83 Strategy and Support

83 Strategy and Support
Lacy.

I sat on the edge of my bed, my heart pounding with a mix of anger and desperation. Why would Theo do this to me? I had only wanted to make him suffer a little, just enough to feel the hurt I’d carried before taking him back. I wasn’t cruel—I was just trying to regain some balance in our fractured relationship. When I learned that he hadn’t sent that message and hadn’t truly left me for her, relief washed over me like a tide, but it quickly soured into bitterness. That bitch, Karolyn. She’d played her cards well, weaving chaos into our lives for her own selfish gain. I doubted she even loved Theo. She was using him. Manipulating him.

If only I hadn’t received that fake message. I wouldn’t have sent those hateful words back to Theo. He would have gone to check on her, like the caring man he was, and then he would’ve come home. But no—Karolyn had thrown a wrench into our lives, dragging him deeper into her tangled web. My anger flared hot and sharp, both at her and at Theo. How could he risk everything like this? I knew his cause was noble, but the cost was far too high.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to cry. I refused to let my emotions chain me down. Theo needed me. Even if he didn’t know it, even if he thought he was acting on his own, I had to find a way to help him. Sitting here and moping wouldn’t solve anything. This was a moment of clarity for me. Every decision I made now would shape what came next—for him, for me, for us.

I locked my door to block out the world and steadied myself. My resolve crystallized into purpose. Theo had left to fight for something greater, but I wouldn’t let him face the danger alone. I had to act, even if it meant working from the shadows. I couldn’t lose him.

A knock interrupted my thoughts. It was Emma. She wasn’t alone; she had brought Katya, her ultimate weapon. Emma’s persistence bordered on legendary, and I knew she wouldn’t relent until I opened the door. But I couldn’t deal with her now. I smiled weakly at the thought of my granddaughter’s pouty face. I’d make it up to her later—ice cream, cartoons, whatever she wanted. For now, I had to stay focused.

I reached for my phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found the number I needed. Rufus. My father had trusted him for years when he was alive, though calling Rufus a “private investigator” didn’t do him justice. He was dangerous, calculating, and notoriously selective about his work. But he got results. That was all that mattered to me now.

I dialed his number, my hands trembling slightly as I waited for him to pick up. Each ring seemed to stretch longer than the last. Just as I was about to hang up, his familiar, cold voice came through the line.

“Lacy. It’s been a while,” he said flatly. His tone was devoid of warmth, as always. Rufus didn’t do small talk, and neither did I. I jumped straight to the point.

“I have a job for you,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm inside me.

He paused, and I could almost hear him weighing his response. Finally, he asked, “What’s the job?”

I swallowed hard and forced the words out, carefully sticking to the story. “My husband left me for another woman. I want you to track him down and watch him—be his shadow. I don’t trust her, and I need to make sure he’s safe. If his life is in danger, I want you to intervene and bring him back to me.” My words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. Rufus needed to understand the urgency.

There was a long silence on the other end of the line. Then he asked, “Why would you want to protect a man who left you for someone else?”

“Because I love him,” I replied without hesitation. “And because I know she’s dangerous. I just need you to keep him safe until I can prove it and get him away from her.” I couldn’t afford to let Rufus suspect anything. No one could know the truth about Theo’s mission, not even him. For all I knew, Rufus could be part of Karolyn’s circle—or worse.

“How much are you willing to pay?” he asked at last, his voice as unfeeling as ever.

“Name your price,” I said, though the words felt like a gamble.

Rufus laughed, a low, unsettling sound that sent a shiver down my spine. He was in control now, and he knew it. But I didn’t care. Whatever it took, however high the cost, I would pay it. I wouldn’t lose Theo—not to Karolyn, not to his mission, not to anything.

As I waited for his reply, my grip on the phone tightened. This wasn’t just about protecting Theo. It was about reclaiming our life, our love, and our future. And I wouldn’t stop until I had him back.

“You know what I want, what I’ve always wanted,” Rufus said, his voice calm but laced with that familiar undertone of provocation. I felt my irritation rise, simmering just beneath the surface.

“Anything but that, Rufus. I’m a married woman, and I intend to stay faithful until the day I die. I can’t sleep with you, and I won’t. Name something else,” I said firmly, my voice sharp and unwavering. He laughed—a dark, humorless chuckle that grated against my nerves.

“Yet here you are, clinging to faithfulness while he’s out there having the time of his life with another woman. You’re funny, Lacy,” he said, his words biting. “Two hundred thousand Lunari will do.”

I sighed, the weight of the situation pressing down on me. “Done,” I replied flatly, hoping to end the conversation quickly.

He chuckled again, his tone mocking. “Wire seventy percent now and the remaining thirty when the job is done.”

I shook my head, even though he couldn’t see me. “How about a hundred percent when the job is done? It might not even take two weeks. Hopefully, he comes back to his senses and returns to me by then,” I said, trying to maintain some semblance of control.

His laughter this time was louder, more drawn out, and it stung in its derision. “It’s amazing how optimism persists, even in the bleakest circumstances. Fine, I’ll accept your terms. Whether he returns to you or not, I’ll be his shadow for a month at that price.” Before I could say another word, the line went dead.