The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 121

Rhys wanted answers too.

When he received the call, his primary reaction was confusion. Clara Bridges had been missing for a week; how had she suddenly ended up there?

But he didn't want to agitate her right now. Looking into Clara's eyes, his tone carried a mix of helplessness and forced patience.

"Yesterday, the suspect in the West Side hit-and-run was tracked to Clearwater Bay. By the early hours of the morning, the blizzard had shut down the roads and the highways were closed. I checked into the nearest hotel to rest. What is the problem with that? Did you expect me to sleep in the snow?"

Clara stared at the fluid slowly dripping in her IV tube, saying nothing.

There was no problem with his logic. That was the biggest problem.

He always had a legitimate reason. Work, the weather, force majeure—every single excuse was more important than his wife.

"As for Margot," Rhys continued, his tone softening noticeably at the mention of her name, "Eric asked me to help tow her car this morning. She just happened to tag along."

"Clara, don't think so poorly of everyone."

Standing at the door, Simon Walker and Emily Lane rolled their eyes so hard it hurt. Both wanted to storm in and curse him out, but a single stern glance from Noah Carter stopped them.

Clara finally spoke. "So, you spent the night at a hotel with your phone right next to you, and it never occurred to you to look for me?"

Even though she had blocked his number, if he had truly wanted to find her, he could have used other channels or asked friends to pass a message. There was always a way.

Rhys paused for a second.

"I thought you were with Simon. I thought you were safe."

Clara let out a short, hollow laugh. "Rhys, do you have any idea how cold that underground parking garage is? Do you know what you were doing upstairs while I was bleeding out below?"

"I told you, it was an emergency. Margot fainted. I couldn't just leave her to die."

"Then do you realize that if it weren't for Emily, the one dying there today would have been me!"

Clara's emotions suddenly snapped. She grabbed her pillow and hurled it at him.

The pillow struck his chest harmlessly, soft and lacking force. But the violent motion dislodged the IV needle in the back of her hand. Blood flowed back up the tube, turning a long section of the plastic line crimson.

Rhys's heart tightened. He stepped forward and grabbed her hand. "Don't move. The blood is backing up."

"Don't touch me!"

Clara shook off his hand with a look of pure revulsion.

His hand froze in mid-air.

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