Chapter 439

Like panicked birds in the woods or startled fish darting in all directions, the crowd bolted, screaming in fear. After all, whatever weapon Hanson Bentley had in his hand, they definitely didn't. And the thud of their buddies dropping around them only made everyone freak out even more. Total chaos. But Hanson wasn’t retreating—he was pushing forward, eyes locked on Claire Thompson, who’d collapsed from exhaustion. Maybe it was just too noisy around her, or maybe the weight pressing against her made her nauseous, but Claire hadn't fully opened her eyes. She was struggling to shift sideways. Hanson crouched beside her, eyes lowered, lips tugging into a faint smile. "Still moving, huh? Guess you're a lot tougher than I thought, Miss..." He didn’t finish his sentence. Before he could, she suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. Claire, barely conscious, somehow recognized the presence beside her—someone safe, someone here to help. And whether it was the pain or something else,