The police had finally arrived.

She looked back toward Tristan.

The man beneath him was barely breathing, lying motionless in the dirt, practically beaten half to death.

She tried to raise her hand to tell Tristan to stop, but two officers had already approached him, grabbing his arms and pulling him off the battered thug.

She let out a shaky breath of relief.

Shifting her weight, she only just realized that someone was untying the ropes binding her.

Emily turned her head and was met with a sharply defined jawline.

"Andrew..."

Andrew met her gaze, offering a soft hum of acknowledgment before asking, "Do you still have the strength to stand?"

As he spoke, Emily felt the ropes pinned beneath her being tugged away.

She gave a slow nod. "Yeah."

Taking the cue, Andrew let go of the lower bindings and gently helped her to her feet.

He guided her hand to rest against a nearby tree trunk for support, then crouched down to unravel the rest of her restraints.

Emily stared down at the top of his head, a mess of complicated emotions swirling in her eyes.

"Mr. Lane, why don't you let me do that? You should take a breather."

Only upon hearing the voice did Emily notice Beatty standing right behind him.

Beatty stepped forward, giving Emily a brief nod before bending down to grab Andrew's wrist. "Let me handle this, Mr. Lane."

Emily looked down at Beatty's hand gripping his wrist and instinctively averted her gaze.

Andrew glanced up, locking eyes with Emily.

But her attention had already drifted back to Tristan.

A dark shadow crossed his expression. He smoothly pulled his wrist out of Beatty's grasp and said, "Not necessary."

Rebuffed, Beatty lowered her eyes, watching him work in total silence.

In swift, practiced motions, Andrew freed Emily entirely.

She was finally unconstrained.

With the officers calming him down, Tristan gradually regained his senses.

He turned his head toward Emily, his expression terrifyingly grim, and strode purposely in her direction.

Emily parted her lips. "Tristan..."

Closing the distance, he threw his arms around her, crushing her into a fierce, desperate hug.

"Emily..."

The violent tremor in his arms and the unsteadiness of his voice betrayed exactly how terrified he had been.

Her heart melted completely. Lowering her gaze, she wrapped her arms around him.

"I'm okay," she whispered. "Don't worry."

Tristan buried his face in the crook of her neck, holding her even tighter as his muffled voice trembled, "You almost scared me to death, Emily... You terrified me

Pressed so intimately against him, Emily could feel every shudder wrecking his frame. His profound fear and vulnerability resonated deeply within her.

She pressed her lips together and gently rubbed his back. "I'm fine, really. Thank you for saving me."

As the couple stood clinging to each other amidst the chaos, the officers awkwardly cleared their throats and quietly escorted the kidnappers to the cruisers.

Elizabeth and Rose had arrived with the police. They had intended to rush over to Emily immediately, but seeing Andrew holding her in such a compromising position earlier they had opted to hang back. .net

Once Andrew untied her, they thought about approaching again-only for Tristan to sweep in _and pull her into a passionate embrace. They exchanged a look, stopping in their tracks once more.

Unlike Rose, who politely looked away, Elizabeth didn't shy from the spectacle. After

a brief pause, she stared openly.

After admiring Emily and Tristan's reunion for a moment, her gaze slid over to Andrew, who was standing off to the side with an unreadable expression.

He was still gripping the discarded ropes. Staring intently at Emily's back, a

humorless scoff escaped his lips as he casually tossed the restraints into the dirt.