CHAPTER 117: SEEKING THE TRUTH

Time never passed so slowly as that moment when I sat down and waited impatiently for Raphael to wrap up his last meeting and return to his office. For the past few hours, I tried my best to come up with the perfect excuse to postpone our date for the evening. I thought I had everything planned, but as time ticked by and Raphael did not make his appearance, I could feel my courage weakening. Suddenly, the office door opened, and none other than the man I had been waiting for walked through the door.

"You’re back," I said almost breathlessly as I quickly stood up from my seat.

"The meeting overran a little bit, but I think we’re still good on time. Shall we head out?" Raphael asked invitingly.

His slightly cheerful tone only made it harder for me to break it to him that I couldn’t make it. Although I had all of my excuses rehearsed, when the time came, I found it extremely difficult to find the right words.

"Did something happen?" Raphael asked, as if he could sense that something was off.

"No, it’s just... something came up. I got a call from a friend, and she needed some help-you know, the standard girl problems. So, we’re planning to have a girls’ night to support her at her place..." I said, going through the excuse I had planned.

"Is that so?" Raphael asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes. I know it’s sudden, but unfortunately, I can’t make it this evening. It’s urgent, and the way she sounded on the phone, I feel like I need to be there for her," I said, silently apologizing to him in my head.

"That’s fine. Should I give you a lift?" Raphael readily offered.

"There’s no need. Actually, one of my friends is picking me up, and we’re heading there together. I’m very sorry that I can’t make it today. Can we please go some other day instead?" I asked, smiling hopefully at him.

My heart beat fast and hard in my chest as I waited for Raphael to give me the reassurance I needed to leave and postpone our date to another day. I was certain that not more than a couple of seconds had passed, but to me, it felt like an eternity.

"Sure, that’s not a problem. Have a good time with your friend," Raphael said without asking me any more questions.

"I have to go now," I said, hurriedly making my way to the door. I could feel Raphael’s gaze on my back as I left, but I didn’t dare to turn around.

"Gail..." Raphael called out to me suddenly, and my body froze. I was scared that he might have caught on that I was meeting Josh. I turned back to face him, trying to act natural. It looked like Raphael had something to say, but before he could, someone else joined us.

"Raphael!" A sweet-sounding voice called his name, making my entire body shudder.

I turned around to see Rosabella standing there with a bright smile on her face as she waved at Raphael while completely ignoring me as if I didn’t exist. The clearly surprised look on Raphael’s face told me that he hadn’t expected Rosabella to turn up. I watched as she quickly made her way to his side before taking his arm and cuddling it tightly. Although I had no idea why Rosabella turned up to see Raphael, I felt slightly thankful for the distraction because it meant I could quietly slip out of his office without being held back.

While trying to ignore the fact that Raphael and Rosabella were alone together, I quickly made my way to the elevator. I didn’t have any trouble finding the car that Josh had sent for me.

...

The ride to Josh’s mansion was extremely quiet and dull. Thanks to light traffic, it didn’t take too long for me to arrive at Josh’s lavish mansion. The tall iron gates and the absurdly high walls made the place look slightly like a luxurious prison. A man dressed in an all-black suit greeted me at the door with an unreadable expression before telling me to follow him. I did as I was told, and we made our way past the grand entrance and a hallway with marble floors and sparkling chandeliers. The house felt deadly silent, and the air was thick with a strange tension. Finally, the man came to a stop in front of a large set of double doors. I tried to calm my nerves by taking a deep breath while the man knocked firmly on the door twice before opening it.

Josh was there waiting for me with a smile on his lips as he leaned casually against a large desk in the room. Just like the rest of what I had seen of his house, the room was extremely luxurious. Josh’s suit looked expensive and impeccable, but the way he looked at me made my stomach flip.

"Abigail! Welcome. It’s so good to see you," he said warmly as he spread his arms and walked toward me. My entire body froze as I held up my hands to stop his approach.

"Josh," I said his name curtly before stepping aside so that he wouldn’t throw his arms around me.

"Come in and have a seat. There’s no need for you to act so formal. We’re supposed to be family, right?" he said invitingly before letting out a chuckle.

"Let’s just skip the small talk. What do you have to tell me?" I asked without taking a step in the direction of the large sofa.

His welcoming smile didn’t falter, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes, as if he was enjoying my reaction.

"You don’t need to put your guard up around me. Have a seat first so that I can offer you a drink. Some wine? Perhaps some whiskey?" Josh readily offered, gesturing for me to take a seat on the sofa.

–To be continued...