Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 258

Chapter 258

After watching those FBI agents retreat with their talls between their legs, Jade decided to head to the hospital. The cybersecurity drama had wasted enough of her time, and she was curious about how Silas’s mother was doing. The last time she’d seen her, the doctors hadn’t been optimistic.

The hospital corridors were quiet in the evening hours, the fluorescent lights casting everyone in that sickly greenish tint that made even healthy people look half–dead. As she approached Mrs. Murphy’s room, Jade noticed Silas walking in with a paper bag that smelled like chicken soup. She hung back, not wanting to intrude on their family time, but the dour remained slightly ajar.

“I saw on the news what happened, Silas,” his mother’s weak voice filtered through the gap. The nurses were talking about it too. That social media blackout and the video of you at the garage.”

Jade leaned against the wall beside the door, her enhanced hearing picking up their conversation easily.

nothing. Mom. Silas reassured her. “Everything’s fine now. Jade is fine too.”

There was a pause, followed by rustling sounds–probably Silas arranging the food.

*Your father hasn’t come looking g for you, has he?” Mrs. Murphy asked, her voice tight with worry.

“No.” Silas replied curtly.

Jade heard a shaky sigh. “If he can’t find me, he’ll take it out on you. He always does.”

“I’m not afraid of him,” Silas said firmly.

Mrs. Murphy’s voice cracked with emotion. “You were only seven when he threatened to kill me because I wouldn’t give him money for gambling. You were so small, but you stood in front of me, saying you’d fight him. You didn’t even flinch when he threw that bottle at

you.

“Let’s not talk about the past, Mom,” Silas cut her off. And let’s not talk about him either.”

His mother quickly changed the subject. “How are things with that Jade girl? Is she still tutoring you?”

“Yeah,” Silas replied, his voice softening slightly. “She’s helped me a lot.”

“She seems like such a good person,” his mother said. “When we’re back on our feet, we need to find a way to repay her kindness.”

Jade backed away from the door. As she turned to leave, she caught sight of a nurse heading toward Mrs. Murphy’s room with medication. She slipped around the corner, but her curiosity got the better of her. After the nurse left, she circled back, staying out of sight.

“Silas, I think we should stop the treatment,” Mrs. Murphy was saying, her voice barely above a whisper. I want to go home.”

“Mom, no,” Silas protested.

“We don’t have insurance. The daily costs are too high,” she continued. “I can’t watch you work yourself to death trying to pay for this.”

“Till figure something out,” Silas insisted, his voice tight with determination.

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12:29 Sat, Sep 27

Chapter 258

AO

By the time lade got back to her apartment building, the sky had darkened completely. She spotted a familiar black Maybach parked outside, its sleek silhouette unmistakable even in the dim street lighting. Ethan was sitting in the back seat, his head tilted back against the headrest, eyes closed. Connor sat alert in the driver’s seat, scrolling through his phone.

Connor noticed her first and nudged than, who straightened immediately and stepped out of the car. The strong smell of cigarettes clung to him–a lot of cigarettes, like he’d been chain–smoking for hours. His usually impeccable appearance was slightly disheveled, with dark circles under his eyes and his the loosened.

“Just got here,” he said, his casual tone contradicting the rumpled state of his suit.

“Right,” Jade replied, eyeing the cigarette butts in the nearby trash can. The volume suggested he’d been waiting for quite some time. “0721.”

Ethan’s brow furrowed, “What?”

“The building code. For the main entrance,” she clarified, gesturing toward the door.

A small smile played on his lips as he handed her a thermos. The warmth seeped through her fingers immediately.

“It’s late,” he said. “Did you resolve everything?”

jade decided to be honest. “Silas’s mother suddenly got worse.

Ethan’s expression softened slightly as she accepted the thermos. “My chef made soup. I thought you might be hungry.”

She looked at the e thermos, then back at him. “Want to come up?”

He hesitated, a conflicted look crossing his face. “No, it’s late. You should eat and get some rest.”

“Okay,” she said, but neither of them moved.

They

stood there in awkward silence, the cool night air swirling around them. It had been over two weeks since they’d properly other, and it felt like they both had things to say but couldn’t find the right words.

ly seen each

“I should go, Ethan finally said, turning back toward his car.

Something tugged inside Jade–an unfamiliar impulse she couldn’t quite identify. Maybe it was the genuine concern in his eyes, or the fact that he’d clearly been waiting for hours just to bring her soup.

“Ethan,” she called out.

When he turned, she grabbed his silk tie and pulled him down to her level. His eyes widened in surprise as she pressed her lips against his in a brief, soft kiss. His lips were warm, slightly chapped from the cold air, and he smelled like expensive cologne mixed with cigarette

smoke.

She felt him freeze for a split second before he began to respond, but she pulled away before it could deepen. From the comer of her eye, she caught Connor’s shocked expression from the driver’s seat, followed by the accidental honk of the horn as he fumbled with his phone.

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12:29 Sat, Sep 27…

Chapter 258

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