Chapter 404

The night was deep and thick. Camila Harrington leaned against a tree trunk, one hand resting on her gun, her eyes drifting toward her friend in the distance. She seemed lost in thought for a moment. Emma Fletcher seemed... different when it came to Jared Fletcher. Unaware of Camila’s gaze, Emma was busy changing Jared’s bandages. She hadn’t dared to use a flashlight, worried it might reveal their position to the enemy, who could easily fire at them. Instead, every movement of hers was cautious and deliberate, afraid any mistake might worsen Jared’s injury. "Jared, I’m going to disinfect your wound now. It’s probably going to hurt—a lot. If it gets unbearable, don’t just tough it out, okay? Let me know, and I’ll do it in smaller doses," Emma said, looking up at him. "It’s fine, pour it all at once. I can take it," Jared’s voice was calm, his gaze soft even under the cover of darkness. "…Okay then." Though she said so, Emma still couldn’t bring herself to pour all the disinfectant over