Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-Nine
V eronica
The next morning, I woke up early with a slight headache and then made myself coffee. A knock pounded at the door and I frowned, because I wasn’t expecting anyone this early. Laura was still fast asleep. She was normally an early bird, but since she’d found out she was pregnant, she’d been sleeping a lot more.
Last night, after we left the hotel, Laura wanted go to the cinema. We managed to get tickets for the last showing and we ended up leaving just before midnight, at which time Laura announced that she was going to stay in our old place tonight, where I still lived. I didn't want to argue with a pregnant and clearly hormonal woman, so we caught a cab home. By then, her security had somehow managed to track us down. The agents outside my flat didn't look impressed.
I yawned and walked towards the hall, thinking that it was way too early for any visit. When I finally approached the door, I nearly screamed when I noticed Spencer freaking Banks standing outside, along with three bulked-up security agents. My roommate was right—her fiancé was totally unhinged. She’d literally gone out for a nice meal and then to the movies for the first time ever since they’d come back from Sicily and he obviously couldn’t stop being overprotective. Ridiculous.
“Spencer, it’s so good to see you. What are you doing here so early?” I asked, giving him my brightest and sweetest of smiles.
He didn’t seem impressed by my good humour this early. He stood there dressed in a black coat and looking like one of these Mafia dons from romance novels. Laura was one lucky bitch.
“You and Laura dodged my security last night and I was worried, so I thought I’d surprise her this morning,” he stated, obviously irritated that he had to wait for me to let him in.
He might have been the PM, but that didn’t mean I could let him through without any kind of reasonable explanation.
“If you knew this last night then why didn’t you come over when we left?” I asked.
When Spencer had found out that Laura was expecting his child, he’d started acting like he’d lost his mind, suddenly monitoring everything she ate and did. Laura wasn’t too pleased, and lately we hardly even saw each other because she’d moved into Downing Street permanently now, so when she’d called me last night asking me to go grab dinner, I was very surprised.
An hour later, she was in our old flat trying different dresses, telling me she needed to have a break from that “overbearing hot fiancé” of hers, otherwise he was going to drive her batshit crazy if he didn’t stop being so anal about her pregnancy. Apparently, Spencer had been fine with her being out last night, which I very much doubted. Still, I was grateful to have her for myself, at least for one night.
The muscle in his jaw ticked as he glared at me. I was enjoying this more than I realised.
“She wasn’t taking my calls and I didn’t want to show up unexpectedly so late. I knew that would have caused unnecessary drama on my behalf,” he grumbled.
I laughed. These two were so amusing.
“And do you think showing up here now was such a good idea? You really need to give her some space. She’s a responsible adult, and you’re treating her like she is made from glass. Take a chill pill,” I said, trying hard not to laugh.“You’re the PM, sure, but she’s her own person.”
Spencer had never been a patient man, but it seemed he realised he’d already crossed too many lines with Laura, so he was afraid to anger her even more. Smart move.
“I must admit, maybe I have been a bit too overbearing about certain things, but you’re right—”
“I’m sorry, what did you just say? That I was right? That’s impossible. I think you might have to repeat that,” I said, cutting him off while trying to contain my laughter. Yeah, I was pushing him too far, maybe because he reminded me so much of Rupert.
“I thought you were fucking leaving?” he snapped, clearly even more irritated now.
I shook my head, smiling, then I took a few steps towards him.
“Relax, Prime Minister. Laura had fun last night, and she will appreciate you showing up here this morning.”
Then I was gone, leaving him probably bewildered, but I was done with taunting him, so I quickly vanished into the bathroom. I quickly applied some makeup, styled my hair, and then left, giving Spencer and Laura well-deserved privacy while his massive agents hung around right outside the door.
I knew exactly what I needed to do next. It was seven in the morning, but I didn’t think I could wait any longer, plus it would take me some time to get to Chelsea. Nerves were already wrecking my stomach. I had no idea what to expect. Rupert was still upset after everything that had gone on between us, and I didn’t think he would believe me, but I had to try it. I was too much in love with him to let it go now.
An hour later I bit my lips, standing in front of Rupert’s door and wondering if I was doing the right thing. The doubts set in and my heart pounded, but none of that should matter now. I’d made my decision yesterday.
Get yourself together and knock.
Then I did—there was no going back from this now. I waited for several seconds, and then came footsteps. Moments later, the door opened up, and I was just about to say something, but my smile faded instantly when Rupert’s mother stood there.
“Veronica, it’s nice to see you again. Come in,” she said, gesturing to me to enter as though she was not at all surprised.Had she been waiting for me to arrive? I had no idea what to make of it.
“I need to speak to Rupert urgently. Is he inside?” I asked, suddenly getting my voice back.
She didn’t answer as we walked straight into Rupert’s kitchen, but he wasn’t there. His mother turned around and gave me a small smile, infused with worry.
“No, he’s not here. To be honest, no one knows where he is. We can’t find him, and I’m getting a little worried,” she explained, looking at me intensely.
“What do you mean you can’t find him? Did he go away?” I asked.
“He must have gone somewhere because some of his clothes are gone, and his favourite suitcase. He didn’t tell anyone where he was going or what he was planning, which is not like him. On top of that, he must have changed his phone or deactivated the other number. I emailed him, but no one from his employees and family members know where he is right now,” she explained.
I sat on a stool because suddenly my legs felt a little wobbly.
“What about his brother, James? He could track him down, but maybe Rupert needed a break, you know, after everything that we both went through. It seems like he doesn’t want to be found,” I said, dread filling me. Shit, had he left because of me?
“James is refusing to search for his brother, saying we need to give him some space,” she said. “I’m aware that my sons are grown men and I shouldn’t be interfering in their lives, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m worried about my youngest.”
“His disappearance has something to do with me. I presume you know what happened after I left that coffee shop. I pushed him away like we discussed and he was very upset. Last night I went out with Laura, and she mentioned that he hasn’t been right since then,” I said, wondering if she knew what happened in that warehouse and how I ended things with Rupert.
Sue Banks didn’t react, but then she got up and put the kettle on.
“Rupert or James didn't want to say much, but I know what happened,” she confessed.
"So you know that I made up lies about how we met to get him to end things… like you asked," I said.
“I haven't been very forthcoming with you from the start, so let me explain."
First, she made me tea, then told me to sit down because she had a lot to say. She started talking about how she’d hired a private detective to look into my background. Based on that, she decided to call me and set up a meeting. Qt that point I was pretty pissed off that she’d had someone follow and tap my phone, but I’d listened to her anyway. A week later, we went back to London and apparently Rupert came to see her, so she tried to warn him about me, which led to her son storming out of her house. Then things took an unexpected turn after our conversation in the coffee shop and I was kidnapped.
"That's a lot of take in," I said. Sue Banks was a good person, even though hiring a private detective and him tapping my phone was a step too far. Still, she would do anything for her children, and what she did, it was not in malice. "So that's how you managed to get a hold of me when I was in Greece with Rupert."
“Precisely. Roger—the guy I hired—works for James as a freelance contractor sometimes and he provided me with your contact information. Obviously, my other son has no idea that I hired him, and it’s better that he never finds out.
I laughed at that.
“I have to tell you, Veronica, I'm impressed by your actions and everything you have done for my son. You clearly care for him. I'm sorry that I put you in a position to lie to him," she admitted, reaching out with her hand to touch mine. Damn it, I didn't want to break right now, but her words meant so much to me. "I thought you couldn’t make my son happy, but I was wrong. We could deal with Vincent being a continued threat in other ways…”
"I appreciate it, Sue, but I'm worried about him. Still I came here to talk to him because I realised I can’t and won’t live without him. I love him so very much. But how do I fix this? How can I keep him safe?” I confessed.
“Oh, honey, I was about to tell you that James is an absolute professional and he is more than capable of handling Vincent and nipping all these threats in the bud.” When I started to say something, she stopped me. “I’m not asking if I can get James involved. I’m telling you I’ll be the one to fix this. I’m sorry once again that I made you break his heart. You’re such a thoughtful woman, and Rupert loves you very much. I’ve seen how miserable he is without you and I can’t bear it. You must find him,” she said, squeezing my hand.
So Sue could fix things with Vincent, but I had to fix things with Rupert.
“If no one knows where he is, then how can I find him?” I asked, knowing that I was setting myself up for an almost impossible task. Rupert had unlimited funds, and only his brother could track him down. I would bet that James wasn’t going to help me.
“I don’t know, darling, but you’re smart. I’m certain that you can figure something out. I’ve emailed my son and told him about that conversation we both had in that coffee shop, so he probably already knows the truth. He’s probably still furious with me, but I thought he should have known that you never lied to him, that this whole thing between you two was real,” she said.
I got up and paced around. Maybe Rupert was not checking his email. I had no idea what to think, but I was certain he’d reach out to me if he knew the truth.
“I don’t know and I have never been very romantic. Oh God, this is a complete disaster,” I said, because that was the truth. What Spencer had done to get Laura back was truly spectacular, but if Rupert had somehow handcuffed me to him during a press conference, I’d have lost my shit. Social media was my life, but that didn’t change the fact that I didn’t want the public to know about my relationship. Rupert was the same—he didn’t use social media, and there weren’t many stories about him online. He simply stayed away from the spotlight.
“Think of something that could really get his attention. I’m sorry, but I’m not that great with technology. I know you can figure something out. You can try talking to James, but my son is stubborn. He won’t help you,” she admitted.
We chatted a bit more after that and I finished my tea, trying to think about my options. I wasn’t worried. Rupert was all right. I just had to figure out how to get through to him.
Then I left, wanting to get home as soon as possible. I took the Tube to Covent Garden, and after I left the station I pulled out my phone, then scrolled through my old photos until I came across the video from a few months ago—the same one Rupert had asked me to take down. Suddenly, the most bonkers and silly idea popped into my head. My heart beat faster.
Moments later, I opened the TikTok app. I was still standing on the busy street with many people rushing past me, so this wasn’t an ideal location but I had to try it. I first added the video from a few months ago to get people’s attention again, then turned the camera so I could record myself, and pressed ‘play’.
“Hey, guys, you remember that video? Long story short, I found my Rupert and after some initial problems, we started dating, then we fell in love … but now I need your help again. He left London after we had a disagreement, and I don’t know how to find him. I promise you, Rupert, I never lied to you except when I told you I didn’t love you. Despite what I said, everything we had was real. Our love was real, and all these crazy coincidences, too, so please come back to me. I love you and can’t live without you. Guys, please help me find him. I know you can do it, TikTok.”