The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 103

It was past ten in the evening when Rhys returned.

He carried the faint scent of alcohol and tobacco. He rarely smoked, usually reserving the habit for social obligations, particularly difficult cases, or moments of extreme irritation.

Clara didn’t want to talk to him, so she simply pretended to be asleep. She kept her eyes closed, regulating her breathing to mimic the slow, rhythmic pattern of deep slumber.

The mattress dipped behind her, bringing with it his familiar scent as Rhys lay down. With practiced ease, he wrapped an arm around her waist and sighed softly against her ear. If not for the divorce papers currently buried in the drawer, this would have been just another one of their countless nights of affection.

Fortunately, Rhys seemed exhausted. Assuming she was fast asleep, he didn’t press for anything more.

"Goodnight," he whispered in the darkness.

The room fell into a heavy silence. Just as Clara thought he had drifted off, the phone on the nightstand vibrated. Two short buzzes.

Rhys’s reaction was lightning fast. He clamped his hand over the screen almost the instant it lit up, silencing it. He propped himself up on one arm, turning his head to check on her. Clara maintained her position on her side, her breathing steady and even. Satisfied she hadn't stirred, Rhys slowly withdrew his arm from her waist and threw back the covers.

He picked up his phone, the pale light illuminating the furrow in his brow. Clara, eyes still closed, felt her sense of hearing sharpen painfully. She heard the soft friction of his bare feet on the carpet, followed by the sliding glass door of the terrace opening a crack and clicking shut.

To avoid waking her, Rhys had gone outside.

Clara opened her eyes. They were clear and utterly void of sleep. The wind was low tonight, the waves gentle. The terrace was just outside the floor-to-ceiling windows near the bed, and the sea breeze carried the man’s lowered voice into the room in fragmented drifts.

"What’s wrong?"

"Is the pain back? Did you take your meds?"

Clara stared at the wall in front of her, her hand gripping the bedsheet beneath her tightly. Even without looking, she knew exactly who was on the other end of the line. At this hour, the only person Captain Huntington would sneak away from his wife to answer was Margot.

His voice was deep, laced with a patience that chilled Clara to the bone.

"Yeah, I know... I’ll come see you the moment I get back. But I’m not done here yet. Get some rest, okay? I'll be back soon."

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