Chapter 41
Elowen
My little girl has grown so big.
I run to her the moment my boots hit the grass, and she runs to me. I sink onto the grass, and she’s all over me—circling, jumping, licking everywhere she can reach.
It’s been more than a month since I’ve seen her.
When I went to San Diego after Zo’s accident, I brought her along, and she got sick.
So when I left for Leo’s wedding, I let her stay here with her caretaker, Wanda, since Ma and Pa had also gone with me to San Diego.
They came back here after the wedding; I stayed.
I’d planned to stay two weeks, but my concert got postponed, and then Avi and Zo’s relationship became public.
The month flew by in the blink of an eye.
Now Leo’s gone to Russia—to beg Lyn to come back, I hope—and he’s sent me back to Pa’s countryside house. Our heaven.
For the first time in years, I felt reluctant to leave San Diego.
It’s only been four days since the concert.
I went out into the city, using shopping as an excuse, but I didn’t see him anywhere.
An unreasonable part of me still believes he’s there, and by leaving, I’m closing every door to a chance meeting.
“She missed you terribly,” Ma says as she reaches us.
I stand and hug her. Pa comes over too, and I hug him as well.
“You missed me too, right?” I tease.
Ma chuckles. “Very much. Without you and Avi, this house became so silent.”
“Are you saying Avi and I make too much noise?” I press a hand to my chest in mock hurt, walking inside.
“Old people love their loud grandchildren,” Pa says, smiling.
I snort. “You two have a very interesting way of giving compliments.”
We settle into the cozy sitting room, nestling into the couches. Rosie climbs up beside me; I hug her fuzzy face, kissing the top of her head.
“How’s Leo?” Ma asks.
I release Rosie from my grasp and start massaging around her neck while gathering my answer to the very difficult question.
“He’s fine. Gone to Russia on a business trip.”
Pa chuckles. “All you kids are very good liars.”
Ma shakes her head. “We know what he did. Now answer me truthfully.”
“How do you know?” I ask, shocked.
“Your mother told us.”
“And who told her?”
“Your father.”
I nod slowly. “That explains why she was calling me nine times a day to ask about Leo.” I mutter to myself, then look at Ma.
“He’ll be fine. He went to bring Lyn back. He really wants their relationship to work, and since he always ends up getting what he wants, rest assured.”
“That’s good.” Ma sighs. “I don’t know why you kids have made your relationships so complicated.”
“Nothing’s complicated anymore. Zo and Avi are set. Leo and Lyn will be fine too.” I lean back into the couch.
“And you?” Pa asks.
“What about me? I’m happily single.” I say, aiming for nonchalant.
“You sure?” His voice carries a thread of suspicion.
“Of course, Pa. Or do you think I’d keep loving someone who kept me captive for just eleven days?
It was only eleven days, and he didn’t give me any luxury during that time.
I did maid’s work, wore their clothes, slept in a dog’s bed.
Besides, now that I know he’s a cold-blooded killer, I’ve let go of all delusions.
He isn’t capable of love, and I finally understand that.
” I deliver my rehearsed speech with absolute certainty.
They both study me for a moment, then nod.
“That’s good.” Ma says, smiling. “We were so worried you’d hold on and end up hurt.”
I shake my head. “I’m not holding onto anything. I don’t even like him, to be honest. It feels ridiculous to even think I once declared my love for that monster.”
Salvario
She’s at a new location now—Stefan Bennett’s estate, set in the middle of vast farmland. I had planned to reach her at Matleon’s house, but now I have to start over. Hack the security system of estate.
I start working the moment she arrives. Through the virus on her phone, I get into the estate’s network. I activate data output from her phone’s screen, microphone, and camera to monitor her while the malware makes its way into the main network.
The phone is locked. Screen and camera return nothing but black. I turn up the audio and lean back in my chair.
She’s telling them about Matleon and his wife. I don’t care about the gossip, her voice is what I need. Her sweet voice.
For the past three months, I’ve lived on her voice. On seeing her face through her phone’s camera. I don’t think I would have survived this long—would have kept my sanity—without it.
Alessio has tightened security so much that it takes ten times the effort and planning just for a glimpse of her in person. That’s not a problem for me. I have all the time and resources. I will break through.
She finishes a long explanation about her brother, careful to add a line that will ease her grandparents’ worries.
In the past three months, listening to her talk with everyone in that family, I’ve picked up many of her habits.
One of them is this: she always makes sure everyone around her is happy.
She goes to great lengths for it—lying, manipulating, whatever it takes.
Comfort comes naturally to her. She can make anyone feel at ease, even with their own doubts.
She talks all day, every day. But in these three months, she hasn’t spoken my name even once.
I rub the space between my brows. The familiar weight presses down on me.
I’m afraid.
I thought I was only afraid of losing her. But now I know, I’m also afraid of her stopping loving me.
She started an NGO in Naples. She wants to help the people I destroyed. That’s the only time she mentions anything connected to me, when she talks about that NGO and her plans for it.
“And you?” Her grandfather asks.
“What about me? I’m happily single.”
The carefree tone wraps around my chest and squeezes.
She’s lying to them.
“You sure?” Stefan asks.
“Of course, Pa. Or do you think I’d keep loving someone who kept me captive for just eleven days?
It was only eleven days, and he didn’t give me any luxury during that time.
I did maid’s work, wore their clothes, slept in a dog’s bed.
Besides, now that I know he’s a cold-blooded killer, I’ve let go of all delusions.
He isn’t capable of love, and I finally understand that. ”
I stare at the curtained window of my San Diego hotel room. Everything inside me goes still. Her words settle slowly, forcing my breath to lodge in my throat. My heart forgets to beat.
“She’s lying.” I whisper, dragging a hand down my face.
But the way she says it doesn’t sound like a lie.
I press my palms to my burning temples and force myself to keep listening.
“That’s good. We were so worried you’d hold onto those feelings and suffer.”
And then her answer: “I’m not holding onto anything. I don’t even like him, to be honest. It feels ridiculous to even think I once declared my love for that monster.”
The words tear through my ribs. I press a hand to my chest, to the place they’re shredding.
I squeeze my eyes shut, jaw clenching.
The boy is there. Smiling. Relishing every moment of my suffering.
“You always wanted this!” I shout at him. “You always wanted her to hate me!”
He laughs. For the first time, he laughs while I endure something worse than death.
I open my eyes. “She’s lying.” I mutter to myself, pulling up the system report my virus collected.
She can’t mean this. She’s lying. She has to be lying.
Still, my hands won’t stop trembling on the keyboard as I start rewriting the security codes.
I have to reach her. As soon as possible.