Devilish secretary - Chapter 257

Chapter 257: Chapter 257 We’re so dead
But when she looked at Ethan, he wasn’t smirking or teasing.

He just looked tired. Honest. Like he really meant it without anything weird behind his words.

Slowly, Tara nodded, chewing the inside of her cheek. “Alright… just to rest,” she mumbled, warning herself more than him.

Ethan smiled, an actual soft smile and shifted over, giving her as much space as he could on the narrow bed.

Tara lay down carefully, facing the opposite side to give space between them.

The bed creaked lightly under their weight, but otherwise, it was quiet.

Very, very quiet.

Tara lay stiffly, staring at the cracked ceiling, feeling Ethan’s warmth nearby.

Her heart beat awkwardly fast…not from fear, but from something unfamiliar.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to think about it.

Meanwhile, Ethan lay perfectly still too, arms tucked behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

“This is not how I imagined today would go,” he muttered under his breath with a small, tired chuckle.

Tara smiled faintly in the dark. Neither did she.

The cottage was silent except for the soft whisper of the wind slipping through the cracks in the walls.

Tara tried her best to stay still, keeping a careful distance between her and Ethan.

The small bed creaked every time either of them even breathed too hard.

For a long while, they both lay stiff like wooden boards, pretending to sleep, but really just counting heartbeats and trying not to move.

Then, slowly, as tiredness crept into her bones and the day’s exhaustion pulled at her, Tara’s body relaxed against her will.

She shifted lightly in her sleep, mumbling something soft.

And without meaning to—

she moved closer.

Her forehead brushed lightly against Ethan’s arm.

Ethan froze instantly.

Like a statue.

His eyes snapped open wide in the dark, staring at the cracked ceiling like it held the secrets of life and death.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. She’s touching me.”

He didn’t dare move.

He didn’t dare breathe too loud.

Tara, completely unaware, snuggled just a little closer, seeking warmth in the cold room, her small hand lightly resting against his chest.

Ethan’s heart almost exploded.

“Calm down, Ethan. Calm down. This is normal. Totally normal. People do this. Probably.”

He lay there stiffly, feeling every beat of his heart against her palm.

He was so tense he could have turned into a piece of furniture.

Meanwhile, Tara sighed softly, settling into deeper sleep, her soft breath brushing lightly against his neck.

Ethan stared up at the ceiling, silently screaming inside.

“I’M A GENTLEMAN! I’M A GENTLEMAN! DON’T YOU DARE MOVE A MUSCLE, CARTER!”

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to think about very unromantic things like taxes, traffic jams, and cleaning toilets…anything to survive this moment without fainting.

The soft, early morning light slipped through the broken window, gently lighting up the little cottage.

Birds chirped quietly outside, the fresh scent of dew in the air.

Inside the shabby old room, on the small bed, Tara slowly opened her eyes.

At first, she blinked sleepily, adjusting to the light and then her mind caught up.

Her body stiffened.

There was a heavy arm wrapped firmly around her waist.

She turned her head slowly and saw Ethan still fast asleep, his face peaceful, his soft breathing brushing against her shoulder.

Her cheeks instantly flushed bright pink.

“W-what the—?!” she whispered under her breath.

Carefully, she tried to move but his arm was heavy like a rock, holding her tightly against him.

Panicking, Tara pressed her hands against his arm and gave a hard push.

“Ugh—move!” she hissed softly.

Ethan groaned sleepily but finally shifted, mumbling something about pizza in his dreams as his arm flopped back onto the bed.

Tara quickly scooted away, her heart racing wildly.

But before she could even steady herself—

She heard it.

Voices.

Not far.

Rough, angry voices echoing faintly through the trees.

Her blood froze.

“They’re here,” she whispered sharply, shaking Ethan’s shoulder.

“Wake up!”

Ethan blinked awake, confused. “Huh? Five more minutes…”

Tara slapped his arm lightly.

“No! People! Searching!”

Ethan’s eyes snapped open properly this time, the sleepiness gone in a second.

Without thinking, they both jumped off the bed and crouched low.

Tara grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the small space behind the old dusty cupboard in the corner.

It wasn’t much…barely enough for two people to squeeze in but it was hidden from the door and window.

They crouched there together, breathing quietly, their shoulders pressed against each other.

Through the cracks in the wood, they could see faint shadows passing outside the cottage, boots crunching over dry leaves.

The footsteps grew louder.

From behind the cupboard, Ethan and Tara could hear the heavy stomps and angry muttering of the group outside.

Through the cracks, they caught glimpses, the same villagers from last night,

Tara’s father among them, his face twisted with fury.

They had returned.

After finding no bodies in the river, they realized Ethan and Tara must have survived.

Now, they were searching the entire forest to hunt them down.

Ethan’s heart hammered against his ribs as he pressed himself closer to the wall, barely breathing. Tara crouched beside him, clutching the edge of his shirt tightly in her small hand.

The broken front door creaked loudly as the villagers stormed into the cottage.

Boots thudded against the rotten floorboards.

Wood cracked under heavy steps.

They were checking everything—under the bed, behind the broken chairs, even pulling aside dusty curtains.

Ethan closed his eyes tightly, whispering inside his head—

“Please don’t find us. Please don’t find us. Please don’t find us…”

Tara pressed herself smaller, trying to stay completely still. Her breath was shaky, her throat dry.

But then suddenly—

“ACHOO!”

Tara sneezed. Loudly.

In the dead silence of the cottage, it sounded like an explosion.

Ethan’s eyes snapped open wide, horror flooding through him.

No. No no no.

He could almost hear his heart shattering inside his chest.

He looked at Tara with pure panic in his eyes.

Tara slapped her hand over her mouth, her cheeks turning red with shock and guilt.

The footsteps in the room stopped immediately.

“Did you hear that?!” one of the men shouted.

“Someone’s here!” another growled.

“Check behind the cupboards!” Tara’s father’s angry voice roared.

Ethan squeezed his eyes shut again for a second,

then muttered under his breath, “We’re so dead.”

Tara grabbed Ethan’s wrist tightly, her fingers trembling slightly.