the Sanders? What kind of face could match such malevolence?

A bodyguard joined us. “She’s being cautious—we can’t follow too closely.”

“Where is she now?”

“She went into a café.”

It was close to the New Year, and the area was packed with tourists. A vibrant night market bustled with activity at the seaside. Shops were crammed with customers, and the streets were alive.

Carter noticed my eagerness and said firmly, “No matter what, we can’t show ourselves.”

I reluctantly nodded. Small sacrifices prevent larger failures.

“Don’t worry. Our bodyguards are on it. If someone shows up, we’ll get something useful.”

“Okay.”

Sitting in the car, every passing second felt like torture. I watched the tourists laughing and moving about, their joy completely separate from mine. I scrutinized every person leaving the café, trying to find something unusual.

Suddenly, a slender woman emerged from the crowd. She immediately caught my attention. It was the festive season, and everyone’s faces were lit up with joyful smiles—but not hers. Her face was etched with terror, as though she were being chased by something—or someone—mercilessly closing in on her. She had delicate, frail limbs, swaying as if the wind might knock her over. Her steps were hurried, panicked, like a hunted animal. She seemed to be looking for a way to escape, but unfortunately, no cabs were available. That’s when she spotted our car. She dashed towards us without hesitation.

“Carter.”

Carter’s expression turned cold. “Damian, stay hidden.”

Damian hunched down, disappearing from view. From the windshield, it looked like no one was in the car. In the backseat, Carter and I sat in darkness, completely out of sight.

The woman stumbled to our windshield, pressing her hands against it, peering inside, desperate to find someone.

I whispered, “It looks like she’s asking for help.”

The ever-gentle Carter looked at me with an icy expression. “Chloe, excessive kindness often turns into the blade that cuts you. Everyone has their fate and their own path. Not interfering in someone else’s destiny can be its own form of compassion.” He looked like a god, sitting high above it all—watching the world with pity but refusing to get involved.

“I understand,” I murmured.

The woman’s pursuer emerged from the shadows—a tall man with an unhurried gait. Even through the car window, his presence was suffocating. He moved like a hunter, closing in on his prey, confident the exhausted animal couldn’t escape. When she saw him, her doe-like eyes filled with panic, glimmering with unshed tears. She tried to run again, but there were no options. Her hurried steps led to a clumsy fall.

I understood her plight. When fear and adrenaline take over, the body sometimes freezes or betrays you unexpectedly. It might seem dramatic, but in truth, she was utterly helpless.

She scrambled backward on the icy ground, her hands and knees trembling. Tears rolled down her pale cheeks, tracing her elegant jawline and falling to her slender neck. She was strikingly beautiful, with fair, delicate skin and long, soft hair framing her face. Only then did I notice—she wasn’t wearing any shoes.

Dressed in nothing but a thin, white velvet dress, she looked like she’d escaped from somewhere terrible. As she retreated, I caught sight of faint marks on her wrists and ankles. She had been restrained for a long time.

The man stalking her came closer, and I finally saw his face. It was unnervingly handsome, marked by a tear-shaped mole near his eye, which added a sinister charm to his otherwise cold expression. The closer he got, the broader his smirk became. He was enjoying this—the thrill of the chase.

The woman trembled in the freezing winter air, resembling a helpless little animal. As the man closed in, I couldn’t stop myself from starting to rise. But Carter pulled me back, his hand firm on my arm, pulling me into his embrace. His warm breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “Chloe, stay still!”