Chapter 29

Max’s POV

I crouched low, listening, my head pounding.

Had I lost them?

When was the last time I had to squeeze through for survival? A memory flashed through my head.

Me… pressed in a car, pushed to my limit, my head bleeding and around me…

Then, a voice from the distance and I flashed back to the present.

“FIND HIM.”

My breath came out shaky.

This wasn’t over. Not even close. I needed to get out of here. And fast. Because whoever was behind this? They weren’t going to stop until I was dead.

Slowly, I crept out of my hiding place and dove forward, running as fast as my legs could carry me.

Then I kicked against something on the way and stumbled again, coughing and groaning as the pangs of pain spread around me.

They had heard me.

Pain. Exhaustion. Pure rage.

I wasn’t sure which one was driving me forward anymore.

The men chasing me had caught up fast, their silhouettes barely visible against the dim light of dawn creeping over the hills. My breath was ragged, my body sore from the endless sprint, but I wasn’t about to stop.

Then—one of them lunged.

I barely had time to react before an arm wrapped around my throat, yanking me backward.

Big mistake.

I slammed my elbow into his ribs, forcing him to loosen his grip, then grabbed his wrist and flipped him over my shoulder. He hit the ground with a thud, groaning in pain.

“Not my best morning,” I muttered, turning just in time to block another attack.

A second man swung at me with a knife. I dodged, grabbing his wrist and twisting until the blade clattered to the ground. He hissed in pain, but I wasn’t done. I drove my fist into his stomach, making him double over, then finished with a sharp kick to the side of his head.

Two down.

The remaining three circled me cautiously now.

I smirked, rolling my shoulders. “Come on, gentlemen. Let’s not waste any more time.”

They didn’t hesitate. The first one charged, aiming low for my legs. I sidestepped and used his own momentum against him, grabbing the back of his head and slamming it into my knee. Blood spurted from his nose as he crumpled.

The next guy threw a punch that grazed my jaw. I gritted my teeth, shaking off the pain, and retaliated with a brutal uppercut. His head snapped back, and before he could recover, I landed a kick to his gut, sending him sprawling into the dirt.

Only one left.

He hesitated, his confidence faltering as he looked at his unconscious friends.

“Smart man,” I said, cracking my knuckles.

He bolted.

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair.

“Coward.”

The sun was rising now, casting a dull golden glow over the desert landscape. My muscles ached, my head pounded, but I couldn’t stop.

I needed to get home.

I don’t know how long I walked, but eventually, I saw it—a highway.

Relief flooded through me as I stumbled toward the road, waving down the first car I saw. It was a battered old cab, the driver eyeing me warily through the window.

“You lost, man?” he asked.

“You could say that,” I muttered. “How much to get me back to the city?”

The driver scratched his chin. “You got cash?”

I pulled out my wallet and flashed a few bills.

“Plenty.”

The driver’s eyes gleamed. “Hop in.”

By the time I reached home, I was done.

I stepped out of the cab, my clothes stained with dirt, my body screaming in protest. But nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I walked inside.

Sienna.

Sitting on the couch, her arm bandaged, her face pale.

Harry stood nearby, looking tense.

My heart clenched. “What the hell happened?”

Sienna looked up, her eyes widening. “Max?”

“You look like hell,” Harry muttered.

I ignored him, storming forward. “Sienna. What happened?”

She hesitated, glancing at Harry.

“Tell me,” I demanded.

She sighed. “Hester.”

I felt my entire body stiffen. “What did she do?”

Sienna recounted everything—the bath, the burning pain, waking up in the hospital, and Hester sneaking in to leak the pictures to the press.

By the time she finished, my blood was boiling.

I turned to Harry, my glare sharp. “You let this happen?”

Harry looked down, guilt flashing across his face. “I tried to stop it. I called you, but—”

“My phone was stolen,” I interrupted, running a hand through my hair.

“I know,” he said. “I tried to handle it, but—”

“Don’t blame him,” Sienna interjected. “He did save me from the press.”

I clenched my jaw. “I don’t care about the press. I care that she got hurt.”

Harry sighed. “I take full responsibility.”

I let out a slow breath, trying to control my anger.

Fine. I’d deal with Hester later. Right now, I had bigger things to worry about.

“The wedding,” I said abruptly. “It’s happening today.”

Sienna blinked. “Max—”

I cut her off. “We are getting married. No more delays. No more scandals. No more Hester.”

Sienna hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”

I turned to Harry. “Call the attendants. I want everything perfect.”

He nodded and immediately pulled out his phone.

I took out mine and dialed Ben.

He answered on the first ring. “Max? Jesus, where the hell have you been?”

“Long story,” I muttered. “I need you here now. Bring the others.”

“The groomsmen?” he asked.

“Yes,” I said. “It’s time.”

Ben whistled. “Alright. Let’s get you married.”

I hung up and turned back to Sienna.

She looked at me, a mix of exhaustion and something else—something unreadable.

I softened slightly. “You good?”

She let out a breath. “I will be.”

I reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. “Then let’s do this.”

Because no matter what had happened, no matter who was trying to stop this wedding—

It was happening.

And nothing, not Hester, not scandals, not even attempted murder—

Was going to stop me.