Chapter 193 193
Gilles gently laid Mathieu on the bed. Jacqueline pulled the sheets up over her brother before the two of them stepped quietly out of the guest room.
Gilles led her down the hallway and stopped in front of another room, pushing the door open for her.
His parents were extremely wealthy, and most of the time they were out of the country handling business meetings and deals. That meant the enormous house was usually empty, leaving Gilles with the entire place to himself.
“This will be your room,” he said.
Jacqueline looked around the spacious guestroom before turning back to him.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
The moment the door closed behind them, a dull ache in her stomach reminded her how hungry she was. The only thing she and Mathieu had eaten all day were the snacks Rafael had bought them that morning.
For a moment she hesitated.
She didn’t want to ask him for food.
But then again… when had she ever been this formal with her friends?
Narrowing her eyes at him, she crossed her arms.
“So this is how you treat your guests?”
Gilles blinked in confusion.
His brows knitted together as he awkwardly shifted his weight from one foot to the other, scratching the back of his neck.
“I… don’t understand,” he mumbled, looking like an innocent kid who had just been scolded by his favorite teacher.
Jacqueline sighed dramatically.
The next second she punched his arm.
“I’m hungry,” she grumbled.
His eyes widened as realization finally struck him.
“Oh! Sorry!” he said quickly. “I’ll order pizza. You love pizza…”
He waggled his eyebrows playfully.
Jacqueline smiled at him, though the smile never quite reached her eyes.
Together they walked into the living room while he placed the order.
As they waited, Gilles rambled on about how worried everyone had been.
They had gone to visit Mr. Julien countless times, trying to ask about Jacqueline, but he never told them anything useful. Every time they asked, he gave the same explanation.
He said he had sent his children away temporarily because his family had received serious threats. He also claimed Jacqueline and Mathieu were forbidden from using social media or contacting anyone for a while.
After the pizza arrived, Jacqueline ate gratefully.
When she finished, she thanked Gilles.
He shot her a comically offended look.
Still, he walked her back to the guestroom before heading off to his own room.
Jacqueline decided not to sleep there.
Instead, she returned to Mathieu’s room.
If he woke up somewhere different from where he had fallen asleep, he might panic.
She slipped into the bed beside him and let out a tired sigh.
Sleep refused to come easily.
She tossed and turned beneath the covers, hoping exhaustion would eventually claim her.
But her thoughts kept drifting back to Damien.
Every memory she shared with him both painful and beautiful flooded her mind.
Her eyes slowly grew glossy with unshed tears.
How was she supposed to live the rest of her life knowing she could never have the man she loved?
With his name lingering in both her mind and her heart, she finally drifted into sleep.
The next morning she woke abruptly when something crushed the air out of her lungs.
“Oh my God! I can’t believe this!”
Thérèse’s shrill voice rang through the room as she wrapped Jacqueline in a bone-crushing hug.
Half-asleep and disoriented, Jacqueline blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision as she returned the embrace.
It took several seconds for her mind to fully catch up.
When she finally looked up, she saw them all standing there.
Laurent.
Fanny.
Gilles.
And little Mathieu.
Meanwhile, Thérèse continued squeezing the life out of her.
“I thought you died!” Thérèse cried.
Only then did Jacqueline realize her friend was trembling with quiet sobs.
She gently pulled Thérèse back to look at her face.
“Thérèse…” she murmured softly.
But the girl hugged her again immediately.
Tears blurred Jacqueline’s vision as she held her friend tightly.
Fanny was crying silently nearby.
Jacqueline reached out her hand to her, and Fanny took it before joining the embrace.
Laurent whose eyes were suspiciously glossy wrapped all three girls in a giant bear hug.
A second later, Gilles joined them.
Jacqueline tried desperately to control her emotions.
But it was impossible.
No matter how cruel fate had been to her, she silently thanked God countless times for these precious people she called her friends.
With them beside her, even the heaviest pain felt bearable.
Usually Mathieu woke up early and joined the others for breakfast before they left for the training complex.
But that morning he never appeared.
Damien noticed.
Frowning slightly, he decided to check on the boy.
Mathieu’s room was empty.
A strange unease stirred inside him.
He walked down the hallway toward Jacqueline’s room, his heartbeat quickening with every step.
He knocked twice.
No answer.
After a brief hesitation, he tried the handle.
The door opened easily.
Damien stepped inside.
The room was empty.
Her scent lingered faintly in the air, but it was already fading.
He checked the bathroom.
Empty.
His pulse began to race.
Then his eyes fell on something lying neatly in the center of the bed.
A folded piece of paper.
Even before reading it, a sickening feeling twisted inside his stomach.
She was gone.
He strode forward and snatched the letter from the bed.
With a dark glare fixed on the paper, he unfolded it and began to read.
Dear Damien,
I don’t even know if you’ll read this letter.
You’re such a bipolar man that it wouldn’t surprise me if you tore this apart the moment you realized I disappeared.
But if you did decide to read it… well, brace yourself.
It might be a rough ride.
First of all, you’re a good man.
A very good man.
You have a kind heart and a gentle soul.
And yes, you’re ridiculously handsome too but don’t let that compliment inflate your ego.
You’re the first person who ever truly saw me.
You looked past all the layers I hid behind. You noticed the pain I kept buried beneath my smiles.
No one else ever saw that part of me.
But you did.
You saw the real me the one who was drowning.
And you saved me.
Nothing I could ever do would be enough to repay you for that. For saving my life. For giving me justice. For giving me your time.
Maybe it didn’t mean much to you… but every moment I spent with you will remain locked inside my heart forever.
Those memories will always be sacred to me.
You’re my knight in shining armor.
My savior.
I will remember you until my last breath.
And I know that no matter how hard I tried, I could never forget you.
There are so many other things I want to say.
But some things don’t need to be spoken aloud.
So I’ll keep those secrets with me forever.
Please don’t punish your family because of your pain.
Your parents are alive. They love you.
That’s something many people—people like us don’t get to have.
Treasure them.
More than anything, I want you to be happy.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope you get your lover back.
She’s a very lucky girl.
You should go back to her. Apologize. Tell her how much you love her.
I’ve seen the pain in your eyes.
I recognize that kind of pain.
And yours was real… which means you truly love her.
So go win her back.
Wow… that got emotional.
I’m just writing whatever comes to my mind right now.
But really, I hope you build an amazing life.
Marry that girl you love.
Have a bunch of kids who drive you crazy.
Honestly, just imagining little Damien toddlers climbing all over their grumpy father makes me laugh.
I can picture it so clearly one hanging off your shoulder, another pulling your arm, one tugging your hair while you sit there looking stoic and annoyed.
God… it sounds like chaos.
But fun chaos.
Anyway, I’ve taken enough of your time, Mr. Frosty.
Sorry about that.
And… thank you for that night.
I know it probably didn’t mean much to you.
But for me, it meant a lot more than that.
You’re my antidote.
Please don’t try to find me.
I’ll pay you back every cent you spent on us slowly, but I promise I will.
And please… don’t come looking for me.
I don’t think I could face you again as the same carefree Jacqueline you once knew.
You changed something inside me.
And that’s all I can really say.
I’m truly sorry for leaving like this.
Once again… thank you for everything.
And thank you for letting me and my brother feel like part of your family.
But maybe this is where our story ends.
I’m getting teary while writing this… lol.
Have a happy life, Damien.
Yours forever,
Jacq.