Chapter 933
Modern makeup techniques had reached an almost otherworldly level—no less effective than the ancient art of disguise. With enough skill, a man could become a woman, and a woman could just as easily pass as a man.
For Jamie, evading pursuit had never been easier.
Listoria City was under total lockdown. Every vehicle had to undergo inspection.
The driver glanced at the roadblock ahead and lowered his voice. “Mr. Walton, there’s a checkpoint.”
Jamie cast a brief look at Sharon, noting her complete stillness. His lips curved faintly as he replied, “What’s there to fear? They won’t recognize us anyway.”
Soon, their car rolled up to the inspection point.
Jamie signaled the driver with a glance.
The driver stepped out, handing over his license-along with a folded stack of bills hidden inside.
“We’re pressed for time,” the driver said smoothly. “I hope you’ll allow us through. There’s no one in this car you’re looking for. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to check.”
Through the half-lowered window, their conversation carried clearly into the backseat. Jamie had cooperated enough to open it, though only halfway.
Sharon, meanwhile, had been shoved beneath the floor mat like discarded baggage.
The inspectors ignored the bribe, leaning in to sweep their eyes across the interior.
“No one else inside?”
“Just the two of us,” the driver replied without hesitation.
All the while, Sharon lay motionless, her head bowed, body limp against the floor. She seemed unconscious-unable to move, unable to even cry for help.
Jamie’s lips curved with an almost imperceptible smirk.
He shot the inspectors a subtle glance.
They, of course, were part of his elaborate charade.
This had all been staged for one reason: to drive Sharon into utter despair before delivering her final collapse. He had deliberately left her exposed, dangling the illusion of rescue in front of her, only to snatch it away when hope flickered in her eyes. The moment she realized she had been betrayed-that, too, would be a delicious sight.
But Sharon remained unconscious, robbing him of his amusement.
Jamie clicked his tongue softly. There was no sense wasting more time toying with her. Julliard’s men were still searching, and every second counted.
“Let’s go,” he ordered.
The driver climbed back in, and the car slipped once more into motion.
Outside, the night stretched ink-black and endless. It was already deep into the small hours. The streets lay empty, traffic sparse. The driver deliberately took the quieter back routes, where silence pressed in heavy and suffocating.
All the while, Jamie listened to updates crackling in from his men.
1/2
The vehicle carrying Wendy had barely entered the main road before being spotted. A swarm of cars was already tailing them.
Every last one of his subordinates had been sent to draw the hunters away. Jamie kept only the driver by his side. The fewer people with him, the smaller the target.
Lex, on the other hand, hadn’t been so lucky. Though his own phone had been destroyed, his assistant’s had not-and it had been tracked. Another group was now trailing them.
In hindsight, splitting up from Lex had been the right move.
As the hours wore on, fatigue began to creep into Jamie’s bones. He leaned back, shut his eyes, and allowed the steady rumble of the road to lull him into uneasy rest, thoughts of his next steps drifting hazily at the edges of his mind.
He didn’t know how long he’d slept before it struck-a sudden, primal jolt of danger, the kind he hadn’t felt since brushing the edge of death.
His eyes snapped open just as a blade flashed across his vision, slicing past the corner of his eye.
2/2
