Too Pretty to Be Your Backup novel Chapter 7

Just as Chad was struggling with what to do next, his phone lit up. Travis was calling.

He answered quickly. "Mr. Hill."

Travis' voice was as cool as ever. "Did you bring her back?"

Chad swallowed, nervous. "No... Ms. Tully slipped away. She bought a ticket to Hayfield and left without telling anyone."

There was a heavy pause. Then Travis hung up.

His face remained expressionless, handsome features set in that familiar icy calm. He pulled up Amanda’s number and called her himself. This was the first time he’d reached out to her directly, a gesture that should have been a peace offering.

But the phone just rang and rang until the call disconnected. She didn’t answer.

Travis stared at his phone’s black screen, his face unreadable. She was really giving him the silent treatment—not just ignoring Chad, but ignoring him, too.

Without a word, Travis called his other assistant, Fiona. "Find out where Amanda is staying in Hayfield. Book me the fastest flight you can. I’ll go get her myself."

Fiona seemed stunned for a second, but quickly switched to her usual professional tone. "Yes, sir."

—

Amanda had always wanted to visit Hayfield. The town was beautiful, the air was clean, the weather just right. She planned to take her time, wander around Hayfield, and eventually make her way home—maybe spend a month or so just traveling.

The mountains were breathtaking, the lakes clear as glass. Out here, her heartbreak shrank until it felt almost laughable. Nature had a way of making your problems seem small.

She joined a tour group, and saw the most beautiful flowers she’d ever laid eyes on.

After a long, perfect day, she finally made it back to her rental apartment around nine at night. She opened the door, ready to collapse into bed—

And froze.

Someone was sitting in her living room. Tall, familiar, and so unmistakably him that her heart skipped a beat.

She blinked, rubbed her eyes, stared again.

He was still there.

She wasn’t imagining it.

Travis? Here?

He looked the same as always, every inch the powerful, elegant CEO in his suit, just sitting there radiating authority. He was dialing his phone, but when he spotted her, he stopped and looked up with that cool, blank stare.

"Why didn’t your phone ring?" he asked, voice flat.

Amanda hesitated, then shrugged. "I threw out my old number."

Travis nodded, as if that explained everything, and put his phone away. "I’ll get you a new one when we get back. For now, pack up. We’re going back to London."

Amanda let out a humorless little laugh and took a step back. Her eyes were clear, her voice steady. "Travis, we broke up."

He rubbed his temples, trying to push down his irritation. "Amanda, can we not do this right now? I’m busy. I don’t have time to play games. Just be good, okay?"

The exhaustion in his voice was real. He’d flown overnight to get here, arrived at her place after ten, and hadn’t slept a wink—he’d just waited for her. He’d already lowered his pride; wasn’t that enough? Shouldn’t she just accept the olive branch?

Amanda only backed away, her eyes empty of any lingering affection. "I don’t need you to comfort me, Travis. You never did it before, and I don’t need it now. Let’s just end this here."

She turned to go. "If you won’t leave, then I will."

She’d barely taken a step when a loud thud echoed behind her. She spun around, startled.

Travis had collapsed, his tall body curled up on the floor.

A sharp, efficient-looking lady rushed past Amanda and knelt beside him. "Sir, are you okay?" Fiona’s voice was tight with worry. She shot Amanda a look, her words laced with accusation. "Mr. Hill flew all night to find you. He hasn’t had a sip of water since yesterday. Ms. Tully, aren’t you being a little heartless?"

Amanda pulled out her phone and calmly called for an ambulance, giving the details before hanging up. "I’ve called 911. That’s not heartless, is it?"

She turned to leave.

Fiona stared at her in disbelief. "You’re not going to the hospital with Mr. Hill?"

Amanda didn’t even slow down. "I’m not a doctor. What would be the point?"

Travis' stomach twisted in pain, his vision blurring, but through it all he saw her figure—walking away, steady, not looking back.