The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 70

“Get out, now!”

Petty spun around and dragged Hans into the lobby. Hans just gave a look, and suddenly his bodyguards moved in and blocked the entrance. There was no way Franco’s men would ever get past them, no matter how tough they thought they were.

Inside the elevator, Hans turned his back to Petty. She was too proud to let anyone see her cry. He reached out his hand wordlessly. “I don’t have a tissue,” he said, rolling up his jacket sleeve to show the soft sweater underneath. He pulled the sleeve down, holding it out for her.

They still had floors to go. He wondered what kind of state she’d be in by the time they got to her place.

Petty didn’t take the sleeve. After a long pause, she just wiped her face with her own hand and said, calm as ever, “I’m fine.”

Back at the apartment, Petty shut herself in her room. Hans sat in the living room, sinking into the couch.

A while later, the doorbell rang. Hans got up and opened the door to see his assistant, holding a pharmacy bag.

“Hans, Petty called me. She told me to get this for you. She said you needed to treat your injuries.”

Hans gripped the doorknob, glancing at Petty’s closed door. “Where’s Franco?”

“He’s gone,” the assistant said.

Hans let out a low, cold laugh.

The assistant stepped inside. “You really need to put something on those cuts. If you show up on set like this tomorrow, I’ll have a hard time explaining.”

But Hans couldn’t care less about the set right now. With Petty like this, how could he leave?

Once his wounds were taken care of, the assistant left. Hans stayed on the sofa, eyes closed, not sleeping at all.

At dawn, a door creaked open behind him. Hans jumped up, turned around, and walked over. He watched Petty carefully. She’d put on light makeup, but it didn’t hide much from him.

He knew her too well. The more she tried to look normal, the more she was hiding.

Her chest tightened with a sudden wave of sadness, but Petty swallowed hard, forcing down the food and the feeling with it.

She cleared her throat, her voice steady. “Hans, you should go back to the set. Don’t worry about me. I won’t let anything happen to myself again.”

The early morning haze faded away.

Petty got into her car and drove to the TV station.

On the street corner outside her building, a car window rolled up. Smoke slipped out through the gap before it closed.

A phone buzzed nonstop on the passenger seat.

Franco, eyes bloodshot, glanced at the screen and picked up.

On the other end, Harris sounded sharp. “Where are you? Laura said your back’s hurt and you’re refusing treatment. Get to the hospital, now!”