Chapter 43  Chase finally woke up in the late afternoon with a pounding headache, still feeling the effects of last night’s hangover. Without opening his eyes, he absentmindedly reached out to touch the smooth skin of the woman beside hirm, murmuring, “Amanda”  But when he opened his eyes, he was shocked to see Nicole there instead. Instinctively he pushed her away. “What are you doing here? I was perched on a nearby table, swinging my legs and watching the scene unfold with a sense of detached amusement. The anger I used to feel at moments like these had faded, leaving only a calm indifference.  As the sunlight poured in through the French windows, I noticed my presence seemed to grow fainter. It suddenly made sense why I lingered around Chase, even after death, I had spent so much of my life intertwined with his, and no matter how much he hurt me, letting go wasn’t easy.  My obsession had bound my spirit to him, refusing to let go. However, seeing his true nature brought a strange peace to my restless heart. I realized that I could finally move on only by truly letting him go.  cole looked hurt, lying on the bed, while Chase’s first reaction was to push her away. “Chase, when you left yesterday, you seemed off, so I got worried and came to check on you. But you were drunk and thought I was Amanda, and we..  Chase rubbed his temples, looking pained as if he regretted what had happened with Nicole. I found it ridiculous.  When men were genuinely drunk, they couldn’t perform. Last night, he and Nicole were together several times, each time longer than the last, and he seemed pretty pleased. And now he acted all innocent?  Nicole started to cry. “Chase, I never wanted to come between you and Amanda. I really didn’t. But you kept calling her name, and I felt so sorry for you, so…..  Chase couldn’t stand to see her cry and pulled her into his arms. “It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”  Nicole nestled into Chase’s embrace, a slight smile hinting at her satisfaction. “Chase, when Amanda comes back, you should patch things up with her. I won’t interfere anymore.”  “Nicole, you’re so kind. How can I not worry about you?”  They continued their exchange of sweet nothings for a while until Chase suddenly remembered he had asked his assistant to book a flight to Cloudville for today.  Realizing he had overslept, he angrily called his assistant. “Why didn’t you remind me? Now I’ve missed my flight.”  The assistant had long suspected the too–close–for–comfort relationship between Chase and Nicole, and last night had confirmed his suspicions. They were alone together, and with alcohol involved, their actions were predictable. He wasn’t about to state the obvious. “Sorry, Mr. Reyes, you were very drunk last night, and I didn’t want to disturb your rest”  “You’re becoming more useless by the day.”  Chase sighed, “Never mind. Book a flight to the neighboring city, and I’ll find another way to Cloudville.”  “Understood, Mr. Reyes.”  Holding his hand, Nicole said, “Chase, let me go with you to pick up Amanda. I want to apologize to her in person. Maybe if she sees. my sincerity, she’ll return.”  Chase looked at her fondly, his eyes filled with affection and sympathy. “If only Amanda were half as sensible as you, she wouldn’t give me such headaches”  “Chase, I think she’s just trying to make you jealous by being with other guys. If you sit down and talk, I’m sure you can work things out.”