Inside one of the tactical SUVs where she had been placed, the chaotic scene outside began to quiet down. Her original kidnappers had already been subdued and taken away by the operatives, leaving her in the custody of four men from Lucas's tactical unit—including the agent who had pulled her out of the van and assured her that the boss was on his way.
Though only a few minutes passed, to Elara, the waiting felt like an eternity. Every tick of the clock magnified the lingering terror of the ordeal.
Suddenly, the distinct sound of a car engine cutting off echoed outside. Instinctively ducking her head slightly to look through the open door, she watched as a newly arrived vehicle came to a halt. A tall figure stepped out from the driver’s seat. It was a stride she knew instantly—the familiar, commanding walk of the man she had secretly admired before, the man who always seemed to show up to save her.
A genuine, deeply felt smile broke across her face. Overcome with a sudden wave of relief, she stepped out of the SUV where she had been sitting. The door stood wide open, flanked by two of the tactical guards standing watch ahead of her, while the other members secured the perimeter.
She stood still, waiting as he walked toward her with purposeful, rapid strides.
When he finally stopped just two steps away from her, his expression carried a rare, visible hint of worry. He looked at her, and the words he spoke were simple, yet they struck straight to the depths of her heart:
"I'm glad you're okay."
Just like that, her composure shattered. Her eyes began to mist over, the heavy emotion welling up inside her chest. She tried hard to fight it, blinking rapidly to keep the tears from spilling, but her vision blurred as her eyes grew heavy with unshed tears.
Before a single tear could fall down her cheek, she felt a strong, broad frame envelope her. Without a shred of hesitation or shyness, she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest, letting out the quiet sobs she had held back for so long.
Lucas wrapped his arms around her, gently and soothingly stroking her back to calm her down.
"What took you so long?"
she murmured softly through her quiet sobs, the words slipping out of her raw, overwhelmed state, born purely from the crushing weight of the fear she had just survived, even though she knew she shared the blame for getting into this mess in the first place.
Nearby, the four tactical operatives who had rescued her offered subtle, knowing smiles and quietly stepped back, giving the two of them their privacy while remaining on high alert.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault," Lucas murmured, his voice laced with quiet remorse.
"Next time, I'll be much faster to rescue you and never let this happen again."
It took several minutes of gentle reassurance for her frantic breathing to finally steady. But as the adrenaline slowly faded, reality rushed back in. She winced internally, a sudden wave of self-deprecation hitting her.
You're such an idiot, she scolded herself mentally.
Now how are you supposed to handle this? You're literally clinging to him and crying.
She wasn't sure whether she should pull her face away from his chest or keep hiding there out sheer embarrassment. Her body was still trembling slightly from the lingering shock and fear, but the paralyzing terror had washed away, replaced by the profound, grounding comfort of knowing he had literally crossed lines and faced her father's people just to retrieve her. Lucas didn't seem to mind the delay at all; he just kept his arms firmly around her, gently stroking her hair and repeating,
"It's okay. You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."
Slowly, Elara pulled back from his embrace, looking up at him with wide, tear-rimmed eyes.
"Thank you," she whispered softly.
Lucas offered a faint, reassuring smile and gently ruffled her hair.
"Let's go?" he asked.
She nodded in agreement. But the moment she tried to take a step forward, reality caught up with her limbs—the sheer terror and nervous exhaustion had completely drained her strength, and her knees buckled weakly beneath her. She looked up at him, flashing an awkward, sheepish grimace.
Understanding her predicament instantly, without a word of complaint, Lucas scooped her up effortlessly into a bridal carry and walked her over to his car.
Before getting in, he turned to the operational team, his voice carrying a sharp, authoritative ring. "Thank you very much for your help and for your team's precision. Wait for my call—I have something to give to you and the men."
With that, he carefully placed Elara in the passenger seat, closed the door, and slipped back behind the wheel. The engine roared to life as he pulled away, leading the convoy with the rescue team following closely behind them to secure the road home.