Chapter 75
GABRIEL (continued…)
The next morning, I felt comatose. The sleepless nights in Sophia’s hometown, followed by working late back home, had finally caught up with me. I don’t know how long I slept, but it was the most restful sleep in a long time.
I woke to my phone buzzing. For once, the time and the urgency of getting to work weren’t my first thoughts.
“Hello?” I pressed the phone to my ear without checking the caller ID.
“Gabriel,” a breathy whisper came from the other end. “It’s me. Lily.”
“Lily,” I repeated, a little dazed. “Hi.”
“Hey.”
My mind cleared, and the sleepiness vanished. I rolled over, seeing Sophia’s room and her paintings.
“Lily,” I said, clearing my throat. “What’s up?”
“Nothing. Um, there was another question I couldn’t ask last night.”
I shut my eyes, running a hand through my hair. I’d be frustrated if this weren’t my own doing. Actually, I was frustrated. “Hm?”
“Did you ever love me?”
“In my own way, I did, Lily.”
“And if it weren’t for Sophia, do you think we would have had a chance?”
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. I didn’t mention the ring I’d bought or that I would have been faithful until she left me. But the thought of such a loveless marriage terrified me, even more so after being with Sophia. “Look, we shouldn’t be talking. It isn’t fair to my wife.”
I heard a sniffle.
“I gave you the closure you deserved, Lily. You should move on.”
“Okay,” she breathed. “Goodbye, Gabriel.”
“Goodbye.”
I hung up, tossed the phone aside, and considered going back to sleep or going to work. I chose the latter. I quickly checked on my upcoming London deal at one of my manufacturing plants, then went to see my grandfather. My grandmother was still with Sophia in her hometown, and I wanted to check on Alister and how he was coping with his cancer diagnosis. I also needed his signature on some documents.
Chapter 75 (continued)
“Gabriel. Son.” He greeted me with a smile as I found him by his outdoor pool.
“You’re not at work,” I observed, noting his casual attire and the drink he was sipping—a cocktail, not his usual black coffee.
“Of course not,” his smile was almost unsettling. “I’ve retired.”
“Are you having an existential crisis?” I asked, taking a chair. “Let me know, and I’ll call the shrink.”
He frowned. “I spent my life working, building the empire we have today. Now that it’s in your hands, I can finally enjoy the rest of my life.”
“You’re drinking cocktails by the pool early in the evening. We need to revisit your definition of ‘enjoying life’,” I teased.
“Always a grump,” he rolled his eyes.
“Learned it from the best.”
“I called you last night to invite you to my pool party. Your phone was off. Your loss.”
“It was? My eyes narrowed, and I reached for my phone. “No missed calls.” I unlocked it—and found no password. Odd. I always used the default lock screen, but everything inside was different. No apps, photos, or contacts.
“Is everything okay?” Alister asked.
“My phone… it isn’t mine,” I said uncertainly. “Did it format itself last night…?”
Damn me for using impersonal phones and changing models frequently. The phone looked new, but it didn’t feel like mine. But Lily had called, and I had answered.
“Hold on,” my grandfather said, unlocking his phone to call me.
We waited, but the call failed.
“This isn’t my phone,” I groaned. “How did I exchange phones? And with whom?”
Alister frowned. “Did you have anything important on it? Work or personal data that would be a nightmare to lose?”
“Am I mad?” I rolled my eyes. “It’s linked to my Mac. I can track it, and if someone disables tracking, I can wipe it clean with one click.”
“Ah, sweet technology,” he said sarcastically. “Since your phone’s off, I don’t think you have much to worry about.”
“No… Lily called me. If this isn’t my phone, how did she call me?” I recalled, “Oh, God…”
“What?”
I winced. “I exchanged phones with hers last night.”
He frowned. “You were with Lily last night?”
“No,” I gave him a stony glare. “I ran into her. We probably exchanged phones.”
Chapter 75 (continued)
His frown deepened. “So she called you this morning and didn’t mention the phone exchange?”
I sighed, dialing the number she’d called from. It rang, but she didn’t answer.
I groaned. “I’m going to have to go to her house.”
He was still frowning. “Are you sure you want to stay with Sophia?”
“Huh?”
My jaw dropped. I tried to sound less offended than I felt. “Of course I’m sure.”
“Then why the hell are you chasing after Lily and your phone instead of spending time with your wife?”
“Maybe the alcohol got to your head,” I said sarcastically. “My wife is in her hometown.”
“No, she’s not,” his eyebrows furrowed. “She and Leila came back this morning. Leila is upstairs, sleeping.”
My heart skipped a beat, then pounded so hard I could feel it everywhere. “Sophia’s home? But… why didn’t she call… Oh, f*ck.”
I stood. “Fck. Fck. F*ck.”
“Yes, f*ck.”
I left the documents. “Sign these when you get a chance.”
“I gave you the company, Gabriel. What else do you want? My house, my car, my credit cards?”
I rolled my eyes. “Take care, old man.”
I drove faster than ever, almost getting hit twice. I didn’t care; nothing would stop me from getting home. Freckles was home.
I didn’t even park, just tossed the keys to the driver. I practically jogged upstairs, desperate. But my room was empty. “Freckles?” I knocked on the bathroom door; no answer. “Luna?” I called out; no answer.
The room was almost empty except for some papers under a small paperweight on the table. I didn’t need to read the whole thing to know what it was.
Divorce papers. Signed.
What the f*ck?