Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 41

1:58 pm MA

Please Come Back, My Love

Chapter 41

Elena: POV

I watched his silhouette disappear through the bedroom door, the soft click echoing like a final judgment in the silence.

For a moment, I just lay there. Staring at the ceiling. Listening to his footsteps fade down the hallway, then the distant sound of the front door opening and closing.

Gone. Again.

Always fucking gone when Victoria called.

My hand moved to my stomach, fingers splaying protectively over the still-flat surface. Seven weeks. A tiny life growing inside me that its father would

never want. Never know about.

I’m sorry, baby, I thought, tears burning behind my eyes. I’m so sorry your father is such a fucking coward.

The bed felt too big. Too empty. Too cold.

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Don’t think about it, I told myself. Don’t think about where he is right now. Who he’s with. What he’s doing.

But I couldn’t stop the images. Julian holding Victoria. Stroking her hair. Whispering those gentle words he never said to me.

The hours crawled past. One AM became two. Two became three.

He’s never coming back, a bitter voice whispered in my head. Not tonight. Maybe not ever.

Dawn broke through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the bedroom in shades of gray and rose.

I dragged myself out of bed, my body heavy with exhaustion. The mirror showed the damage-dark circles under my eyes, skin pale as paper, hair a tangled

mess.

I looked like a ghost.

The concealer did its job covering the worst of the shadows, and a bit of blush brought some color back to my cheeks. But I couldn’t hide the hollow look in

my eyes.

Get it together, I told my reflection. You can’t fall apart. Not yet.

I pulled on jeans and a cream cashmere sweater, grabbed my coat and bag. Time to get out of this place that had never really been mine.

I was halfway to the bedroom door when I heard it.

The mechanical beep of the keypad. The soft click of the front door opening.

My heart stopped.

1:58 pm

Chapter 41

MA

But no-Julian trad keys. He wouldn’t need the keypad.

I moved quietly to the bedroom door, cracking it open just enough to peer down the hallway toward the foyer.

The woman standing there wasn’t my husband.

Victoria Astor stood in my entryway, her blonde hair perfectly styled despite the early hour, wearing a pale pink Chanel coat. She looked fresh. Rested. Like she’d had the best night’s sleep of her life.

While I’d lain awake, alone, wondering if my marriage was finally over.

Victoria turned, and our eyes met across the distance.

Her smile was slow. Predatory.

I stepped out into the hallway, my bare feet silent on the hardwood. “What are you doing here?”

“Elena.” Her voice was syrup-sweet, dripping with false concern. “You look terrible. Those dark circles… did you not sleep?”

I didn’t answer. Just stood there, my arms crossed over my chest, trying to look stronger than I felt.

“Of course you didn’t sleep, Victoria continued, her smile widening. “You were up all night wondering where Julian was. Wondering who he was with.” She paused, letting the words sink in like poison. “Julian stayed with me until dawn. Held me while I cried. Such a caring man.”

The words hit me like physical blows. My stomach twisted, bile rising in my throar

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