Chapter 9
Carter’s POV
Two days.
It had been two full days since Veronica stormed out. I’d expected her to return by now, the way she always did, headstrong at first, then softened by reality. I thought she would grovel, begging me to take her back and I would. But this time, nothing. Not a single word, not a sign of where she‘ d gone.
The bourbon in my hand swirled lazily as I turned the glass in slow circles, watching the liquid reflect in the dim light. The burn of it when I drank wasn’t enough to distract me from the gnawing irritation growing inside me.
I wanted her back already. So many things could happen out there. She could get hurt or even assaulted.
“Sir.”
I looked up to see my assistant lingering at the doorway, tablet in hand. His face was cautious, careful. I hated that look. It made me feel like he was preparing for bad news. I took a long sip to prefer me for what was coming.
“Still no updates on her whereabouts,” he added.
I set the glass down on the desk. Hard. The sharp clink of crystal against wood echoed through the room. “She’s here. She didn’t vanish into thin air. You’re just not looking hard enough.”
“We’ve checked most of the hotels already,” he said, his tone careful but
edging toward hesitant.
“I told you to make sure no hotel takes her in. So the chances of her being in one are zero to none. If she’s hiding somewhere, someone’s helping her.” My voice sharpened as I spat the last words with distaste. The thought of another man keeping my wife made me burn. She was mine. Mine!
“Find out who it is,” I said through gritted teeth. If I didn’t get a grip of my emotions soon, I might lose my goddamn mind.
He nodded quickly, retreating without another word.
As the door clicked shut behind him, I exhaled through my nose and leaned back in my chair. I rubbed my temples, but it didn’t ease the tightness in my chest. She was defying me and worse, she was slipping through my grasp. I’d been so sure I’d outmaneuvered her this time.
Where the hell was she?
The door opened again without a knock. I looked up, irritation sparking anew, but it faded into resignation when I saw Meghan walk in. She always moved like she owned every room she entered, her hips swaying just enough to draw attention. Tonight, she wore a black dress that hugged every curve, her hair falling over her shoulders in loose waves. Her red lips curled into a sly smile.
“Carter,” she said, her voice low and syrupy, as if I wasn’t already immune
to her charms.
“What do you want, Meghan?” I asked, my tone clipped.
She smiled wider and stepped closer, her heels tapping against the hardwood floor. “You seem tense,” she said, placing a hand lightly on my desk. “Maybe I can help.”
I arched a brow. “Unless you know where Veronica is, you can’t help me.
Her smile faltered for the briefest second before she plastered it back on, ülting her head as though I’d just said something amusing. “Why are you so obsessed with her?” she asked. “She left you. Let her go.”
Her words hit a raw nerve, but I didn’t let it show. I leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest.
Meghan took the silence as an invitation to keep talking. She rounded the desk, coming to stand just inches from me. Her perfume was strong–too strong–and her fingers brushed the sleeve of my shirt.
Frankly. I preferred Veronica’s light rosy scent.
“Carter,” she murmured, leaning in slightly, “we had something good once. We can have that again. For our baby’s sake.”
I held her gaze, my expression unflinching. She was playing the only card she had, and it was getting old.
I stood abruptly, forcing her to take a step back. “We can’t go back to the past. Meghan. You know that.”
Her eyes narrowed, the carefully crafted seduction slipping from her face. “So that’s it?” she asked, her voice rising. “You’re just going to turn your back on me? On your child?”
I kept my voice calm, controlled. “I’m not turning my back on anyone. I’ll make sure you and the baby have everything you need. But that’s all I can give you.”
For a moment, I thought she might cry. But then anger replaced the vulnerability, and her lips curled into a sneer.
“You’ll regret this, Carter,” she said sharply before turning on her heel and storming out, the door slamming shut behind her.
The room felt quieter after she left, and I was grateful for it. I needed to
think. I stared at the closed door, trying to push her out of my mind. She was nothing more than a distraction–a distraction I didn’t need right now.
Another knock pulled me from my thoughts. I was ready to snap but thank God I held my tongue. This time, my assistant entered, looking hesitant
again.
“Sir.” he began. holding out the tablet, “we found something.”
I stepped forward, snatching the device from his hands. The screen displayed a surveillance photo, grainy but unmistakable. My chest tightened as I studied it.
It was Veronica. She was leaning against a man as he helped her into a car. Her face was pale, her body slumped against him like she’d been injured or drained.
“Who is he?” I asked, my voice colder than I intended.
“We’re working on identifying him,” my assistant said quickly. “But we thought you’d want to see this immediately.”
I stared at the man in the photo. His back was to the camera, his face obscured, but there was something about his stance–something maddeningly familiar. I couldn’t place it, but the sight of him made my fists clench.
Jealousy and anger roiled in my chest, colliding into a storm I couldn’t control. Who the hell was he? And what was he doing with Veronica?
The assistant shifted nervously. “Should we dig deeper, sir?”
I didn’t look at him, my eyes still locked on the screen. “Find out everything about him,” I said. My voice was low but deadly. “I want to know who he is, where he’s from, and why the hell he’s with her.”
The assistant nodded and left quickly, leaving me alone again.
I set the tablet down carefully, though my hands itched to throw it across the room. That man had stepped into my territory, and I wasn’t about to let it go unchallenged.
Veronica thought she could disappear, but I wasn’t about to lose her, not to him. not to anyone.