"I'll be staying here for a while to assess the situation and ensure my own security. My only demand is that during this time, you must be on call whenever I need you. Understood?"
That seemed like a perfectly standard request.
Aria didn't hesitate, but just as she opened her mouth to agree, he added another condition.
"Remember. I mean on call at any time. Whenever I want."
The words themselves were simple enough, but the underlying tone was heavy with implication.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place for her.
"I... Being on call is fine, but there are certain things I simply cannot do."
Mr. Jude nodded, accepting her boundary.
"Don't worry. I have no other intentions."
Aria let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Then we should head back and discuss the details thoroughly, Mr. Jude."
Seeing the bright smile return to her face, Nathaniel gave a faint hum of acknowledgment and turned to walk away.
By the time Lyra reached the ground floor, her hired driver had just pulled up.
She slid into the backseat and rested her head against the cool window.
She had consumed quite a bit of alcohol that night, and the buzz was finally catching up to her, bringing a dull, throbbing ache to her temples.
Ding—
Her phone buzzed.
Lyra pulled it out and saw a text message from an unknown number.
[Long time no see.]
Staring at the cryptic message, she furrowed her brow.
She couldn't think of anyone she hadn't seen in a long time who would text her like this.
When she checked the number, she realized it was an untraceable, out-of-area contact, which meant the sender was likely hiding their identity on purpose.
Who could it be?

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABEL
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: I Chose Me Over My Marriage