Love On Ice: Don’t Leave Me, My Charming Liar

Chapter 17: The officer noticed her distress and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Take a moment if you need to." Nyla nodded, biting her lip hard enough to draw blood. After a few moments, she dialed another number-one she had hoped never to use unless it was absolutely necessary. Ten minutes later, a tall man in a crisp black suit strode into the station. His piercing gaze softened slightly as he took in the red mark on her face and the disheveled state of her dress. "Who did this to you?" he asked, his voice low and measured, though anger simmered beneath the surface.

"Austen," Nyla whispered, her eyes glassy. He stepped closer, gently resting a hand on her head. "It's okay now. I'll handle this. Let's get you home." After completing the necessary paperwork, Austen helped her out of the station. As they walked to his car, he glanced at the bloodstains on her coat. "What happened? Is that his blood?" Nyla nodded slowly. "It was Trevor Fowler. He tried to assault me. Ryland set us on a date and wanted me to marry him." She kept her words short, but Austen felt there was more to the story. A sympathetic ache stirred in his heart. Austen's jaw tightened.

"Why didn't Vicki stop it?" Nyla gave a hollow laugh. Vicki dressed her up, made sure she looked perfect, and practically handed her over to Trevor. "My mom insisted I meet him." Austen fell silent, his expression complex. He knew something about what had happened back then, but he was helpless. His mother had advised him to stay away from the Greens when the disaster was unfolding.

"Nyla, you could-" Lose yourself in stories on gαℓησνs․com "Austen, I appreciate everything you've done for me, but I can't drag you into this any further," she said, her voice firm despite the tears brimming in her eyes. She knew he wanted her to leave the Brooks family. As she stepped toward Austen's car, something caught her eye. Parked by the curb was a familiar black vehicle. Ethan's car. Nyla couldn't see Ethan from her vantage point, yet she felt the weight of his presence, as though those brooding eyes were fixed directly on her.

"Is something wrong?" Austen asked, catching her gaze lingering on the car parked nearby. They stood close together, the air heavy with unspoken tension, when the driver's door of Ethan's car opened. Jackson Reed, Ethan's assistant, stepped out, his expression unreadable as his eyes landed on her. "Miss Green, Mr. Brooks would like you to get in the car," Jackson said evenly, his voice deliberate. Nyla hesitated, an unease knotting in her stomach. Austen scoffed. "Someone from the Brooks family? What is this, a carrot after the stick?" . . .