I gaze at the screen, my eyes fixed on the email’s unsettling contents. How did I miss this?
It’s as if I’ve been sleep walking through my inbox. I recheck the screen, wondering if I’ve misinterpreted the message, but the words remain unchanged.
Sydney Blake is the mastermind behind this. But why? But she is Nadine’s best friend she was the one I saw with Nadine the first time I set my eyes on her.
I feel like a pawn in Sydney’s game, reacting exactly as she predicted. I sent Nadine away, playing into her hands.
I take a deep breath, It’s time to confront the truth and fight for Nadine, for my marriage though it may be a contract, I see it as a real one
I know I should protect my son and Nadine, but I know I need to act fast.
“Richie!” I call out, and he appears instantly.
“Get men to Nadine’s new apartment, discreetly,” I instruct. “Guard her, but don’t reveal yourself. And send some to Nadine’s mom’s house, where my son is. Nothing can go wrong.”
Richie nods and hurries out of the living room, leaving me with my thoughts.
As I wait for Richie to return with updates, I realize that I’m in this deeper than I thought.
My mind wanders back to the presence in my room, but I’m not ready to dive into more stories. I turn to Isabelle, “Thanks for informing me, Asher and I need to step outside now.”
I glance at Asher, hoping he’ll catch the hint that I want to escort Isabelle out of my house.
Isabelle’s eyes narrow slightly as if she senses my intention. “Of course, I’ll leave you two to discuss… whatever it is you need to discuss.”
I nod, relieved, and gesture towards the door. “Asher, shall we?” I say, trying to sound casual.
Asher catches on, and together we walk Isabelle to the door. As we reach the entrance, I turn to her and say, “Thanks again, Isabelle. We’ll be in touch.”
“Oh, no worries, thanks for your time,” Isabelle responds, turning to Asher.
“I’m sorry we didn’t start on the right track, but I’m grateful for how you took care of our girl before she passed.”
Asher’s face softens. I guess he is happy he can get closure as regards Livia’s birth mum.
“It’s not a problem. I’m glad I was part of her life; she meant the world to me. Life happens.”
She gathers her bag and turns to me, “Mr. West, you need to fight to get Nadine back, Ethan is with her for the wrong reason,” she says and heads out of the house.
I was dumbfounded and couldn’t say a word as we watched her get into her car and drive away.
“Let’s take a walk,” I suggest to Asher as we exit the compound, Isabelle’s car disappearing from view.
We stroll along the sidewalk, enjoying the fresh air; the thought of what she said etched on my mind, and then suddenly, a loud bang shatters the calm.
Asher and I spin around, panic etched on our faces. “Did you hear that?” I ask.
“Of course, I did!” Asher responds, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
Without a word, we sprint towards the source of the sound, our senses on high alert.
As we round the corner, the scene of the accident comes into view, and we both freeze.
The car is twisted and looks familiar. Without a word, we move closer towards the wreckage.
I stand there, frozen in shock, my mind struggling to process what I’m seeing. The car, Isabelle’s car, is beyond recognition.
I turn to Asher, and his expression mirrors mine – shock, horror, and disbelief etched on his face.
“Dude, we need to call for help,” he says, his voice shaking slightly.
I nod, still trying to process what I’m seeing. We both pull out our phones and dial emergency services.
As we wait for help to arrive, I can’t stop thinking about how everything happens so fast.
One minute she was in my house, and just a twinkle of an eye, she was involved in an accident that cost her her life.
Finally, the sound of sirens grows louder, and emergency vehicles come into view. Paramedics and firefighters rush to the scene, and we’re ushered back to give them space.
Asher and I stand there, watching in silence as they work to extract the driver from the wreckage. My mind is racing, Was it an accident or something more sinister?
A trailer has slammed into Isabelle’s car, leaving a trail of twisted metal and shattered glass.
I push through the chaos, the destruction is catastrophic – it’s a miracle if anyone survives.
As I approach, the paramedics part to let me through. They’re battling to free the driver from the wreckage.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, they manage to extract her from the ruins.
They place her gently on a stretcher, and I catch my first glimpse of Isabelle’s lifeless form.
Her eyes are closed, her face pale and still. Thinking of our earlier conversation, the secrets she kept, and the questions I’ll never get to ask.
I turn to Asher, and our eyes meet. I could tell his mind was racing, I could see it – the questions, the fears, the what-ifs. Isabelle is gone.
As I scan the crowd gathered around the accident scene, my eyes land on a guy lurking around the corner.
He looks suspicious, his nervous demeanor setting off alarm bells in my mind.
I lock eyes with him, my gaze intense. For a moment, we stare each other down, but he quickly looks away, trying to blend in with the crowd.
I continue to watch him, my attention locked on him. He tries to subtly move away from the scene, but I’m onto him.
As soon as he realizes I’m still watching, he freezes, then quickly turns on his heel and takes off.
I’m intrigued – Why is he trying to escape? My instincts tell me to follow him.
I take off in a sprint, as I chase after the suspicious guy. My heart races with adrenaline as I gain on him.
Thanks to my track days in high school, I’m able to quickly close the gap between us.
I launch myself at him, tackling him to the ground. We both hit the pavement hard, the pain shot hard but I’m grateful that I’m able to catch him.
I pin him down, my hands gripping his arms as I look him straight in the eye.
“Who are you?” I demand, my breath coming in ragged gasps. ”
He struggles under me, but I hold him firm.
I grip the suspect’s neck, my eyes locked on him as I call for backup.
“I need you guys here, now!” I bark into the phone, giving them my location.
Within minutes, my men arrive, and I shove the struggling suspect into the car.
“You’re coming with us, and you’re going to tell us everything you know.”
The suspect’s eyes widen, and he knows he’s in trouble.