Chapter 832: Can I Hug You?

"You... hurry up and leave."

Preston Vance no longer had the strength to keep up with her. The wound on his back was in agonizing pain, so excruciating that he could barely stand. If she kept supporting him, he would only drag her down, and neither of them would be able to escape. So right now, he had to make her leave alone.

Under the pitch-black Nyx sky, Chloe Reed’s breathing was erratic and trembling. Her face was deathly pale as she crouched down and tightly gripped Preston’s arm.

"Don’t be afraid..." Preston tried his best to keep his voice steady, refusing to let her hear even the slightest tremor. "I’ll find a place to hide. I’ll be fine. With such a massive commotion going on, someone will definitely notice. We’ll be rescued soon."

Chloe’s eyes stung with tears, and her chest felt suffocatingly tight. She was consumed by guilt and sorrow, but this was not the time to dwell on her emotions. She understood what Preston was trying to do, but he couldn’t even move anymore. How was he supposed to hide?

Those mercenaries were ruthless machines driven purely by money. Setting the fire to cause a distraction had undoubtedly enraged them. They wouldn’t spare a single living soul they came across.

Chloe took a deep breath. "I’ll... help you... hide."

Then, she would leave.

Preston let out a helpless sigh. "Chloe, don’t waste any more time..."

However, Chloe ignored him. She stubbornly held onto his arm and forcefully pulled him up. Inside the stable, there was a break room where the breeders usually rested.

Chloe struggled to support Preston as they made their way inside. She sat him down in a corner. "I... won’t let anything... happen to you."

With that, she stood up to leave.

But Preston suddenly grabbed her wrist. His hand was freezing and lacked strength; Chloe could have shaken him off with a simple flick of her arm. She didn’t. Instead, she turned around to look at him.

"Chloe, can I... get a hug?" Preston asked, his voice strained.

His tone was extremely cautious. His glasses had been lost somewhere along the way, and his eyes were now filled with a tentative, probing gaze. He was extraordinarily nervous, desperate to know if he held even the tiniest place in her heart.

Chloe hadn’t expected him to make such a request. The situation was critical, and this was hardly the time to think about such things.

She turned her hand over and grasped his. "Preston, you... will be... fine."

So, he shouldn’t worry, shouldn’t be afraid, and shouldn’t test the waters. That was a promise she couldn’t give.

Preston forced a bitter smile and slowly released her hand. "Okay. Go quickly. You must stay safe and absolutely cannot take any risks."

"Mhm," Chloe replied, nodding solemnly. She immediately turned and hurried out of the room.

Her silhouette quickly disappeared, and her footsteps faded into the distance. Preston briefly closed his eyes. An unknown amount of time passed before the door was pushed open, and a figure appeared in front of him.

"Sir, you need medical treatment."

"..."

Chloe’s figure remained concealed in the darkness as she searched for a way out. She tightly gripped the handgun. Along the way, she had already taken down a few mercenaries, but they had received the message and were beginning to converge on her location.

Her heart sank bit by bit. She could already feel the Grim Reaper’s scythe hovering above her head; a single moment of carelessness would result in her immediate death.