Just Before My Wedding: Trapped By My Ruthless Boss novel Chapter 34

Chapter 34

KISAREL

Ne dialed the range number for the sixth time and got the same nothing we had gotten five times before

Eign made a wound beside me that sat somewhere between frustration and dread and started pacing the length of Geraids small living room.

“Maybe try again later” I said “Could be a flat battery. Could be anything”

“Could be anything he repeated, not like he was agreeing but like he was turning the phrase over and finding it insufficient. He stopped pacing for a moment. “I have a very bad feeling about this, Arel. A very specific, very French bad feeling, which is the worst kind because the French have always had an excellent instinct for disaster

“We don’t need to panic just yet-

I’m not panicking, I’m having a feeling. There’s a difference.” He resumed pacing. “Grand–père texted a stranger four words that wound exactly like a man who has been asked to do something he wasn’t sure about and has finally decided to stop running from it” He stopped again. “That is not a harmless text. That is not a man confirming a dinner reservation.”

“I know” I unfolded my arms. “I know it doesn’t look harmless. But we need to be careful about what we do with it.” I paused.

“Should we go to the police?” He asked.

“That would be a good idea. But what do we tell them?” I kept my voice gentle. “To the world, Gerald died of natural causes. The hospital ruled it. The doctors signed off on it. Until we have something concrete – something they can actually work with walking into a police station with two unregistered phone numbers and a four–word text isn’t going to open an investigation. It’s going to get us sent home.”

Elgin looked at me.

“Arel” His voice was quiet.

“I know” I crossed to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “I know. But let’s take this slowly. One step at a time, so we don’t mess up whatever chance we have of actually finding something. Okay?”

He was quiet for a long moment, looking at the floor. Then he nodded once, slowly.

“Okay,” he said.

“Good”

at Gerald’s armchair, at the side table with the old He was quiet for another moment. Then he looked around the room lamp on it, at the framed photograph of Gerald as a young man that had sat on the same shelf for as long as I had been

and something moved across his face that he didn’t try to hide. visiting this house

“I can’t stay here.” His voice came out smaller than before. “At least, not right now. Every corner I look at, every room I walk into.” He stopped. Fresh tears spilled, and he just let them fall. “He is everywhere in this house, Arel, and I can’t…” He broke off and pressed the back of his hand to his mouth.

1 pulled him into a hug without saying anything.

We stayed like that for a moment.

When we pulled apart, he wiped his face roughly with his sleeve and drew in a breath that shuddered slightly on the way

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Chapter 34

“I want to find a new place,” he said. “Something that doesn’t know him. Somewhere I can breathe without.” He gestured vaguely at everything around him. “I have some money. My boyfriend in France was very generous when I told him I was leaving, bless his dramatic heart. And I was on the Internet all day and found some places worth looking at tomorrow”

“That sounds perfect,” I said. “Whatever and wherever makes you happy, Elgin”

He looked at me sideways with red–rimmed eyes. “You’re still moving in with me, non? Please don’t say no. I will absolutely fall apart if you say no, and I refuse to be responsible for what that looks like.”

I laughed despite everything. “Where else do I have to go, Elgin?”

The corner of his mouth lifted. Just slightly. The smallest, most reluctant version of his smile.

“Merci, Mon Chérie,” he said softly.

*****

I didn’t want to arrive too early and spend the whole evening waiting for Jace to return from work. But I hadn’t planned on arriving this late either.

It was already past eight by the time I managed to get Elgin calm enough to sleep, tucked in with a glass of water on the bedside table and his phone within reach, before I could slip out and get a taxi.

The ride was quiet. I sat with my phone in my lap and tried to organise my thoughts into something resembling a plan for the conversation I was about to have. How to ask about that night without sounding accusing.

I was still working on it when my eyes drifted up from my phone and caught something through the windscreen.

A car.

Deep blue. Driving away, not too far from the direction of Jace’s gate, and moving in the opposite direction from my taxi, as it picked up speed.

I sat forward, refusing to believe what my brain was telling me.

Moonie also drove a deep blue car.

But by the time my brain had finished assembling the thoughts in my head, the car was already too far ahead, swallowed by the night.

I squinted my eyes, but I still couldn’t see the plates or be certain of anything except the colour of the car.

I felt an uncomfortable drop in my stomach as I slowly sat back.

I hadn’t seen where they came from. I hadn’t seen who was in it. I hadn’t even seen it pull out of Jace’s gate specifically had just been on the same road, moving away, and that was all I actually had.

I couldn’t go accusing Jace of anything at the moment. So, I just sat back and pretended like I hadn’t seen anything. Because it could actually be a coincidence.

**

The living room felt wrong the moment I walked in.

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Chapter 34

I want to hund a new place,” he said. “Something that doesn’t know him. Somewhere I can breathe without. He gestured vaguely at everything around him I have some money. My boyfriend in France was very generous when I told him I was leaving, bless his dramatic heart. And I was on the Internet all day and found some places worth looking at tomorrow?

That sounds perfect, I said. “Whatever and wherever makes you happy, Elgin”

He looked at me sideways with red–rimmed eyes. “You’re still moving in with me, non? Please don’t say no. I will absolutely fall apart if you say no, and I refuse to be responsible for what that looks like?

I laughed despite everything. “Where else do I have to go, Elgin?”

The comer of his mouth lifted. Just slightly. The smallest, most reluctant version of his smile.

“Merci, Mon Cherie,” he said softly,

I didn’t want to arrive too early and spend the whole evening waiting for Jace to return from work. But I hadn’t planned on arriving this late either.

It was already past eight by the time I managed to get Elgin calm enough to sleep, tucked in with a glass of water on the bedside table and his phone within reach, before I could slip out and get a taxi.

The ride was quiet. I sat with my phone in my lap and tried to organise my thoughts into something resembling a plan for the conversation I was about to have. How to ask about that night without sounding accusing.

I was still working on it when my eyes drifted up from my phone and caught something through the windscreen.

A car.

Deep blue. Driving away, not too far from the direction of Jace’s gate, and moving in the opposite direction from my taxi, as it picked up speed.

I sat forward, refusing to believe what my brain was telling me.

Moonie also drove a deep blue car.

But by the time my brain had finished assembling the thoughts in my head, the car was already too far ahead, swallowed by the night.

I squinted my eyes, but I still couldn’t see the plates or be certain of anything except the colour of the car.

1 felt an uncomfortable drop in my stomach as I slowly sat back.

I hadn’t seen where they came from. I hadn’t seen who was in it. I hadn’t even seen it pull out of Jace’s gate specifically – it had just been on the same road, moving away, and that was all I actually had.

I couldn’t go accusing Jace of anything at the moment. So, I just sat back and pretended like I hadn’t seen anything. Because it could actually be a coincidence.

The living room felt wrong the moment I walked in.

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10:35 am Pppp.

Chapter 34

It wasn’t wrong in any way I could point to or name. Nothing seemed out of place, and nothing was just a feeling the particular, animal awareness of a spare that has recently held something x and has been tidied up just enough to pretend otherwise

I stood in the middle of it for a moment.

I scoffed and told myself I was tired and paranoid and that I was looking for things to cofarm whe. I dready

I shrugged it off and made myself walk to the stairs.

The moment I pushed Jace’s door open, I stood in the doorway and took in the sight of the room.

It was immaculate. Bed made. Everything exactly where it should be.

I had half expected… what? I didn’t know exactly. Something. A reason. Anything at all that would either confirm the feeling in my stomach or put it to rest for good.

I heaved a sigh and immediately felt stupid.

As I thought earlier, it might have been a sheer coincidence.

I walked in and sat on the edge of the bed as I waited for him to come out of the bathroom.

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