His 181St Second (Laverne and Marina) novel Chapter 4

**Winds Carry Lost Promises by Asa Holt Vale 4**

Marina felt the familiar surge of frustration rising within her, an impulse so strong it almost compelled her to unleash a torrent of words that would leave no room for misunderstanding. Instead, she pivoted sharply on her heel, her back now turned to Lavern, and strode purposefully into the house, determined to regain her composure.

The past three days had been a whirlwind for her. Lavern had been drowning in work, but that didn’t mean she was idle. No, she had been inundated with a steady stream of photographs—images of him and Shawna, caught in intimate moments, moving in and out of an apartment they seemed to share. Each notification on her phone felt like a dagger, twisting just a little deeper into her heart.

With their wedding looming on the horizon, Lavern appeared unfazed, almost nonchalant about his living arrangement with Shawna. To him, it seemed like a final spree of freedom—a last hurrah before the inevitable “ball and chain” of marriage shackled him for good.

As she stepped inside, Lavern followed her, his footsteps echoing with a sense of urgency. He rifled through the kitchen cabinet, his fingers searching for the first-aid kit. When he finally found it, he emerged with a bottle of iodine and some cotton swabs, his expression grim as he approached her.

Without uttering a single word, he began to tend to her wounded hand, applying the antiseptic with careful precision. “You love these hands of yours,” he murmured, his tone soft yet firm. “Don’t go injuring yourself just to spite me.”

A sardonic smile crept onto Marina’s lips, a flicker of mischief in her eyes. “Aren’t you the one doing the hurting?” she shot back, her voice laced with dry humor.

But she didn’t linger on the subject. Instead, she reached for a document that lay nearby, thrusting it under his nose with a sense of urgency. “Review the terms. If everything looks good, sign on the dotted line.”

Lavern took the paper, his striking brows knitting together as he skimmed through the contents. “A property split agreement?” he echoed, confusion evident in his voice.

Marina nodded, her response barely above a whisper. “Yeah.”

He chuckled, tossing the file aside as if it were a trivial matter. “We’re about to tie the knot; what’s the point of this?”

In his mind, he brushed off her concerns, convinced that after seven years together, she wouldn’t actually consider leaving him. ‘She’s just blowing off steam,’ he thought.

Marina locked her gaze with his, her expression impassive. “Precisely because we’re getting married, we need this in place. Premarital assets should remain personal, after all.”

Deep down, she understood that it was only by truly leaving that he would grasp the seriousness of her threats.

His demeanor shifted, the warmth in his eyes turning icy as he regarded her. A smirk twisted his lips, but he didn’t resist. “Fine,” he conceded, his agreement coming without hesitation.

Marina slid a pen towards him, watching intently as he scribbled his signature, annoyance simmering just beneath the surface. He handed it back with a hint of triumph. “That ought to smooth things over, right?” He moved in to wrap her in a hug, seeking comfort.

But Marina sidestepped his embrace, snatching the document from his hands. “I’ll swing by the notary to get this official. I’ll loop you in when it’s ready; I hope you can play along.”

The moment her words settled in the air, Lavern’s expression soured, his brow furrowing in disbelief. “You don’t trust me even that much?” he asked, disbelief mingling with hurt.

Marina remained silent, tucking the file securely into a sealable bag as if it were a precious gem. Her actions spoke volumes.

Lavern’s face darkened, and he towered over her with a mocking glint in his eyes. “Marina, don’t you think you’ve turned awfully greedy and shallow these days?”

She met his piercing gaze without flinching, unfazed by his jibes. “These days, love alone isn’t enough to sustain you,” she replied coolly. “Just like you can’t survive on water alone, power and money are the true essentials for life.”

In her heart, she thought, ‘A man’s love is far too fickle; only material things and money will never betray you!’

After steadying her emotions, she turned back to Alyssa, forcing a smile. “Grandma, he—”

Alyssa, who had been animatedly chatting just moments before, now lay still, her eyes closed against the fading light of the sunset. Her hand hung limply over the side of the chair, her expression serene, as if she were merely napping.

Marina’s heart lurched, an inexplicable dread settling in her chest. Memories of the moment her mother had passed flooded her mind, and she reached out, trembling, to grasp her grandmother’s hand. It was still warm, but utterly unresponsive.

When the paramedics arrived, they confirmed it was a natural death, offering their condolences and urging her to take care of herself.

One moment they had been sharing stories; the next, Alyssa was gone. In a panic, Marina instinctively tried calling Lavern again.

But when the line connected, it was Shawna’s voice that answered, cool and casual. “Marina, what’s going on? The boss and I are on our way to the neighboring city…”

The moment those words reached her ears, Marina felt the color drain from her face. Without a second thought, she hung up, her heart racing.

Instead, she called Elnora in Vufield. When the call connected, her voice cracked as she managed to choke out, “Elnora, Grandma’s gone.”

Elnora’s voice was steady and reassuring. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

After hanging up, Marina covered her face with her hands, sinking to her knees beside Alyssa’s lifeless body. She pressed her face into her grandmother’s form, her shoulders shaking with the force of her sobs.

Never before had she felt such profound regret. For the sake of a man like Lavern, she had turned her back on the family that truly loved her.