Chapter 37
DARCY
She was running out of time.
Darcy had walked up and down the corridors of the clinic, her heart pounding in her chest as she desperately searched for Devlin. But no matter where she looked, there was no sign of him. Worse still, people were starting to notice her. The clinic was highly secure — everywhere she turned the doors were locked tight, accessed only by a keycard, and the staff seemed to be on high alert. Twice now, a staff member had stopped her, asking who she was and what she was doing there. She’d managed to bluff her way out of both situations, but it wouldn’t be long before somebody kicked her out.
The only reason she’d lasted this long, she thought, is because she blended in. The press had descended on the building in droves, eager to cover the story of Devlin’s miraculous survival. The air outside had been electric with anticipation, and Darcy knew that once the press conference began, the attention of the staff would shift entirely to managing the media frenzy.
But she didn’t have that kind of time. If she didn’t find Devlin before the press conference started, it would be too late.
Grunting with frustration after reaching yet another dead end, Darcy spun on her heels and retraced her steps towards the lobby, her head down as she navigated the maze of corridors. As she neared her destination, the distant sound of voices grew louder, a low hum of activity that made her stomach tighten with nerves. She needed to stay invisible, to blend in with the crowd until she could find Devlin.
Pushing open the door to the lobby, Darcy was immediately met by a wall of sound. The place was packed with people — journalists, photographers, camera crews — all buzzing with excitement. Through the glass doors that led to the formal gardens, Darcy could see even more people outside, a veritable sea of bodies filling the space in front of the clinic.
She kept her head down as she made her way to the formal gardens. Two seats sat empty at the front of the crowd, like thrones. The sight of those chairs sent a fresh wave of fear washing over her. Soon, Devlin and Claudia would be sitting there, side by side, presenting a united front to the world. The thought made Darcy’s heart twist painfully in her chest. What was she doing here? What had she hoped to accomplish by coming?
Even if Claudia had been lying, and she and Devlin weren’t getting back together, what chance did Darcy really stand with Devlin? She was naive, and poor, just a foolish girl from Wisconsin who’d made a terrible decision and got herself stranded in Europe. She wasn’t glamourous like Claudia. She was plain and dull. Her life was the very definition of boring. Most of all, she was scared. She was scared of commitment, scared of adventure, scared of change.
She was scared of life.
The truth hit her like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, Darcy felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. What was she thinking? She didn’t belong here. She didn’t belong in Devlin’s world. He was a billionaire, a global icon, a man whose life was filled with luxury and excitement. She was just an ordinary girl who had stumbled into something far bigger than she could handle. It would be better for everyone if she just left, if she turned around and walked away right now. Devlin could go back to his life, and she could go back to hers. Nothing would change. Life would go on.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results .
The words echoed in her mind, and Darcy stopped in her tracks, her pulse racing. She couldn’t go back to her old life. She didn’t want things to go back to the way they were. She had been so unhappy, drifting through life without purpose, without passion. And Devlin — he had been unhappy too. She had seen it in his eyes, heard it in his voice. They were both trapped, both searching for something more.
“No,” Darcy said.
This was her chance to change everything. It was time for her not to be afraid anymore.
She turned around, searching for something. There had to be a way to reach him, a way to get a message to Devlin before it was too late. She dug into her pockets for a scrap of paper and her fingers closed around the playing card from their unfinished game. Queen of Hearts. It didn’t take long to spot a journalist scribbling notes in a small pad. An idea sparked in her mind, and without hesitating, she weaved her way through the bustling crowd towards him.
“Excuse me,” she said. “Can I borrow your pen? Just for a second.”
The man eyed her suspiciously, but didn’t seem to recognise her and he reluctantly handed over his pen. Darcy had only just started to write on the front of the card when she heard a surge of noise. Glancing up, she squinted through the sun-drenched window and there, she saw a familiar face walking to the door.
Devlin .
Darcy’s heart did a leap of joy, but she didn’t have time to savour the moment. She quickly handed the pen back to the journalist.
“Thanks,” she said, flashing him a grateful smile before turning her attention to the chairs at the front of the crowd.
The noise level was growing by the second as the journalists scrambled to get into position, their cameras trained on the door. Darcy resisted the urge to join them, to see Devlin for herself. There wasn’t time. She had to act now.
Pushing her way through the throng of people, Darcy made her way to the front of the assembly, her heart pounding with adrenaline. She didn’t stop to think about what she was doing. There was no time to question it. She reached the empty chairs, the ones meant for Devlin and Claudia, and with a quick glance over her shoulder to make sure she wasn’t being watched, she swapped out Devlin’s name card with the Queen of Hearts onto his seat. She couldn’t risk being seen. If Claudia worked out who she was, then she’d have her thrown out of the clinic.
Please let him find it, she thought, her pulse racing.
It was only when she got to the back of the gardens that she stopped and turned around. Past the assembly of bobbing heads she made out Devlin and Claudia walking across the garden. They were side by side, but from here Darcy couldn’t tell how close they were, or whether they were holding hands.
Please be strong , she thought, trying to broadcast the message into Devlin’s head. Please, just be you .
“Excuse me,” said a voice behind her. Darcy wheeled around to see a security guard there. “May I see your press ID?”
“Oh, sorry,” she said. “I’m just leaving.”
She kept her head down as she walked away, heading for the alleyway where the car was still waiting for her. Climbing inside, she leaned over to the driver.
“Can you tune in to the local radio?” she asked. “Can we listen to the press conference on the way?”
“Sure,” the driver said. He pressed the buttons until he reached the right station, and Darcy’s tummy flipped as she recognised Devlin’s voice.
She hoped the note would be enough, that Devlin would understand it.
Because if he didn’t, then everything was lost.