?Chapter 1039:

He paused, then added, “Only when she’s been hurt enough—only when life outside beats her down—will she finallye back to me and stay.”

A shadow crossed his face. “Like a pet that runs off and returns tame. Love isn’t about sheltering her from everything. It’s about letting her see the difference betweenfort and chaos. Between safety—and theck of it.”

He turned his head slightly toward the man. “Understand?”

The man nodded quickly, still shaken. “Y-yes. I understand.”

Whether he truly did, Daxton didn’t seem to care. He cast him one final nce before turning back to the hospital.

“Have someone keep eyes on Lise. And you—dig up something on Alethea. I want leverage. We can’t afford surprises.”

“Understood. Mr. Garcia, your foresight is—”

The man stopped as Daxton abruptly opened the car door, having spotted a familiar figure.

“Spare me the ttery,” Daxton said, stepping out and mming the door behind him. Without another word, he headed through the hospital gates.

Carrie searched the hospital garden, eyes scanning every corner, but Daxton was nowhere in sight.

Just as she was about to head to the small convenience store outside to borrow a power bank for her dead phone, a familiar voice called out from behind.

“Carrie, why did youe down here?”

She turned to see Daxton approaching, and the tension in her chest eased immediately.

A soft smile spread across her face as she walked toward him. “Albin barely made it,” she said gently. “Now that he’s safe, I feel relieved. He and Camille are together—no reason for me to hover around as a third wheel.”

“The night’s getting chilly,” Daxton said, slipping off his coat and draping it over her shoulders. “You’re pregnant, and you can’t take medication. You need to be extra careful. Why didn’t you call me toe down and get you?”

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Carrie hadn’t felt cold until he mentioned it, but she epted the gesture and pulled the coat tighter around her. “My phone died,” she exined with a sheepish shrug. “I was going to charge it.”

Daxton didn’t press further. “Come on. I’ll take you back.”

They had only taken a few steps when Carrie suddenly paused, her expression shifting. “When I was waiting for the elevator earlier… I felt like someone was following me.”

Daxton’s brow furrowed. “Did you see who it was?”

He immediately recalled the report he’d received—Lise was already in Isonridge. It clicked.

If Lise had been bold enough to make a move at the hospital—with Kristopher’s team upstairs and Albin and Camille present—she’d be caught in minutes.

Carrie shook her head. “Just two nurses. It’s probably nothing. Maybe I’m being too paranoid.”

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