Chapter 1203

Before embarking on their journey, Neera looked around curiously.

“What about the people from the Frazier family? Have they been set free?” she asked.

Caleb didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at Darcel.

Darcel wore an expressionless face and replied indifferently, “I’ve left them in the forest to fend for themselves. There is no need to worry about them.”

Neera didn’t dwell on it too much and simply nodded to show her understanding.

Caleb’s lips twitched slightly as he thought to himself, “Love really does bring about a world of change.”

“Is this still the man I know? The one who is decisive and ruthless, who wouldn’t even hesitate to seal someone’s fate?” he wondered.

“How come he has become so gentle in his actions now, even his words have become so tactful?”

Caleb found it odd.

He remembered the time when Tiago had excitedly called him to vent about Jean, and he didn’t believe it. Now he understood why Tiago had such a strong reaction.

“What are you looking at? Let’s go,” Darcel interrupted Caleb’s thoughts, urging him to move.

Caleb snapped back to reality and saw that everyone had finished preparing. He nodded and said, “Let’s continue.”

Next, they embarked on another aimless journey up the mountain.

As dusk approached, Luna, who had been absent for a long time, suddenly returned.

She still maintained her cool and aloof demeanor as she walked straight to Darcel’s side and began to report with utmost respect.

“We have a problem. We’re being followed,” Luna informed them.

Upon hearing this, both Darcel and Caleb came to a sudden halt.

They didn’t look back, but their attention was clearly focused on the surrounding area behind them.

Using their peripheral vision and straining their ears, they tried to catch every detail of the situation unfolding behind them.

However, in the dense forest, apart from the thick tree trunks, they discovered nothing else.

With his back facing the rear, Luna spoke in a hushed tone, “I’ve noticed that a considerable number of people have gathered behind us, following us at a safe distance. It seems they have no intention of attacking at the moment. However, since they’ve been tailing us for so long, they surely won’t be doing it for nothing. I fear they might launch a surprise attack on us tonight.”

Darcel’s eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of ruthlessness appeared in his obsidian-like gaze, fleeting and quickly replaced by a cold indifference.

“I understand,” he finally replied. Then, he hurried to catch up with the Gordon family, accompanied by Caleb.

“I have something to discuss with you,” Darcel deliberately walked over to Neera, strolling alongside her.

Neeka was talking to Shane when they both heard something and turned to look at him, stopping in their tracks.

“What is it? Go ahead and tell me,” Shane said.

Darcel said, “Don’t stop, and don’t look back. Keep walking and talking as if we’re having a casual chat while strolling.”

Shane quickly grasped his meaning, his pupils abruptly contracting.

Neera took a moment to process the situation. Before she could react, Darcel’s hand had already moved past her, landing on her other shoulder.

In the next moment, he straightened her body to face forward.

His large hand slid down to briefly rest on her back before quickly withdrawing with a gentle push.

“Keep walking and talk as we go,” Darcel instructed smoothly. His expression remained unchanged, as if nothing had happened at all.

Neera’s heart pounded uncontrollably, followed by a wave of annoyance and a touch of anger.

She was angry at this man’s behavior and at herself for allowing him to get so close.

Apart from Jean, there hadn’t been another man who could get this close to her.

“What the hell did he just do? Isn’t that a bit too rude?” she thought.

At the same time, she was angry with herself, feeling disappointingly weak.

It was just a small gesture, but why did her heart rate increase?

Could it be because of the sense of familiarity she felt with this man?

But he was not Jean….

“Neera? Neera? What are you thinking about?” Shane waved his hand in front of her eyes, pulling her back from her thoughts.

She quickly apologized, “I’m I was lost in thought. What were you saying just now?”

Darcel lowered his gaze to her and repeated, “Someone is tailing us from behind, and not just one person. They’re probably waiting for an opportunity to strike.”

Upon hearing this, Neera’s heart immediately skipped a beat. She wanted to look back, but she knew she couldn’t act rashly and risk being noticed.

After regaining her composure, she asked, “So, what do we do now? Should we try to shake them off?”

Shane dismissed the idea immediately.

“No, it won’t work. We have a sizable group. If we move together, we’ll be too conspicuous and it will be difficult to lose anyone following us. Besides, we’re in the mountains, surrounded by dense forests. If we’re not careful, we could easily get lost, especially if we split up. We can’t take that risk.”

Darcel shared the same thought. “Exactly. If we act rashly, not only will we fail to shake off those people, but we might also be detected. There’s a chance that they might launch a surprise attack in advance. The enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, so they might have already figured out our situation, yet we still don’t know anything about them. The situation is very unfavorable for us.”

Neera frowned. “So, should we just let them keep following us? Doesn’t that mean a conflict is inevitable?”