Chapter 1633: Did you offend someone?

"You’re both going to die."

Silence settled quickly after Hugo’s remark, leaving Cassandra and Kiara furrowing their brows. The two women exchanged puzzled looks before returning their attention to Hugo’s solemn gaze.

Kiara wanted to laugh it off and say, "Stop playing, Hugo."

But how could she, when this was the first time she’d seen such a serious look on his face? It hadn’t been long since they’d started spending more time together, but Kiara knew all too well how unserious he could be.

Right now, he was the complete opposite of the man she thought she knew.

And it left her wondering—did she really know Hugo at all?

Meanwhile, Cassandra replayed his words in her mind like a broken record. The more they echoed, the harder her heart pounded against her chest. Lifting her gaze to Hugo, she swallowed hard as her shoulders tensed.

"What... what did you say?" Cassandra whispered. "We... Kiara and I... are going to die?"

Hugo nodded, sighing heavily. "I didn’t want to do this," he admitted sincerely. "But... you girls need to know."

If it were just him, he could stick close and guard them. He was good at being a scarecrow, intimidating enough to keep trouble away. But if the enemies decided to act while he wasn’t around, he feared these women would find themselves in a life-and-death situation.

He felt responsible.

"Wait..." Still confused, Kiara rubbed the side of her head. "I don’t get it. What do you mean? Who would want to kill us?"

Hugo shrugged. "I’ve been stuck with you, that’s why I haven’t investigated. And besides... I’m still injured." He pointed at his leg. "It’s a pretty bad injury, and it’s taking its time to heal."

Kiara instinctively glanced down at his leg, then back up at him. Her brows knit together—she hadn’t even noticed he was injured. But who could blame her? Hugo never showed a hint of pain. He even lifted boxes back at the warehouse!

"Anyway, the point is... it’s not safe here," he continued, pointing at Kiara. "I don’t know why you’re being targeted, but I have a theory."

His eyes shifted slowly to Cassandra.

The latter raised her brows in surprise, then slowly pointed at herself. "It’s... because of me?"

"What?" Kiara scoffed. "Why would I be targeted because of her—?"

Her voice trailed off, the realization hitting hard. She and Cassandra exchanged a knowing, dreadful look—as if a painful truth had suddenly settled in their hearts.

Hugo watched their reactions shift. They weren’t stupid. They could put the pieces together without him having to spell out every painful detail.

Cassandra turned to Hugo, her complexion pale. "Why?"

"Like I said... I don’t know." Hugo shrugged. "All I know is this: a girl who gets her food stolen and still buys the thief, more bread is being followed. And I also know Kiara has a friend who was recently arrested for a crime she didn’t commit."

Another heavy silence fell over them. Thank goodness they were sitting on the floor; otherwise, Cassandra might have collapsed. Her legs trembled as she swallowed the fear rising in her throat.

"Whoever implicated you in that case wants you there," Hugo said bluntly, making it painfully clear that someone was deliberately pulling the strings.

Looking back at Hugo, a mixture of bitterness, disbelief, and confusion swirled in their eyes. Their hearts felt ready to burst under the weight of conflicting emotions.

Neither woman had wanted to believe it. They’d convinced themselves Cassandra’s arrest was just a misunderstanding. A tragic mix-up.

Cassandra had only been donating to and helping the orphanage—that was all. That’s why she’d been so confident during her arrest. She believed that everyone who supported the orphanage was being questioned, that this would all pass.

Kiara had believed the same. Her friend wasn’t perfect, but she was no criminal. From the bottom of her heart, she trusted Cassandra. And even with her flaws, there was no way someone would go so far as to implicate her in such a scandalous case—one that not only put her in jail but also dragged her reputation through the mud.

"Who... would do something like this?" Cassandra whispered, casting a helpless look toward Kiara, then back to Hugo.

Hugo only shrugged.

"That’s wicked," Kiara whispered. "Who would do something so twisted? Cassy... do you know anyone who could?"

Cassandra thought about it. Only one name came to mind—Finn.

The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, as if someone had ground a pill to dust and left it on her tongue. She had done something terrible to Nina... and Finn knew about it. But still... it couldn’t be Finn.

That’s too low for him, she thought, shaking her head. He might be capable of something like that... but he wouldn’t actually do it. That’s not the Finn I know.

Yet... hadn’t she also done something she’d never believed herself capable of? Something Finn would say, "That’s not the Cassandra I know."

"Cassy," Kiara called softly, reaching for Cassandra’s hand and giving it a tight squeeze. "Someone came to mind. Who is it?"

"I’d like to know too." Hugo nodded. "Did you offend someone?"

"..." Cassandra stayed silent, her eyes darting between them. "I think... I’ve offended a few people. But I also think they wouldn’t do something this wicked."

Even if it was Finn, the timeline didn’t add up. He couldn’t have been plotting this for that long.

Kiara sighed and nodded at Cassandra. "I believe you, Cass. I don’t think you’ve offended anyone enough for them to get back at you in such a twisted way."

I know someone, Hugo thought but bit his tongue. Your former lover, Jonathan Pierson.

But he didn’t say it aloud. He didn’t want to add to their burdens. That wasn’t a truth they needed to carry right now. If he was right, that truth would reveal itself in time. For now, they just needed to understand the danger they were in.

"So," his voice snapped them out of their thoughts, "where are you going to live? Do you know anyone who can help?"

Kiara and Cassandra looked at each other, then back at him.

Their reaction told him everything he needed to know.