Chapter 115 #33: Back Before Dinner
“I need you to listen very carefully, David,” Vincent is saying through the phone. “Don’t speak. Don’t interrupt. And most importantly, don’t tell anyone about this call. If you are with company, I need you to find an excuse and slowly walk away.”
David glances at Nora. She's watching him with her eyes wide, already reaching for the phone to talk to Vincent. He shakes his head and takes the phone off speaker, then steps away, moving into the hallway outside the living room. The door clicks shut behind him, muting Nora’s voice mid sentence.
He exhales slowly, then brings the phone to his ear once more.
"I'm alone," he says.
"Smart man." Vincent continues. “I want you to go to my study and check under the desk. You’ll see–“
“We already know about the safe, Vincent" David interrupts.” We also know about it’s contents. Is that why you’re calling?”
There is a brief pause before Vincent speaks again. “Good. Then you know what I want. I need you to get all the contents of the safe and bring them to me. I’ll text you an address as soon as this call is concluded and you'll meet me there. Alone. No tail. No backup. No tricks. If you disobey even one instruction, I stop being polite and there will be serious consequences. Do you understand?"
The line goes quiet except for the faint sound of his breathing.
David keeps his voice level. “I understand.”
“Perfect. Check your messages in ten seconds. Don’t call back. Don’t text. Just show up.”
The call ends.
Nora’s hand is on his arm the moment he steps back through the door, her nails digging in. “What did he say?”
He looks at her. Then at Marcus and Sel, who are already moving closer.
“He just wanted to taunt me.” David says, avoiding Nora’s eyes. “He was angry about the affair and did what he did as a form of payback."
Nora does not look convinced. “Did he say anything about Lucy?”
“He said she’s alive and well,” he lies smoothly. “You were right. He only took her to hurt you. I’m pretty sure he’ll bring her back after a few days.”
“We don’t have a few days!” she exclaims. “We have just until next week to get Lucy back and prep her for surgery.”
Sel goes to comfort her friend. David takes the moment to cross the room towards Marcus, who is leaning against the window with his arms crossed.
David lowers his voice. “I need to talk to you.”
Marcus straightens. “What’s going on?”
David jerks his head toward the kitchen and walks. Marcus follows without question.
Once they’re alone, David speaks quickly. “Vincent just called me.”
“Yes, we are all aware of that,” he replies raising a brow. “But I take it you lied about the real reason he called?”
“He wants the contents of the safe.” David says flatly. “He told me to come alone.”
Marcus swears under his breath. “You’re not seriously considering going alone.”
David meets his gaze. “I am.”
“That’s insane.”
“Lucy’s life isn’t a chess piece,” David snaps. “If I take even a single risk that tips him off, she could die.”
Marcus drags a hand down his face. “At least let me come with you. No one else has to know.”
“No,” David says. “He made that very clear.”
“So what the hell do you want me to do?”
David hesitates for half a second, then speaks quietly. “Give me some time – say... three hours. If I'm not back by then, I need you to tell Nora everything. Not before. Not during. After. Understand?”
A pause. “And if you don’t come back?”
David is quiet for a moment before he replies. “Then you find another way to bring my daughter home.”
The two men stare at each other intently for a moment before Marcus nods reluctantly. “Text me the address when you get it.”
David checks his phone. A message has already come through: 《Warehouse District. Pier 17. Loading dock C. Be there in an hour》
He memorizes it, sends it to Marcus, then deletes the text.
“Don’t tell Nora anything before then,” David repeats. “No matter what.”
Marcus looks like he wants to punch something but instead, he nods. “Be careful.”
David gives him a grim half smile. “Always am.”
He walks out of the room without another word and makes his way straight to where Nora is standing with Sel, and without warning, bends down and plants a deep kiss on her lips.
Nora’s eyes are wet and surprised as she looks up at him. “David–”
He cups her face with both hands. “I’m bringing our baby home. I promise.”
She searches his face for a long moment. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”
He smiles slightly. “Only that you’re the most perfectly infuriatingly beautiful, smart, sexy woman alive.”
He presses his forehead to hers. “And that the best thing that has ever happened to me is hiring you as my secretary all those years ago. The worst mistake I ever made was letting you go, Nora. And I’d trade a thousand lifetimes to get back those years we spent apart.”
Nora’s moves back a little to look at him without breaking from his hold.
“David, you’re scaring me,” she says with a slight tremor in her voice. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, baby,” he says, kissing her forehead lightly. “I'm just heading out to hand Maya the documents. Let’s see if she’ll be able to decipher Vincent’s motives from them. I just wanted you to know how much I love you before I leave. That’s all.”
He gently breaks from her hold, puts the documents into a file and turns to her one more time. “You guys should keep working on that plan. I’ll be back before dinner.”
And with that, he steps out and closes the door behind him.