Chapter 31 He Found Out?
Groaning softly, I reached for my phone on the bedside table.
I opened my Instagram page, checking for the latest update but it was still buzzing with the trending topic—me.
Annie's wedding announcements and perfume endorsement deals were plastered everywhere, but surprisingly, my scandal hadn't been buried. It was still top of the search list with endless debates and speculation, mostly about my relationship with both brothers.
Just then, a message from Leah popped in.
{Hey, girl.}
I tapped into our chat and typed back a quick reply.
Seconds later, another message popped in.
{You wouldn't believe what happened this morning at work.}
{What's Up?} I replied.
{Annie was showing off her endorsement deal—like, duh, it's all over the internet—then her horrible manager, Brooke, came over to insult me!}
Typical Brooke. She was Annie's loyal lapdog and one of the most condescending women I'd met at Derek's agency. Since I left, Leah must've been her new target.
{And..??}
It took a while before she typed back.
{ Derek snapped at her in front of everyone. Totally humiliated her. Girl, you needed to see my face. I was SHOCKED. Like, did your ex-husband hit his head this morning or what?}
That made me pause. Derek defended Leah? That was off brand.
Aren't Annie and Derek on good terms?
Or...had he found out about her cheating?
Talking about that, the videos were still sitting gorgeously in my Gallery. I made sure to get clear angles of Annie's late-night rendezvous with that man from the club.
I didn't do it out of spite, not really. But I just thought they might serve a purpose someday.
A new message popped up from Leah.
{His face has bruises, by the way. His lips too. Looked like he got into a fight.}
Right. Ryker had beaten him up on his engagement day.
I typed back.
{Ryker beat the hell out of him.}
Leah spammed me with shocked emojis and then, strings of laughing emojis.
{ Girl, your fiancé did a number on him! Have you seen it?}
{Not yet. Don't know if I want to.}
{Well, he deserves it. Anyway, I'm still waiting for your feedback. Can't wait to have you back under my wings. sobs like a witch }
I laughed, shaking my head.
{Still thinking about it. Now, stop sobbing like a witch. Haha}
We chatted for a few more minutes, until work called her away.
Setting my phone down, I did some back stretches. My muscles ached as I slid out of bed and padded to the bathroom.
While brushing my teeth, I caught my reflection in the mirror. My eyes looked tired, like it has seen how my life was spinning in too many directions.
Leah was still waiting for a response regarding my comeback. Catherine was also there with her wild plan I had no business entertaining. The last thing I wanted was to engage in shady acts to get someone to love me.
Also, there was Derek who was suddenly reaching out. But those old sparks, the fire I once felt for him? They'd dimmed. Maybe they were still buried somewhere, but they didn't burn like they used to. Not since Ryker.
Throwing every thought to the back of my head, I rinsed my mouth, exhaled and left the bathroom.
Just as I slid my feet into my slippers, a notification chimed in.
A text from Derek.
{Good Morning.} with a few heart-shaped emojis.
Simple. Short. But....off.
The whole switch up, everything...they weren't adding up.
Then, another ping.
{Lunch later? Just us?}
My fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Hell No.
I almost typed back but didn't. I couldn't. I just stared at the messages in disbelief.
Derek...sending morning texts? With emojis?
No. He wanted something. That was the only explanation. And honestly, I was tired. Tired of being pulled in every direction. Tired of being wanted only when it was convenient for someone else.
I dropped my phone on the bed and walked out of the room.
The hallway leading to the stairs smelled like bleach, like it was freshly cleaned.
Did Ryker do the cleaning while I was sleeping?
I descended the stairs just in time to hear his voice, low and relaxed, speaking to someone I didn't recognized. His back was turned towards the stairs as he was facing the woman.
The woman, older, with grey hairs here and there, a slightly wrinkled face, had a small smile on her face as she chatted with Ryker as if they were long-time acquaintances.
And Missy, who never struck me to be a passionate cat, was curled calmly in her arms, purring. That was new.
And I was left wondering—who was this lady?
She seemed like a part of this household, judging by how close Missy was with her, and how comfortable Ryker was chatting with her.
The woman looked up and saw me first, her smile widened as she pointed at me with her chin.
Ryker turned. "Vanessa," he said, walking over to slide an arm around my waist. "Meet Ella. The housekeeper I told you about. She was away on a family emergency."
Oh. Right. I remembered him mentioning her on the second day I came.
Makes sense.
He gestured between us. "Ella, this is Vanessa. My fiancée."
I extended a hand. "It's nice to finally meet you."
"The pleasure's all mine." She shook hands with me, her smile gracing her face. But her gaze? It felt too deep. Too sharp. Like she was scrutinizing me.
I tried to pull my hand back, but she held it a bit longer, her smile never dropping. Our eyes locked. And for a moment, I thought she was seeing inside of me.