She's My Sleeping Pill

Chapter 963: ON THE RUN

"Get inside first, I need to talk to the security team," Stefan said and kissed his wife’s cheek before ushering to their room. As soon as she disappeared from his sight, he went to the garden where his men waited for him.

Stefan stood motionless as Rey laid out the grim architecture of the betrayal, detailing both the results of the investigation and the deteriorating state of Nikolai’s situation. As the final piece of the puzzle clicked into place, the air in the room seemed to thicken with a sudden, oppressive chill. Stefan’s hands balled into white-knuckled fists, his jaw tightening until his teeth ground together in a display of raw, seething fury. The truth was far more venomous than he had anticipated.

"Keep this from Yen," Stefan commanded, his voice a low, dangerous vibration. He didn’t need to look at Rey to know the man understood the gravity of the directive. With a sharp, dismissive motion, he signaled for Rey to depart. "You already have your orders. Proceed without hesitation."

He stared into the distance, his eyes cold and unforgiving. "I don’t care what history we shared or the blood that binds us. I have granted forgiveness time and time again, weathering their transgressions for the sake of the past. But they have finally crossed a line that cannot be uncrossed. Even if it was merely an attempt to harm Zeki, the intent alone is a death sentence for our relationship. This time, there will be no mercy."

***

At exactly two in the afternoon, Julia sat huddled in the corner of a dimly lit café, her features obscured by oversized sunglasses that seemed to swallow her small face. The vibrant hum of the city felt worlds away as she stared at her phone, her thumb hovering over the screen. She had sent a dozen messages to the man she’d hired to confirm his location, but every single one had remained chillingly unread since the previous night.

"That bastard!" she hissed under her breath, the words sharp enough to cut through the steam of the café. She took a sharp, agitated sip of her juice, the sweetness turning to ash in her mouth. "If he fails this time, I have no other choice but to do it myself."

The weight of her hidden agenda felt heavier with every passing minute of silence. Then, her phone vibrated—not with the confirmation she expected, but a summons from her husband. He wanted her at the airport immediately. Confusion clouded her expression, a rare flicker of vulnerability breaking through her cold exterior. She didn’t understand the sudden request, but in a world where he was the only soul who truly cared for her, she didn’t hesitate. She stood, adjusted her glasses, and walked out into the heat, leaving her unfinished plans behind.

The moment Daryl caught sight of his wife, a jagged breath of relief escaped his lungs. He didn’t waste a second on sentiment; he met her halfway, his fingers locking around her wrist as he hurried her toward the boarding area. The luxury of time had vanished. He had already secured tickets for the next outbound flight, but the sixty-minute countdown felt like an eternity.

Every ticking second in that terminal was a gamble. He kept his chin tucked and his eyes moving, scanning the shifting crowds for a familiar face or a lethal silhouette. To anyone else, they were just another couple rushing for a gate; to Daryl, they were prey out in the open. He knew better than to relax. In this volatile window, a single slip-up or a delayed departure wouldn’t just mean a missed flight—it would mean their lives. One hour was all that stood between them and a clean escape, or a permanent end.

At the sight of his wife, Daryl exhaled in relief and met her halfway to drag her to the boarding area. They needed to leave as soon as they could. He already bought tickets to the next flight which would depart in an hour.

However, he couldn’t lower his guard within this period. Anything could happen in the next one hour and their life will be in jeopardy.

"What’s the problem?" Julia gasped, her chest heaving as she struggled to match Daryl’s frantic, uneven stride. The terminal blurred around them, a dizzying smear of neon and rushing travelers. "Daryl, talk to me. Where are we going?"

"Anywhere," he snapped, the word sharp with desperation. He didn’t look back. His focus was fixed entirely on the path ahead, his knuckles white where he gripped her hand. "Anywhere is fine, Julia, as long as it’s away from here."

Beneath the forced grit in his voice, she heard it—a raw, jagged tremor of terror. He wasn’t just nervous; he was coming apart at the seams. Julia slowed for a fraction of a heartbeat, her eyes tracing the tense, familiar line of his shoulders. The man who was always her anchor, her steady North Star, was now fleeing like a ghost was at his heels.

Cold realization dived into her stomach, turning her blood to ice. She stopped resisting the pull of his hand and leaned into the momentum.

"You knew," she whispered, the words barely audible over the airport. "Daryl... you knew this was coming."

"Yes," he admitted, the syllable heavy and hollow, like a stone dropped into a well.

The air seemed to vanish from the corridor. "Since when?" Julia pressed, her voice fracturing.

"Our wedding day."

The revelation hit her with the force of a physical blow. The memory of their vows—once a shield of gold and silk—now felt like a beautifully wrapped death warrant. Silent, hot tears began to spill, tracking tracks through the dust on her cheeks and splashing onto the back of Daryl’s hand. The warmth of her grief seemed to burn right through his skin.

Daryl’s frantic momentum finally broke. He skidded to a halt, the terminal’s chaotic noise fading into a dull hum as he spun around and hauled her into the sanctuary of his chest. He held her with a ferocity that bordered on desperation, his chin resting atop her head.

"I’m sorry," Julia sobbed into the fabric of his coat, her voice muffled by his embrace. "Daryl, I’m so sorry for dragging you into this nightmare."

"It doesn’t matter. I - shit. We have to hurry," Daryl pulled her to a run when he saw Stefan’s men in the crowd. Unfortunately, this action just caught the attention of their pursuers.