Chasing His Rejected Wife
Chapter 59 -

Jessica

All through the evening, my thoughts never strayed far from that text. When I rejoined Aiden at our table, I was quiet and fortunately, he also didn't seem in the mood to pick up our conversation, merely finished his meal in silence, a troubled look on his face, his thoughts as far away as mine.

I was thankful for that because I didn't think I could carry on a normal conversation while my mind was preoccupied with a myriad of thoughts, trying to figure out who had sent the text and why they believed Aiden was keeping something from me.

I stole a look at him from under my lashes. He was staring out the window with a distant expression and I took a moment to study him, wondering if there was really something, he still hadn't told me about the circumstances of our marriage. I'd thought he'd come clean the other day in his car after I had finally worked up the courage to demand answers.

Then it hit me at that moment that he'd never actually told me what the box contained. He'd skillfully deflected that question when he'd told me he knew I'd taken it. A heavy weight settled on my chest at that.

I looked away, unable to bear the sight of him without giving in to my roiling emotions. I stared at my half-eaten burger, my appetite, vanished now to be replaced by a cold, empty feeling low in my belly. Nausea bubbled, threatening to expel the little food I'd ingested and I took a long, deep breath, trying to calm my stomach down. The formerly welcome smells of grease and flour suddenly became unbearable.

Aiden noticed my discomfort and turned to regard me with concern as I hastily covered the burger from sight. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, pushed the plate away from me, and stood abruptly, suddenly craving fresh air. "I'm done, can we go back?" I didn't wait for his reply before spinning on my heels and hurrying outside. I could feel his concerned gaze following me, but I didn't look back. Once outside, I gulped in deep breaths of air, rubbing my upper arms in an effort to ward off the chill that permeated my skin, my thoughts chaotic.

I stiffened as a sixth sense warned me of Aiden's proximity. Seconds later, he joined me outside, took one look at me, and pulled out his phone.

"I'm calling for a ride, you look like about to bowl over." He explained at my questioning glance. I said nothing, merely watched as people flowed around us, the bustle and noises of a busy neighborhood serving as a welcome barrier from having to engage in conversation.

A drop of rain hit my nose and I glanced up, surprised. Dusk had fully fallen by now, but through a brief flash of lighting, I could see heavy clouds gathering overhead.

"It's going to rain," I said, still looking up. Aiden, who had been typing on his phone looked up briefly and made a sound of assent.

"A car is on its way." He informed me, slipping his phone back in his pocket. He glanced at me for a moment, then to my surprise stepped closer. His hand on my shoulder was a warm, gentle pressure as he squeezed lightly. "I'm sorry you have to go through this, Jess."

I tilted my head back to see his face clearly. A face that looked sincere enough, but if that unknown person was right, was probably all pretense. I didn't know what to believe anymore. As casually as I could, I shrugged off his touch and moved away, spotting a bench just outside the building so I went to sit down.

He watched me the entire time, but I kept my gaze fixed on the concrete floor. Soon, a car from the hotel pulled up and in no time, we were back at the hotel.

"Do you mind if I take a quick shower?" Aiden asked once we were in the suite.

I shrugged and changed my path from the bedroom to the sofa. "Go ahead."

I noticed the worried look he shot me before he entered the bedroom but ignored it. The minute the door shut behind him, I pulled out my phone and opened the text message once more to read. My fingers hovered over the screen, torn between sending a reply or just ignoring the message altogether.

Who had sent it? And what were their motives for sending this to me? What was Aiden lying to me about and what did Julian have to do with it?

Those were the burning questions in my mind. Questions that I could (hopefully) get answers to if I sent a positive reply. I would be lying if I said I didn't want to know more, if only to satiate the curiosity that was sure to eat away at me if I declined the offer.

Or, it could be a scam, I reasoned. Who knew the rabbit hole I could replace myself inside if I fell for this? The best thing to do would be to ignore the message, delete it and move on, but I knew I wouldn't do that. Because, despite my doubts, there was a part of me that felt the was some truth to be found.

I let out a loud sigh and rubbed at my temples, my other hand twirling the phone between my thumb and index finger. My thoughts circled back to the mystery sender. I had a couple of suspects in mind, with Elisa being at the very top of that very, very short list. She was, after all, the one with the highest motive.

Jealousy, resentment for the loss of her baby? But would she take such a big risk like this? I may not know much about Aiden, but I did know that there were only a handful of persons that he trusted with his private life and Elisa was one of the few. Wouldn't it be too easy for suspicion to fall on her? Would she risk her relationship with Aiden by trying to directly cause a rift between us? I couldn't be sure.

So, if not Elisa, then who? Vincent? Highly unlikely.

My train of thought was derailed when Aiden emerged from the bedroom, bringing with him the fragrant smell of apples and peaches thanks to the hotel's complimentary shampoo, as well as his usual spicy aftershave. He'd changed into pajama bottoms and a light shirt over which he wore a robe.

"I'm done," he announced, running a hand through his still-damp hair, strands clinging to his face and the back of his neck. He crossed to an armchair and picked up a pile of bedding I hadn't noticed before. "I asked the hotel for spare bedding," he explained when he saw me looking. He began laying the bedding on the floor in preparation for bed. "Do you still need anything before bed?"

"No, I'm tired so I'll just head in to sleep now," I said and stood up to leave. "Good night."

"Good night, Jess." The warmth in his voice was unexpected and I paused for a second before I recovered.

I was running, but my limbs were not moving as fast as I wanted, unable to flee from the long, dark tunnel that stretched endlessly before me. I was being chased by an invisible being I couldn't see, only hear in the form of loud, terrifying roars. The darkness was split frequently by quick flashes of light, blinding me in its intensity.

Strong, unyielding hands clamped over my upper arms and my mouth fell open in a soundless scream. Then I registered my name being called by a familiar voice and suddenly, my eyes snapped wide open.

**

Author notes: Hey guys! Noticed some comments about plot gaps, my bad. After double-checking, turns out I messed up the chapter order - missed three chapters. Silly me! Fixed it now. Check out the latest ch46-48 for the added stuff, and from ch49 onwards, it's the original ch46. Sorry for the confusion, and big thanks for the awesome support! More updates coming soon. Stay tuned, I love you all!