Chapter 27
She’d been acting strangely these past two days, and it wasn’t just because of her period.
It probably had something to do with that man with the child.
Eddy frowned. That man was likely the reason Laney had suddenly left Novandria.
Maybe he was someone Laney knew.
Just thinking that there was a man around Blanche-someone unknown, beyond Eddy’s reach-made his heart twist with unease.
Suddenly, Eddy’s phone began to ring.
Three sharp beeps echoed through the car.
Blanche remembered the three texts she’d sent Eddy from the flight attendant’s phone on the plane. If Eddy ever found out, he’d probably lock her up and never let her speak to anyone from the outside world again.
If that happened, even if the Director-General’s people came, they’d never find her.
She snapped out of her thoughts just as Eddy unlocked his phone and opened the messages.
Blanche lunged, snatched the phone from his hand, rolled down the window, and hurled it out with all her strength.
The car was crossing the long bridge over the bay, and the phone tumbled into the churning waves below. It was gone for good.
When they arrived at Simmons Mansion, the first to greet them was a bodyguard.
“Mr. Simmons, I found the man you asked me to track down,” the bodyguard said, handing over a folder.
At his words, Blanche turned to Eddy.
Blanche’s mind flashed back to that voice-almost unreal-calling out to her.
“Sister.”
Only someone from the organization would address her that way.
But no one from the organization would dare reach out to her outside its walls. That was the rule: once you left, you were strangers.
“Why were you looking for them?”
If it really was someone from the organization-and he’d risked everything for her-she couldn’t let him face danger because of her.
“To repay him, of course.”
Chapter 27
Eddy ran his hand through Blanche’s soft hair, choosing not to hold a grudge.
With her phone gone and now his as well, maybe it was time for them to get new ones-together.
As long as she stayed with him, he’d let her do whatever she wanted.
“There’s no need to look anymore,” Blanche said quietly. “If they wanted to be repaid, they would have waited for me to wake up before leaving. People who do good deeds only to disappear without a trace… they just don’t want us to bother them.”
The bodyguard nodded and stepped back.
Eddy always respected her wishes.
Even in business, if she objected-even if it meant giving up huge profits-he’d never go through
with it.
Now, hearing her finally willing to speak to him, he felt some of his inner turmoil ease.
Eddy’s large hand slid down Blanche’s arm, savoring her warmth and softness.
He scooped her up and strode into the grand foyer.
Blanche didn’t resist. She nestled against him, quietly letting out a breath of relief.
Eddy suddenly bent down, his cool lips brushing her ear, his voice low and dangerous. “Darling, we may not need to repay the favor, but we can’t forget to be grateful.”
“The bodyguard checked the security footage-it looks like he found something.”
He nodded to the bodyguard, who immediately stepped forward and opened the folder.
Inside, sheet after sheet of surveillance screenshots. And there, unmistakable, was a familiar
silhouette.
Blanche’s eyes snapped up, turning red as blood. She slapped Eddy across the face.
The sound echoed through the house, drawing everyone out-Loraine, their daughter and son-in-law, their granddaughter, and even the household staff all spilled out onto the front
steps.
Shock registered instantly on every face.
Blanche and Eddy had been together for ten years, and she’d never raised her voice at him, let alone her hand.
But now, for the first time, in front of everyone, she had slapped him.
Her eyes were red and brimming with tears that spilled down her cheeks like broken pearls. She looked utterly heartbroken.
Eddy said nothing.
Loraine shot a bewildered glance at Eddy, then stepped forward and took the folder from
Blanche’s trembling hands. After flipping a few pages, she turned and slapped the bodyguard.
“Get out!” she barked at him, her anger barely contained. “How could you let Jeannette show up at Healy’s preschool? Do you have any idea how disgusting this is? How could you do this to Laney?”
“Didn’t I already fire Jeannette?”
