No Divorce? The Billionaire's Love Chase! novel Chapter 15

York's protectiveness was deeply reassuring to Ann.

She urged him to go after Claudia. "York, I don't need to buy anything. Go get her and straighten things out."

York replied calmly, "Darleen is with her, she'll be fine. I'll take you back to the hospital first."

York had the staff wrap up the shoes Ann had just tried on, and then he escorted her out of the store.

The driver, a longtime employee of the Ferguson family, wiped sweat from his brow as York approached. "Sir, the Young Mistress just ran from here in tears."

"It's nothing. Just drive."

York opened the car door, and he and Ann got in.

Ann offered him a bottle of water. "Here, York."

He didn't take it.

Ann surreptitiously watched him. His expression was placid, but his eyes were unfocused, clearly lost in thought.

Ann cleared her throat and called his name again, finally pulling him back to the present.

With an expression of guilt and conflict, she faced him and pleaded, "York, can you promise me you won't tell anyone about my son and me?"

York looked at her, confused. "Why?"

Before she could speak, Ann's eyes reddened. "Back then, your grandfather used you to threaten me, forcing me to break up with you. He made me go abroad and marry someone else so that you would give up all hope."

"All these years, I could never forget you. Because of that, my husband was constantly abusive. He forced me to have a child, and I developed severe depression."

"Sometimes, I just wanted to hide away and die quietly, but I couldn't bear to leave my child."

"Maybe it was fate, but a little over a year ago, he died of a drug overdose. My son and I were finally free."

Darleen's shout was choked with sobs. "Claudia is missing! My mom and I are still out looking for her!"

The line went dead. York stood for a moment, then walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window.

Those two troublemakers. They must be conspiring to trick him again.

His assistant, Mark, came in. "Mr. Ferguson, is the two-thirty meeting still on?"

York lit a cigarette, his voice steady. "Yes."

Mark had been with York for several years. Despite his baby face, he was serious, professional, and incredibly capable—York's most trusted subordinate.

After finishing his work, York left the office on time.

For the first time ever, the driver, who was usually so direct and efficient, asked, "Sir, are we going home or to Miss James's place?"