Chapter 30
ELOISE
THREE WEEKS LATER
“Last time Helena called us all in together, it was for an update on Mr. Connor’s murder case.”
“It wasn’t a murder, it was suicide,” I remind her, looking up and across the office at Ren. He looks particularly handsome today. The sleeves of his black shirt are rolled up halfway up his forearms, and his tattoos are on full display.
“Off she goes again, daydreaming.” Fiona nudges Mary-Ann.
“Or reminiscing.” Mary-Ann manages to get another dig in, infuriating me and making Barney, who also shares our desk, roll his eyes.
“Imagine having those looks as well as a fortune. My husband tells me the Ashcrofts just bought out a huge electric supply company; he read it in the Financial Times.” Fiona looks at us proudly.
I break off another square of chocolate and pop it in my mouth.
Cravings started to really kick in a few days ago, and although I’ve never been a huge fan of chocolate, suddenly I can’t get enough of it.
“Did you get the email about the meeting?” Yvonne rushes over to ask, keeping her voice low as if there's some kind of conspiracy going on.
“ You got the email?” Mary-Ann looks shocked, and I’ll admit I’m a little surprised myself. Yvonne never gets invited to meetings.
“I know, right? I just said to—Oh, sweetheart, what are you doing?” Yvonne stops and looks at me as I pop another square of chocolate in my mouth. I shrug back at her because my mouth is full.
“You may think it’s okay to be eating this junk because you're eating for two, but you will regret it when it’s time to shed those baby pounds.”
“How do yo?—”
“Sorry.” Mary-Ann holds her hand up, looking guilty.
“Yvonne was saying that you were looking a little rounder around the middle than usual, and I jumped to your defense; it just came out, but come on, you can’t hide it anymore.
It’s obvious.” She looks down at my stomach, and I have to admit it’s getting harder to conceal.
I hate how uncomfortable it’s become trying to fit into my regular clothes.
“I just don’t want a big fuss. It’s not a big deal.” I wrap up my chocolate and place it in my top drawer so it’s not a temptation.
“You know, I never started to show with my first until I was way past twenty weeks.” Yvonne comes out with more words of wisdom, and when she looks up and realizes Ren is watching, she quickly straightens herself up.
“Must get back to the desk,” she giggles, playing with her hair as she looks across at him and rushes back off.
“Don’t listen to her, I was huge when I got to twenty weeks. Every pregnancy is different.” Fiona smiles, trying her best to make me feel better.
“Everyone seems to be looking at me strangely when 11:30 comes around and I enter the board room.
“Oh, Eloise, here, take my seat.” Jeffery, the art director, practically leaps out of his chair for me, since there's not enough in here for everyone.
“I’m fine standing,” I tell him, looking at Mary-Ann and knowing from the way she avoids eye contact that Yvonne isn’t the only one she’s blabbed to. This is exactly what I was moaning to Ren about on our way in today. I’m the office’s latest bone to chew on, and I hate it.
Helena steps inside a few minutes later, and when everyone silences and waits for her to reveal what we’re here for, she laughs.
“I don’t know what you’re all looking at me for, I’m not the one who called the meeting.” Her shoulders shrug.
“I am.” All heads turn to the door, and when I see Ren step inside and close it after him, I start to feel nervous.
“I want to start off by praising everyone on what a good job they’re doing.
I don’t know squat about running a magazine, but the work I’ve seen since I've been here has impressed even me.” He smiles at the room, and I can sense something coming.
“I just wanted to remind those of you who are wasting office time spreading rumours and gossiping...” He turns that killer smile onto Yvonne, “...That they’re here to do a job.
For those of you who feel entitled to know, I can confirm that our very talented, junior editor is in fact pregnant, and I’m proud to say that I’m the father.
” I hear a loud gasp and realize that it’s coming from me when I almost choke on it.
Every eye in the room is on me now, and I want the floor to swallow me up.
“If anyone's got any questions or queries on that, come see me anytime. You all have a good day.” Just like that, he nods his head and marches out, leaving me glued to my chair and facing all the shocked, confused faces.
“Back to work then.” I smile awkwardly as I stand up and make my way back to my desk, trying to tamp down the fireball of rage that’s growing inside me. I’m about to storm into his office and give him a piece of my mind, but I see something on my desk as I pass it, and stop to check it out.
The envelope looks as if it’s been hand-delivered; all it has on the front is my name in big, black writing.
I pick it up and tear it open, taking out the card inside and becoming confused when I see that it’s a sympathy card.
Slowly, I open it to see who it’s from, and when I see bold capital letters in angry handwriting, I rush into Ren’s office.
“Kitten, I know you're gonna be mad at me bu?—”
“Ren.” I hand him the card, and when he sees the words
‘JUSTICE IS COMING
’ written inside it, he screws it up in his hand furiously.
“Where did you find this?” He comes at me, holding each side of my face tightly in his hands.
“It was on my desk, in an envelope with my name on.” I start to cry because I thought all this was behind us.
“Are you okay?” He checks me over.
“I’m fine, just shaken up and scared,” I admit.
“Course you are, come and sit.” He guides me over to his chair and sits me down, before taking out his phone.
“Ren, please don’t call the police. They’ll have questions, and if they start delving into the past, they might—” I try and get my breath back, but I’m starting to panic. “I can’t have them take you away from us.”
“Relax. Breathe.” He crouches down in front of me and takes my hand.
“I’m not calling the police. I’m looking at the CCTV footage.
“You have to go to the security desk fo—-” I stop myself when I realize he already has it up on his phone, and when his eyes turn to stone and his hands start to shake, I figure he must see who it is.
“Looks like our little friend is back.” He turns the phone around so I can see better, and there walking down the corridor is a man in a motorbike helmet carrying the envelope in his hand.
“ Son of a bitch. ” Ren turns away from me, trying his best to collect himself, while I shake in his chair and wonder what this message means.
“I’m taking you home.” He charges back toward me.
“Taking me home?”
“Yeah, Eloise, home, away from here. Away from masked men who want to hurt you but are too pussy to show their fucking faces.” He picks up a paperweight from his desk and tosses it at the wall, putting a dent in it before it thuds to the ground.
“Ren, calm down.”
“No. You're scared, look at you, you're shaking. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Ren, I’m fine. I promise.” I stand up much too fast, and when my head starts to spin, I quickly sit back down again.
“Hey, hey.” He crouches in front of me again, grabbing my cheeks and making me focus on him. “Let me take you home…please.” I see how worried and desperate he looks, and slowly nod my head. I can’t be stubborn, not when I have our baby to think about.
“Okay. Let's go home.” I let his thumbs wipe away my tears, and when he kisses my forehead and whispers me a ‘thank you’, I wrap my arms tight around him and grip onto his shirt.