After Justin left, Lauren’s voice drifted through the video call, tinged with confusion. “That’s odd. Mr. Hawksley doesn’t look like the type who’d go out clubbing, but if he’s heading out this late and it’s not for work, he’s probably meeting up with those trust fund brats at some bar or gentlemen’s club.”
Edith hesitated for a moment.
If Justin really was out at some nightclub, maybe she should be glad she hadn’t chased after him with questions. That would have only made things awkward for both of them.
Noticing Edith’s silence, Lauren asked, “Edith, are you upset? Men are like that, you know. Socializing is part of their world–especially for someone like Justin. As long as he still cares about you, that’s enough. You can’t expect a man like him to focus on just one person all the time.”
She thought to herself that, with Edith’s emotional intelligence, even if a man did only have eyes for her, Edith probably wouldn’t notice.
Edith pressed her lips together, keeping her expression carefully neutral. “I’m not upset, Lauren. It’s just… Justin and I, we’re probably not what you
think.”
She trailed off, feeling that discussing this over the phone didn’t feel right. After a few more words, they hung up.
The night was sliding toward dawn.
Edith showered and changed into a silk nightgown, then stretched out alone on the king–sized bed.
Lying there by herself, the bed suddenly felt far too large–every inch steeped in Justin’s scent.
She rolled to the left: his scent.
To the right: still him.
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Even pulling the comforter up over her face, she could still smell him.
Every breath was filled with Justin, except Justin himself wasn’t there.
For reasons she couldn’t explain, Edith found herself unable to sleep–a rare occurrence for her.
Meanwhile, at a precinct across Northcrest, Henson sat slumped in a chair, deeply annoyed. He huffed, “This is ridiculous! That officer’s got it out for me. She’s been digging into the Sheffield family’s old shady business for ages and found nothing, so now she’s just using this as an excuse to give me a hard time!”
Justin, watching Henson’s rare disheveled state, took a moment to piece
together what had happened.
“So, let me get this straight–you went to the airport to pick up Connor, rushed to use the restroom, didn’t notice it was the ladies‘ room, and got reported? They hauled you down here for that?”
Henson groaned. “Unbelievable, right? My luck’s been rotten lately. And that woman–she looked like an absolute angel, but turned out to be a real firebrand. I told her it was just a mistake, but she said she’d rather arrest ten innocents than let one pervert walk. What a trip!”
Justin raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like a coincidence to me. Edith’s cousin is stunning too, so it makes sense.”
Henson stared at him. “Wait, I thought Edith was an only child. She has a cousin?”
Justin nodded. “She does. Her cousin’s name is Lauren.”
Henson ground his teeth. “Lauren, huh? Take me to her–I need to have a word with her!”
Justin stopped him, calm but firm. “Why are you blaming her? You’re the one who didn’t read the sign. A grown man barging into the ladies‘ room—she was right to call the police. If you want to blame someone, blame the Sheffield family for all those skeletons in the closet. That’s why Officer Sheffield’s been watching you like a hawk, and she finally got
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her chance.”
He paused, then raised an eyebrow. “Or you can blame Connor. You wouldn’t have been at the airport if it wasn’t for him.”
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.