Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 90

Soon, the car aggressively pulled up in front of a dilapidated apartment complex. Julian killed the engine, unbuckled his seatbelt, and turned to glare at Hazel. His eyes were entirely devoid of warmth, his voice cold and sharp. "Get out."

Hazel didn't move. She just stared out the window. The building looked ancient and condemned, the exterior paint peeling away in massive chunks, and old newspapers taped haphazardly over broken windows. The flickering lights in the stairwell made the place look like it could collapse at any second, sending a distinct chill down her spine.

She had no idea where Sean was hiding, but an overwhelming sense of dread was already curling in her stomach.

"Tell me! What kind of deal did you make with Sean Sutton?" Julian's voice snapped from beside her, loaded with poorly contained fury.

Hazel turned her head and met his gaze. Her eyes were completely flat, betraying zero emotion. "I didn't do anything."

To Julian, that look meant she was dead set on denying her crimes to the bitter end.

His jaw clenched tightly, his voice rising sharply as he stared at the woman in front of him, feeling as though he had never actually known her at all. "Hazel, we are way past lying. I've already called the police. Sean is going down, and you are his accomplice. Don't for a second think I'm going to show you mercy just because you're my wife!"

"You know me better than that. I don't let people off the hook for things like this."

Hazel didn't respond. She just sat there, looking him right in the eye, her gaze as still and dead as stagnant water.

Her unbothered silence infuriated him even more. He wrenched his gaze away, taking a sharp breath to forcefully shove down the rage boiling in his chest.

"Hazel, I genuinely thought you were a decent person. I never imagined you were capable of something this vile. I am so incredibly disappointed in you."

He violently shoved his door open, marched around the hood of the car, yanked the passenger door open, and grabbed Hazel by the arm, dragging her out into the cold air.

Hazel stumbled, her heels twisting awkwardly on the cracked, uneven pavement. She nearly ate concrete, but Julian didn't bother to catch her. He didn't even look back.

"What are you doing?!" Hazel demanded, her brow furrowing deeply.

Julian ignored her, hauling her toward the entrance of the building. The motion-sensor lights in the stairwell were busted; the only illumination came from the pale moonlight filtering through the shattered windows, barely lighting up the concrete steps.

As he dragged her up the stairs, their footsteps echoed loudly in the cavernous, empty stairwell. A bizarre, terrifying sensation crept up Hazel's spine, her chest tightening with panic.

The elevator doors finally opened, and Julian hit the button for the top floor. They were the only two inside. Julian stared dead ahead at the metal doors, his jaw locked, radiating a terrifying, suffocating tension.

Hazel stood behind him, staring at his broad shoulders. Her heart squeezed. Suddenly, the man standing in front of her felt like a total stranger.

She violently thrashed against her restraints, the ropes biting painfully into her skin. Blind panic set in. If this backfired, what exactly was Sean going to do to her?

"Julian! I'm in here! Help me!" Evelyn shrieked, pure terror bleeding into her voice.

Even if she couldn't drag Hazel down with her, she had to get out of this alive!

Hearing her scream, Julian's face tightened. "Evelyn, don't be afraid! I'm right here!"

He locked eyes with Sean, his glare murderous. "I'm going to say this one last time. Let Evelyn go."

Sean sneered, blowing a thick cloud of smoke right into the hallway. The haze drifted under the dim, flickering bulb.

He tilted his head, looking at Julian with absolute mockery. "Didn't I tell you to hand your wife over so I could have some fun? Are you deaf?"

Hazel stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold with icy detachment. The veins on Julian's arms bulged as he practically snarled, "Never."

Hazel glanced at him, genuinely surprised. Just as she did, the blaring wail of police sirens erupted from the street below. Sean's smug expression instantly vanished in a flash of panic. "You called the fucking cops?!"