“You can track her, right? I know you must have planted something to trace her whereabouts,” Asher says, with a sharp tone
I froze, caught off guard. “How the hell did you figure that out?”
“Because I know you, Logan, it’s obvious you care about Nadine, but what the hell was Sammie doing at your place? You’re such a pussy when it comes to her, and it pisses me off that she knows it, too.”
“Relax, man,” I say, trying to stay calm. “I sent her away. I told him everything, why she left me at the altar.”
Asher stares at me, speechless for a moment, then finally mutters, “You’re in deep shit, Logan. Your priority now should be finding Nadine. I won’t forgive you if anything happens to her.”
“Watch it,” I warn, my voice low. “That’s my wife you’re talking about.”
He rolls his eyes. “Do you even see her as your wife? Then why the hell did you let Sammie into your house?”
I raise my hands in surrender, trying to defuse the situation. “Alright, alright. Let’s just check the tracking device.”
I know Asher likes Nadine. He’s always felt protective of her, and I can see it in the way he’s clenching his fists, trying to hold back from punching me. It’s obvious he’s struggling to keep his cool.
Asher crosses his arms, watching me closely as I pull out my phone to check the tracking device embedded in her ring.
It should show me where she is. I tap the app, waiting for her location to pop up, but my heart sinks when the map points right back to my house.
“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.
Asher’s eyes snap at me. “What’s wrong?”
“She left the ring,” I say, with a tight voice.
“Oh, so the tracking device was in her ring?” Asher asks, piecing it together.
“Yeah,” I reply, trying to keep the panic in my voice. “And now I’ve got nothing to go on.”
Asher sighs, rubbing his forehead in frustration. “Damn it, Logan. This isn’t good. She could be anywhere, and we’ve lost our only lead.”
I run a hand through my hair, feeling the strands stand up from the number of times I’ve done it already. I must look like a mess by now.
“What are you going to do?” Asher asked, you could tell that he was genuinely concerned.
I take a deep breath, trying to keep it together. “I’m not sure, man. I could reach out to her parents, but…” I trail off, unable to admit that I don’t have that connection.
It would only expose the cracks in our contract marriage, and Asher doesn’t need to know about our contract.
I hesitated and suggested, “Maybe we should focus on tracking Isabelle. She’s the one who sent that picture and remembers, it wasn’t just sent to me, it was plastered all over the internet, dragging Nadine’s sister, Nathalie, into it too.”
Asher’s face lights up as he connects the dots. “Wait a minute. If Isabelle’s the one behind that picture, and it’s the same person who sent it to you, then it’s more than just a random act. She’s targeting the whole family.”
“Exactly,” I say, my voice firming up. “We need to figure out who Isabelle really is and what she’s after. This isn’t just about Nadine anymore-it’s about something bigger, something that could hurt her and her family.”
“The only person who might have the answers is Nadine’s mom,” I say, my mind racing. “Could it be that they were triplets at birth and got separated?”
Asher raises an eyebrow, considering the possibility. “That could explain why there are three sisters who look so much alike. It’s the only logical answer that fits.”
“Do you think Nadine knows?” Asher asks, his voice low.
“I don’t know,” I admit, “we need to talk to her mom and get to the bottom of this before it’s too late,” I say, standing up and heading for the door.
“Be safe, Logan,” Asher says, giving me a bro code shake.
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it,” I reply, forcing a smile as I head out, with only one thing in mind: to get the answers we need.
***
Nadine’s POV
Seeing someone who looks just like me here makes me uneasy. I’m thankful Ethan is by my side, holding me back when I almost stepped into traffic without thinking.
Then I remember what Asher told me about his baby mama who looks like me, and my mother’s revelation that we were triplets, with one of us taken at birth.
But why was Nathalie given preferential treatment? Why wasn’t I chosen? I used to feel hurt about favoritism, but now, I’ve hardened myself.
I need answers, not just for my peace of mind, but for the future I’m trying to build.
“Earth to Nadine,” Zoey says, snapping her fingers to pull me out of my thoughts. “You seem lost in your head. Are you okay?”
I nod, forcing a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just some family stuff I can’t ignore. It keeps coming to mind.”
Zoey raises an eyebrow but doesn’t press further. “Alright, if you say so.
“By the way, I saw you with that blonde guy at the party. How did things end with both of you?”
I shift the focus to her, hoping to distract myself from my worries.
“You noticed?” Zoey asks, her eyes widening as she looks around to make sure the two brothers aren’t nearby.
“Who wouldn’t notice when you were all red?” I reply with a wink, watching her blush even harder.
She covers her face with her hand, peeking out between her fingers. “Oh, Nadine, I can’t help it.”
“Oh my goodness, you like him! I didn’t know you had a thing for hot guys like that,” I tease.
Zoey rolls her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “Who wouldn’t?”
I laugh, enjoying our conversation. “I guess you’re not alone in that. The guy does have charm, after all.”
Zoey chuckles, her cheeks still flushed. “Yeah, he’s charming. But it’s not just about looks. There’s something about him, too.”
I nod. “So, what’s next for you? Are you going to see him again?”
She shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not.”
“So what’s stopping you? You both seem to have that connection,” I say, noticing her hesitation.
Her face falls as she picks at her nails. “Nadine, that’s the thing. Even though we have feelings for each other, we can’t just be together.”
I’m confused and furrow my brows, expecting her to explain further. “Why not? What’s holding you back?”
Zoey takes a deep breath, clearly struggling with how to put her thoughts into words. “It’s complicated. Nadine-”
The front door dings, signaling a new customer entering the shop. We both stop talking and quickly plaster on our best smiles, ready to welcome him.
He’s a lanky fellow with chestnut hair and gray eyes. “Hi there,” he says, “I’m looking for a tulip flower.”
Zoey nods and heads inside to arrange his request. A few moments later, she returns with a bouquet of tulips in hand and hands them to the customer.
“Thank you for your patronage,” she says cheerfully. “We hope to see you more often.”
The man smiles with a nod, takes the flowers, and leaves the shop Zoey and I exchange a quick look before she returns to her previous task.
I’m itching to know more and immediately turn my attention back to Zoey.
“Can you spill right now?”
She looks up, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Why can’t you two be together?”
Zoey groans loudly. “I thought we had dropped that topic.”
“You didn’t say much before the customer walked in,” I point out.
“Okay, fine,” Zoey says, her voice lowering. “We can’t be together because he’s-” She hesitates, struggling to find the right words.