Chapter 307

Liam could see the storm of emotions swirling in Evelyn's eyes - worry, fear, something deeper he couldn't name. The way she clutched her bag told him more than words ever could.

He stepped out of the armored vehicle, boots crunching on the debris-strewn ground. The purple haze hung thick in the air between them.

Evelyn's hands trembled as she fumbled with a fresh dust mask. Before he could speak, she was reaching up, her fingers brushing against his jaw as she secured the straps. That simple touch sent electricity down his spine.

"Liam, the contamination levels are lethal," she whispered, her voice barely audible through her own mask. "You can't be out here unprotected."

"Turn around," he commanded, ignoring the way his pulse jumped at her proximity. "This isn't your fight."

Her chin lifted in that stubborn way he remembered too well. "Let me help. I have skills you need right now."

"We're at critical staffing levels." Liam gestured to the devastation around them. "I can't spare anyone to escort you back. Leave. Now."

The wind carried the acrid scent of burning chemicals between them. Evelyn didn't flinch. "I'm not asking permission, Commander Blackwood. I'm telling you I can solve this."

That old ache flared in his chest. "After everything you said? After walking away?" His voice roughened. "We're nothing to each other, remember?"

A beat of silence. Then, quietly: "I'm registered with Disaster Relief Corps. My credentials check out."

The bureaucratic answer shouldn't have stung, but it did. Liam turned away before she could see the effect she still had on him. "Your services aren't required."

"Liam." Her voice stopped him mid-stride. "Twelve hours post-detonation and your chem teams still can't neutralize this compound, can they?" She stepped closer. "I can have a counteragent synthesized in three hours."

When he turned, her gaze held the same fierce intelligence that had first drawn him to her. "Solterra University. Advanced chemical engineering." She tapped her temple. "You've seen what I can do."

Against his better judgment, Liam found himself nodding. The car door clicked open. "Get in."

Evelyn gestured to a black SUV idling behind them. "Rosalind's driving. We'll follow your lead."

Something dark flickered in Liam's eyes before he slammed his door shut. The convoy moved cautiously through the wreckage zone, the air growing thicker with each mile.

The military base loomed ahead, miraculously untouched by the blast. Through the bulletproof glass, Rosalind's awestruck whisper carried: "It's like a city unto itself. Thank God the detonation wasn't here."

Evelyn's fingers tightened around her seatbelt. "Careful with your words," she murmured. "No one can know who I really am."

Rosalind nodded, eyes scanning the armed patrols. "Keep your head down, Ms. Wright. We'll get through this."