CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
534 Words
Chapter Forty-Six
Morning sunlight spilled into the dining room, painting the polished table in golden streaks. Briella sat with a cup of coffee cooling in her hands, staring at the untouched plate before her. The events of the previous night still weighed heavily on her mind.
Across the table, Clara—her secretary and now a quiet presence in the household—scrolled through her tablet, taking notes as Briella gave absent instructions about her schedule. Clara’s voice was gentle, efficient as always, but there was a flicker of worry in her gaze each time she glanced up at her boss.
“You didn’t sleep well,” Clara said finally.
Briella blinked, as if pulled out of her thoughts. “I’ll be fine.” Her lips curved faintly, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Just then, Marcellus entered, his shirt sleeves rolled up, his tie hanging loose around his neck. He looked tired, shadows under his eyes betraying a night with little rest. Yet his presence immediately shifted the air—steady, commanding, even when he was frayed.
“Good morning,” he said, leaning down to brush a brief kiss against Briella’s temple before sliding into the chair beside her.
Clara stood quickly. “I’ll prepare the documents for the afternoon meeting,” she said, excusing herself and leaving them alone.
Briella toyed with the rim of her cup. “You’re still thinking about Grace.”
Marcellus’s jaw tightened. “She had access to everything, Brielle. I keep running the possibilities in my head—what she might have seen, what she might have copied, who she was reporting to. The fact that I let her stand beside me for so long…” His hand clenched against the table.
Briella reached over, placing her palm lightly on his fist until his grip loosened. “It wasn’t your fault. People wear masks, Marcellus. You can’t always see through them.”
For a moment, silence sat between them, thick but not uncomfortable. He looked at her, really looked at her, and something softened in his gaze.
“I don’t deserve this,” he murmured. “This… chance with you again. After everything.”
She smiled faintly. “Maybe you don’t. But you’re here, and so am I. That’s enough.”
Before he could respond, Annabel strode into the dining room, her voice brisk. “We’ve got a problem. A small one—but it’s strange.”
Both Briella and Marcellus turned to her.
Annabel dropped her phone onto the table. “A black car. Same one. Parked outside last night. And again this morning. Clara noticed it when she went for coffee. Nobody inside, or at least nobody visible.”
Briella’s pulse quickened, though she kept her face steady.
Marcellus’s eyes narrowed. “It could be coincidence.”
Annabel crossed her arms. “Or it could be someone watching. Don’t dismiss it, Marcellus.”
He didn’t argue. His expression grew unreadable as he leaned back in his chair, mind already spinning through possibilities.
Briella, meanwhile, felt a chill crawl down her spine. She didn’t say it aloud, but deep down, she already knew.
Grace wasn’t gone.
Not yet.
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✨ End of Chapter Forty-Six
- Writer
