Goodbye, Saintess. Novel

Chapter 450 As I gazed up at the mountain road leading to the temple , a sudden thought struck me . " This looks like the same Awakenist temple Hera used to visit all the time . " My brow furrowed . " Could she be the one pulling the strings behind Luke ? " Knowing that woman's venomous nature , it wouldn't have surprised me if she had sunk that low . " But Edge Inc. was already investigated and shut down . All of Hera's assets were supposed to be seized by the court . How could she possibly have the means to come after me again ?

" I tightened my grip on the steering wheel , my thoughts circling as the car climbed the winding road . Even though I had been working nonstop these past few weeks , I had still found time to quietly dig into the scandal that nearly destroyed Sleeping Giant not long ago . " Dan's handler ... turned out to be Edmund , " I muttered . " But where would he get that kind of power ? Still , Edmund should be behind bars . There's no way he could've teamed up with Hera . " My eyes narrowed . " Unless the two of them were being directed by the same person from the very beginning ?

" By the time I reached the temple entrance , my mind was a storm of unanswered questions . But one thing was certain : finding Luke was the key . Once I had him , everything else would fall into place . Unfortunately , I hadn't anticipated the crowd . For some reason , the temple was overflowing with people that day . Pilgrims and tourists came in waves , praying for blessings . Built halfway up the mountain , the temple could only be reached on foot , so I joined the steady stream climbing upward . Nearly two hours passed before I reached the final flight of stone steps .

The path opened up , and the crowd began to thin as I entered the main courtyard . " Great , " I muttered , rubbing my temple . " With this many people , how the hell am I supposed to find him ? " Just as I sighed in frustration , the universe cut me a break . The moment I stepped through the temple gates , I spotted Luke exiting from the opposite side . But luck could turn fast . He looked up at that exact moment and saw me too . Our eyes locked . " Dr. Skye , " I called , forcing a smile as I buried the fire rising in my chest . I started toward him .

The instant he sensed danger , his expression changed . He spun on his heel and ran . " Stop ! " I barked . " You bastard , I knew you were hiding something ! " No point pretending anymore . I charged after him , pushing through the crowd . Under normal circumstances , my firefighter training would've made catching him easy . But here on the mountain , the crush of people made it chaotic . Luke wasn't tall or broad - his average frame slipped easily between others as he wove toward the descending path . Within seconds , I lost sight of him . Even so , I knew exactly where he was headed .

" The trail ahead is the fastest way down . That's where he went . He has to still be close. " 1/2 Chapter 450 +25 Bonus I gritted my teeth and pushed forward , but the crowd thickened again as soon as I reached the downhill path . " Damn it , " I hissed . Scanning the mass of people below , I finally caught a glimpse of him - his slightly balding head bobbing among the crowd . He was already 5 , maybe ten feet ahead . With the slope , the bodies in between , and the narrow steps , there was no way to close the gap without causing a scene . " Dr. Skye ! " I shouted . It was useless .

I could only stand there helplessly , watching as he disappeared farther down the trail . Then , as if my voice had reached him , he turned . For a brief moment , our eyes met again . This time , his weathered face showed no smugness , only exhaustion . A faint , bitter resignation , and something that looked almost like regret . What did that expression mean ? ADMINJ