Chapter 28 Sweeping Old Man
Summer quickly lifted her head from Helena’s embrace, her dark, glossy eyes wide with alertness. She scanned the surroundings, her gaze sharp and focused.
Finished
By now, the day had grown late. The dim lighting from the overhead lamps barely illuminated the space, and only a few people remained awake. These passengers, careful not to disturb others, spoke in low tones, the air filled with a tranquil yet oppressive silence.
The crowded aisle had loosened a bit, and perhaps it was because of this that an elderly man dressed in a train attendant uniform was hunched over, gently sweeping with a small broom. His movements were extremely delicate, the broom brushing the floor with a soft, nearly imperceptible swish.
To anyone else, it was simply a normal cleaning task, but to Summer, every detail felt wrong.
Her wide eyes never blinked as she stared intently at the old man, her gaze almost tangible, as if she were trying to see through him.
The man seemed to sense her watchful eyes, and his sweeping paused for just a moment. Slowly. he raised his head, and their eyes locked.
In that instant, a gentle smile spread across his weathered face, the kind of smile that only years of life could produce.
Summer, as if caught in the act, quickly turned her head, her cheeks flushed red, like a startled little rabbit, and buried her face back into Helena’s arms.
Her reaction was that of a child who had been caught spying–embarrassed, her face rosy with a touch of shyness.
The old man simply smiled warmly and didn’t seem to pay her much mind, resuming his sweeping with slow, deliberate movements.
Summer remained still, listening intently to the soft sound of his broom, waiting until the faint swishing noise faded away into the distance. Then, with a sudden burst of energy, she jumped out of Helena’s arms and quickly scampered over to Jasper’s side.
The movement startled both Jasper and Liam, who both immediately opened their eyes.
Both of them, in perfect synchrony, scanned the surroundings with sharp, alert gazes.
However, Liam, seeing the serious expression on Summer’s face, instinctively thought she needed to use the bathroom but hadn’t wanted to wake Helena, so she had come to him instead.
He gave a casual glance, yawned, and was about to close his eyes again when-
Jasper, however, saw Summer’s expression and felt an intense unease, his eyes widening slightly.
“There’s a bad guy!”
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Chapter 28 Sweeping Old Man
Finished
At those words, Jasper’s heart dropped for a moment. A strange sense of relief washed over him, as if something had finally clicked into place.
Here she was, with her uncanny ability to find trouble, pulling him into her world once again, grasping his hand firmly.
Liam, who had just started to drift off, was startled awake by Summer’s words. All traces of sleep vanished from his eyes, replaced by a piercing sharpness.
Remembering they were on a train, he quickly lowered his voice, laced with caution, and asked in a whisper, “Who? What did you see? Was it a human trafficker?”
Helena, now awake, also looked at Summer, her face full of concern.
Summer tilted her head slightly, furrowing her brow as she recalled the old man’s face. After a brief pause, she shook her head and spoke with certainty, “No!”
Her meaning was clear–the man wasn’t a human trafficker.
Jasper’s eyes flickered, his unease growing.
If Summer hadn’t seen a human trafficker, then–could it have been a spy?
Suppressing the rising tension in his chest, Jasper leaned closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper, “Then what did you see?”
“Cleaning, old man!” Summer blinked her large eyes, mimicking the motion of sweeping with her little hands. “Just now, sweeping!”
Liam, perplexed, couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. It was just a cleaner. How could that be a bad guy?
But Jasper’s expression darkened instantly.
He remembered clearly how, before Summer had fallen asleep, she had been so focused on the plane crash and asked about who had been bought off. Now, she was emphasizing the old man sweeping, and with her sharp instincts, Jasper was certain that she had picked up on something
more.
Jasper’s eyes narrowed, and without a word, he stood up quickly, grabbing Summer by the hand and leaning over to speak urgently to Liam. “You stay with Mom here. I’m taking Summer to the bathroom.”
Liam blinked in confusion, but before he could respond, Jasper muttered the word, “Princess.”
Liam immediately understood, his face serious. He nodded and stepped aside.
Jasper, his face grim, swiftly scooped Summer into his arms and strode toward the middle of the carriage.
Chapter 28 Sweeping Old Man
you smell something, like drugs?”
