The Moment I Realized I Can't Lose You novel Chapter 77

Joaquin stared at her, his jaw locked tight in furious silence. The temperature in the car plummeted to a freezing zero.

"Sir, we've arrived." The driver's nervous voice broke the ice. "Should I... get out?"

The car was still locked from the inside, and the driver obviously didn't dare hit the unlock button himself, but sitting up front listening to his bosses rip each other apart was agonizing.

His voice snapped both of them back to reality; they hadn't even noticed the car had parked.

"No need." Joaquin clipped, hitting the unlock button. He swung his door open, marched around to her side, and pulled her out.

Taking her by the wrist, he practically dragged her up the front steps of the estate, as if terrified she might bolt into the night.

It was nearing midnight, and Audrey was too exhausted to fight him anymore. Even if she managed to break free, grabbing a cab back to the studio lot would take hours, and she wouldn't get into bed until two or three in the morning. She had an eight o'clock meeting with Julian and Nora to hand over script revisions.

The heavy front door clicked shut behind them as Joaquin locked it. The familiar, warm air of the house enveloped her, bringing a strange sense of comfort that eased her frayed nerves.

She shrugged off his oversized suit jacket and sank into the plush living room sofa. The moment she melted into the soft cushions, she let out a deep, contented sigh.

Between the adrenaline of dancing at the club and the sheer terror of pacing the hospital corridors, her body was completely drained. In the car, her entire focus had been consumed by their screaming match. Now that she was back in a safe, warm environment, all that bone-deep exhaustion finally hit her like a truck.

Seeing her leaning against the sofa with heavy eyes, Joaquin paused. "Does your back hurt?"

She didn't know why he was asking, but she nodded truthfully. "A little sore, yes."

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