Chapter 295
“Thank you.”
“For what? Since when did you become so polite?” Khloe’s voice was still thick with sleep, but she was already more alert now. Something in Nick’s tone felt different—softer, almost unsettled.
Nick gave a quiet laugh. “It’s just… no one’s ever waited up for me like this before.”
“That’s it?” she murmured. Then, after a pause, she added more seriously, “Alright. From now on, I’ll wait for you whenever you come back late. As long as you’re happy, that’s enough.”
“Khloe…” His voice lowered slightly. “You’re this good to me… is it because you feel you should be, or because you actually like me?”
That question instantly chased away her drowsiness.
Her grip on the phone tightened a little as warmth crept into her face.
“Well… being good to someone out of responsibility is one thing,” she said carefully, “but I can’t be kind to someone I don’t like.”
The last part slipped out softer than she intended, almost like she regretted admitting it.
And yet she didn’t take it back.
A brief silence followed on the line.
Then Nick’s voice returned, quieter than before. “I’ll remember that.”
Something about his tone made her chest feel oddly warm, like a small weight had settled there—comforting, grounding.
Before she could respond, he said, “Go to sleep.”
“You should rest too,” she replied softly. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Mm.”
The call ended.
Nick lowered his phone slowly. His expression softened in a way no one else ever saw.
All he wanted now was to finish everything here quickly and return to the place where someone was waiting for him.
…
The next morning, the mountain region was covered in a thin layer of mist. Clouds hung low, softening the jagged edges of the peaks. The atmosphere was quiet, almost surreal, as the team moved through the final stage of filming.
Nick went through the schedule with full professionalism, speaking only when necessary. His distance was deliberate—minimal eye contact, minimal interaction.
Michelle stayed nearby, camera in hand, quietly observing him.
By the time they reached the observation deck, the crew was preparing for the final group shot.
Nick stepped into position first, posture straight, expression composed. Michelle followed behind with the equipment.
The moment she stepped forward—
Her foot slipped.
A sharp gasp escaped her throat as her body pitched forward toward the edge.
The observation deck was only partially completed. The railing was unfinished, leaving gaps that exposed a steep drop down the mountainside. One wrong fall here wouldn’t be survivable.
And Nick was the closest.
Everything happened in a split second.
He moved instantly.
His hand shot out and seized her arm, yanking her back with controlled force. Michelle collided against his chest—but only for a moment.
In the same motion, he pushed her away again, steadying her at arm’s length before she could cling or fall into him.
No hesitation. No lingering contact.
A faint camera shutter clicked somewhere in the background, freezing the moment from a distance.
Nick glanced at her once.
“Be more careful.”
His tone was cold, clipped, already turning away.
He immediately signaled Lenny to bring the bodyguards forward and secure the area.
Michelle held her arm where his grip had tightened. It still stung faintly.
He had saved her without hesitation—but the way he pushed her away afterward was even clearer.
She wasn’t someone he would ever allow closeness with.
And yet… she was still alive because he had reacted first.
Her gaze drifted back to the edge she had nearly fallen from.
One step further and she would have been gone.
…
Two hours later, the shoot finally ended.
The crew began packing equipment, and the assisting children were guided away by the team leader. The mountain air felt calmer now, as if nothing had happened.
Nick didn’t linger.
The moment they were done, he was already thinking about leaving—about calling Khloe once he got into the car.
But before anyone could fully disperse—
A deep vibration rolled through the mountain.
Low.
Heavy.
Unnatural.
It wasn’t the wind.
It wasn’t machinery.
It was something far more unsettling, rising from beneath and around them, sending a cold shock through the entire slope.