Page 178 of In Love and Revenge

‘Of course I haven’t! The bastard’s disappeared off the face of the earth. You think I’d keep it from the police if he’d contacted me?’

Dove winces. ‘I’m sorry. It’s just ... such a bloody mess. Where do you think he would have gone?’

I purse my lips. ‘Dom might be a liar and a cheat, but this Ella woman had his baby. I still know him well enough to understand that’ll be eating him up, not knowing whether he has a son or daughter, or what their name is and if they’re doing okay. I think he’s gone after her.’

‘Yeah, well, actions have consequences,’ Dove mutters. ‘And he’ll have to face them when the police find him.’

‘Yeah, he will,’ I agree.

Dominic was dropped from the board immediately after they found out he tampered with internal records. And he could be facing a prison sentence himself for his role in everything. But he was already long gone by the time the police went to his house to question him. Despite our history, I can’t bring myself to feel an ounce of sympathy for him.

‘How are you doing?’ I ask Dove carefully as she looks away, unable to meet my eyes.

‘Fine.’

‘Fine,’ I repeat, not believing a word. I know my sister. And the extra weight she’s been carrying around on her shoulders recently isn’t only from her best friend being absent.

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ she huffs.

‘Do you?’

‘Yes. And I’m fine. Seeing him again was a shock. But I’m good now.’

‘Still, the sooner Vance Falcon disappears back to Singapore, the better for everyone, hm?’

I study the pinch at the corners of her eyes as she shrugs. ‘I haven’t thought about it.’

My challenge to that statement is cut off by her phone ringing.

‘It’s Aurora,’ she says, glancing at me with a mix of guilt and sympathy in her eyes.

‘Answer it,’ I say as calmly as I can muster, despite the fact my pulse rate just trebled.

I did the right thing asking George to delete my number, but it still feels like my chest is torn wide open every time I hear her name. But this time together is theirs. I have no reason to be a part of it. Not when I’m a contributing factor to why they lost so much in the first place. If I’d only dug deeper, not been so fast to accept that he was guilty, then I could have ... Bloody hell, I don’t know what I could have done. But I could have done something.

‘Hi,’ Dove answers. She smiles, nodding along as she listens.

I can’t hear what Aurora’s saying, even though I wish I could. Just to have that sliver ofher. To hear her voice and know what she’s thinking at this exact moment.

‘Yeah, he’s here.’

My heart pounds as Dove looks at me, listening intently to whatever it is Aurora’s telling her.

Maybe she’s ready to talk to me. Sourness swirls over my tongue. Or perhaps she has something to tell me.What if she’s met someone new? What if she’s in love with them? What if she’s calling to tell Dove she’s marrying some French arsehole who’s never hurt her like I have?

‘I’ll tell him,’ Dove says. ‘Okay. Bye.’

I stare at her as she ends the call.

‘Aurora says thank you for the video of Freddie.’

‘Freddie?’

She nods.

I exhale, my body sagging. Of course that’s all she said. I’ve been sending videos Kate’s shared with me to George’s phone so he can show her.

‘Thanks.’ I nod at Dove. ‘I’ll catch up with you later.’ I stand and return to my desk, busying myself with sifting through a stack of papers on top of it.