He Didn’t Kidnap Me. Not Exactly novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Silence.

I dropped my bag, pulled out my math textbooks, and placed them on the table like I had every intention of studying. A even opened one, stared at it, closed it.

“…later,” I decided.

I moved to my bed and dropped onto it, face-first, giving gravity victory over me. But just five minutes: that was the plan.

Five minutes to reset my brain, five minutes to not think about suspicious cars, mafia-adjacent men, failing math competitions, dr the general collapse of my life.

The front door suddenly clicked open so that I pushed myself up slightly. “Lillian?”

No answer.

I stepped out of my room, expecting to see her loud entrance or hear her already talking about something she found interesting.

Instead: DeLuca.

He walked in like he owned silence itself.

I straightened a little. “Oh. Hey.”

He didn’t respond, didn’t nod, didn’t acknowledge the greeting. Instead, he looked at me and said, flat and direct: “You left school without telling me.”

I paused. …yeah.”

I folded my arms loosely, trying to keep it casual. “I was done with my classes. I was tired. I thought you’d be busy with training or whatever you had going on, so I just came home.”

He stepped further into the room, his expression unchanged. “You don’t do that.”

The air shifted, just like that. Everything turned to seriousness, but I was in for it.

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

You inform me before you leave, then I acknowledge if you can go alone,” he continued. “That was the agreement.”

Something in me snapped.

I had a rough day, I said, my voice tightening. I was tired. I wanted to come home and rest my head. I didn’t think I needed to submit a full report of my movements like I’m under a medical experiment.”

“You are under surveillance and it requires doing exactly that,” he said calmly.

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