NovelGoldChapter 233
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When Briar woke up, it was already 6:30 the next morning. Whatever had been holding her tightly was long
gone. Ashton was already up.
After a quick wash and change into a casual sweatshirt set, she tied her hair up in a high ponytail and strolled
out of the bedroom.
At the top of the stairs, she found lan staring at Riley and Artemus, who were looking back at him with wide
eyes. They all turned to look at her when they heard her footsteps.
lan was the first to speak. “Briar, you're up! Want to go out and have sfun today?”
Briar’s phone started buzzing nonstop the moment she turned it on. As she scrolled through her messages, her
eyes landed on one from Memphis. It was a set of unfamiliar coordinates for Darius’s hideout, not far from their
estate.
She looked up from her phone and caught excitement in lan’s eyes. She smiled knowingly, but didn’t let it show
on her face. Instead, she turned to Riley and Artemus and asked, “Where's Ashton?”
Riley replied, “He’s in the study, talking with Connor and the others. Miss Jennings, would you liketo take you
there?”
Briar had only asked out of curiosity, but seeing Riley trying to one-up lan, she nodded. “Sure.”
Meanwhile, Artemus headed downstairs instead of following them.
Ashton’s study was the most heavily guarded spot in the whole estate. Even getting close was off-limits unless
they had his permission.
But Briar wasn't just anyone. When she strolled up to the study door with Riley, the black-clad bodyguard at the
entrance didn’t even hesitate before opening the door right away and respectfully inviting her in.
Artemus, who hadn't followed them earlier, now stood at the doorway holding Briar’s breakfast. “Miss Jennings,
here's your breakfast.”
After Briar nodded, Artemus entered the study, set breakfast down on Ashton’s desk, and pulled out a chair for
her with extra care. He waited until she sat down before quietly stepping back outside to stand guard.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtInside the study, Brandon and Connor were both present. When Briar walked in, Ashton was lounging in his chair,
supposedly listening to their reports, but he looked pretty absent-minded, and his attention seemed to be
elsewhere.
As soon as Briar entered, Brandon and Connor paused their report and greeted her. “Miss Jennings.”
Briar nodded and sat down in the chair Artemus had brought over, getting ready to eat her breakfast.
Without missing a beat, Ashton reached out and, chair and all, pulled Briar right up next to him. Then he
motioned for Brandon and Connor to continue.
Brandon glanced at Briar, who was busy eating her breakfast, and nodded. “Yes, our people searched the areas
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Chapter 233
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outside the main power circles along the border again last night. We found three possible locations where Darius
might be hiding...”
Then Connor rattled off the three locations and coordinates. No one noticed, but when Briar heard the last set of
coordinates, her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and her hand paused for a split second as she held her bread.
Ashton caught the subtle change in Briar’s expression. He leaned over, grabbed a pair of disposable gloves from
beside her plate, and took the bread from her hand. While spreading jam on it, he continued talking to Brandon
and Connor. “Send people to check all three coordinates. If you find anyone, detain them. If they resist, shoot on
sight. Just make sure they're still breathing when you bring them back.”
The bread was loaded with jam, super sweet and sticky, just the way Briar liked it. She devoured it in big bites,
then shot her hand up. “Ashton, I'm coming too!”
Ashton’s brow twitched. “Honey, | have to meet with the other branch leaders here at the estate today. Stay with
“No, | just want to tag along and check things out. Promise | won't run off.” When Briar realized Ashton wasn’t
going with them, she got even more excited. She grinned, wrapped her arm around Ashton’s, and gave it a
playful shake. “I want to go. You know I'll be good.”
Brandon and Connor exchanged a knowing look. They knew Ashton couldn't say no to Briar when she turned on
the charm.
Sure enough, Ashton caved in less than a minute. “Alright, you can go have sfun, but you cannot wander
off. This is the border. Mercenary gangs are everywhere. If you run into them, you'll be in real trouble.”
It wasn’t that Ashton was afraid of those mercenaries. It was just that they had zero bottom line. Killing and
robbing were business as usual for them, and looting was their idea of fun.
Briar’'s sweet face was totally at odds with her explosive temper. If she ever ran into those mercenaries, they'd
end up in a fight.
Briar nodded eagerly. “Don’t worry, | promise | won't start any trouble.”
‘But if others clooking for it, that’s on them, not me, Briar added in her mind cheekily.
Ashton fell into silence.
Briar ignored Ashton’s worries. After finishing her breakfast, she grabbed her three bodyguards and set off.
Connor's people had found three possible hiding spots, so each of them took responsibility for one. Briar picked
the last one, saying it was the closest to their estate.
Brandon and Connor thought to themselves, “There's only a one-in-three chance, so there's no way Miss
Jennings would just happen to pick the right one, right?’
lan gave Brandon a friendly pat on the shoulder and flashed a smile. “Alright, we're off. See you later.”
Brandon was at a loss for words.
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Briar sat in the car, resting her chin in her hand as she watched the scenery outside with quiet amusement. Riley
was behind the wheel, while Artemus sat in the passenger seat, keeping watch. lan sat in the back with Briar, all
three of them on high alert to keep her safe.
Out here on the border, they always had to keep guns and ammo handy in the car because they never knew
when they'd run into a shootout.
Their car carried double the usual firepower, all thanks to Connor's extra caution. That smile lan gave earlier
gave Connor a bad feeling. He couldn't help thinking, ‘With Miss Jennings rolling out three heavily armed
bodyguards, it isn’t just a joyride. They look like they're going to war.
The car cruised along smoothly, and Riley was in a great mood. “Miss Jennings, we're about to pass the Maysay
River. The scenery there is pretty nice. | had someone pack fishing rods and sbarbecue supplies. in the
trunk. We can stop by the river, do sfishing, and have a barbecue right there.”
Briar and the others all loved the idea. With their plan set, they decided to head to the river first, enjoy some
food and fun, then get back to business.
Before they set out, Ashton had privately reminded Riley to make sure Briar didn’t get anywhere near danger.
Riley figured that if he could keep her entertained, trouble would stay far away.
But in the end, it backfired.
The Maysay River marked the border between three countries. Downstream, there was endless warfare. But
upriver, the scenery was gorgeous, people cand went, and everything looked perfectly peaceful.
So when they pulled up by the river, set up their barbecue spot, and got ready for a chill camping trip, Riley and
Artemus never imagined that sclueless fool would walk right into Briar’s line of fire.
Briar sat by the campfire, legs propped up in a laid-back pose, watching lan grill the fish like it was the most
fascinating thing ever.
The sound of screeching tires suddenly broke that peace.
“Look, there's a pretty girl over here!” someone said aloud.
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