Chapter 67

Moore

The kitchen felt heavier today, the usual warmth replaced by an unsettling silence. Sam stood by the counter, stirring a bowl of batter absentmindedly, her face drawn and her shoulders tense. She barely said a word since we started cooking, and the air felt extremely thick with unspoken thoughts.

I glanced at Loretta, who met my eyes with a knowing look. We both knew something was wrong. Sam wasn't the type to stay quiet for this long, Ever since I got accepted by them, she was more eager to talk as her curiosity will make her ask questions upon questions. But the way she sighed every few minutes was enough to make anyone worry.

"Alright," I said finally, wiping my hands on a towel. "What's wrong, Sam?"

She shook her head quickly, a forced smile tugging at her lips. "Nothing, I'm fine."

Loretta snorted. "That’s the worst lie I’ve heard all day."

"I can attest to that fact myself. I know a terrible liar when I see one.”

Sam’s shoulders slumped, and she let out a shaky breath. "It's Eric."

I leaned against the counter, arms crossed.

"Eric? Your fiancé?" Lorreta asked, causing me to raised my head. She had always talked about him, finding reasons to chip him in every conversation. I enjoyed it nothingness, wishing her only happiness and transparency. Not everyone is as unlucky as I was.

At that, she gave a sad laugh, twirling the ring on her finger. "Boyfriend," she corrected. "Fiancé feels like too much of a title when I haven't seen him in almost a year."

Loretta and I exchanged glances.

"I’ve been trying to reach him for days," Sam continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "No calls, no texts. Nothing. It's like he disappeared."

My stomach tightened at the raw vulnerability in her voice. "Maybe he’s just busy, Sam," I offered gently. "Military life can be unpredictable."

She had in one of our talks chipped in that he's in the Army.

I stare at them both, grateful at how Lucien absence was able to draw me closer to this people. Another thanks that after that morning of confrontation between Lorreta and I, she let me inti theur space, chipping that she just can't find reasons to hate me.

“I saw why Vivian was drawn to you immediately.” She had said.

Sam shook her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "He promised, Miss Giodarno. He promised he'd come back and marry me. But now... I don't even know if he's alive."

No matter how I begged of them to call me by my name, they will never listen.

Loretta reached over, squeezing Sam’s hand. "Listen, sweetie, I know how hard it is. My husband... he left for war too. I was six months pregnant when they told me he wasn’t coming back."

A heavy silence followed her words, and I saw the distant look in Loretta’s eyes.

"Vivian never got to meet her father," Loretta added softly, staring at the flour-covered countertop. "And it still hurts, even after all these years."

“How long as it been since he…,” I pointed at her finger, intrigued, “proposed?”

“Almost a year,” she murmured. “He proposed before he left for the army. He promised me he’d come back, that we’d get married and move to France.” A small, bittersweet smile tugged at her lips. “Eric always talked about France like it was paradise. He wanted us to live there, to start fresh.”

Loretta squeezed her hand reassuringly. “He will, Sam. He’ll come back. He loves you.”

“Being with someone in the military is a high risk, but love... love makes it worth it. All we can do is hope and pray for their safe return. Mostly are bad news but….”

Sam blinked rapidly, her fingers curling into fists. "I don’t want to think like that. I can't."

"You don't have to," I said quickly, offering her a reassuring smile. "Eric will come back. He loves you. And if he doesn’t answer your calls, it’s probably because he’s stuck doing something important."

Sam looked unconvinced, but before the atmosphere could turn heavier, an idea popped into my head. I grabbed a handful of flour and tossed it at Sam, hitting her square on the arm.

The kitchen fell into stunned silence.

Sam gawked at me. "Did you just—"

Loretta burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand.

“I'm sorry… I just think I saw something that flour will help…”

“Seriously Mrs. Giodarno?”

Sam’s eyes narrowed playfully, and before I could react, she grabbed a handful and flung it back at me. The flour hit my face, and I let out an exaggerated gasp.

"You did not just do that!" I exclaimed.

Sam paused mid-laugh, suddenly looking guilty. “I’m sorry, Moore. I shouldn’t have—”

But I cut her off with a grin. “Oh, don’t start acting innocent now.”

Sam giggled, a rare sound these days, and soon we were all caught in a flurry of flying flour and laughter. The heavy weight of the conversation lifted, replaced by something lighter—something hopeful.

But the moment shattered when a deep voice filled the kitchen.

"Are you done?"

I froze, heart hammering in my chest as I turned around to see Lillard standing in the doorway, his dark eyes sweeping over the mess we had created. He wasn’t smiling, but something in his expression... a flicker of amusement, perhaps?

I blinked, and it was gone.

"Nope, but why?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious of my flour-covered clothes.

Lillard crossed his arms. "You’re coming with me. To London."

The laughter that had filled the kitchen moments ago disappeared instantly.

"London?" I repeated, incredulous. "Why?"

He didn't blink. "Mr. Giordano's orders. If you have questions, ask him when you get there."

Loretta and Sam stared at me in shock, and I couldn’t help but feel the same. I opened my mouth to argue, but the look on Lillard’s face shut me up.

"I don't even have a visa," I pointed out weakly.

Lillard's gaze darkened. "Get dressed. You won’t need anything else."

I swallowed, glancing at Loretta, who motioned for me to follow her to my room.

As we walked out of the kitchen, I turned to Sam, offering her an apologetic smile. “Promise me you’ll try to stay positive, okay?”

She nodded, though worry still clouded her eyes. “You, too.”

Few steps out, I heard Sam whisper, "What does Mr. Giordano want with her now?"

Good question. I had been able to have two good friends who loved me and will make my stay here tolerable. Lucien should better remain there.

Once inside my room, Loretta pulled out a beautiful blue sweetheart dress and a pair of jeans with intricate designs at the ankles.

"Do you have any idea why Lucien wants me in London?" I asked, holding the dress up against myself.

Loretta shrugged. "Could be the product launch. It’s strange, though... He always took Athena to these things. The media practically believed they were a couple."

I couldn't hide my disgust. "Athena…”

Loretta nodded, smirking. "He once said in an interview that they were just business associates, but you know how people talk. Only until recently they believed. I guess he's trying to make his point."

Lucien doesn't look like one to try to impress. I know he had his reasons which actually unsettled me.

I muttered a small "Oh," feeling something odd settle in my chest.

"Better get ready," Loretta said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Lillard’s not a patient man."

I smiled and headed into the bathroom, washing away the flour and remnants of the day. As I stepped out, clean and refreshed, I caught sight of my reflection.

The bruises that once marred my skin were gone, as if they had never been there. But the scars inside? Those were a different story.

A loud grumble from my stomach reminded me of my unfinished meal, breakfast had delayed because I was trying to make something new, yet I couldn't finish up. But the thought of facing Lucien again took precedence. Would this trip be another ploy to humiliate me?

One thing was for sure—I wasn’t ready to face him.

Hours later, I found myself sitting in the luxurious private jet, the sheer wealth surrounding me almost suffocating. I had seen luxury before, lived in it, but this... this was on another level.

As I leaned back in the plush leather seat, I couldn't help but wonder how deep Lucien's wealth really went.

But my peace was short-lived.

Three hours into the flight, Lillard's voice echoed through the cabin.

"We're landing in London."

I took a deep breath, nerves tightening in my stomach.

After nearly two weeks apart, it was time to face my husband.