Chapter 30
1195 Words
Mara's POV
I was halfway down the corridor toward my office when Richard stepped into my path, files tucked neatly against his chest.
“Mrs. Lawson,” he said politely, slowing his pace to match mine. “I have a few documents that require your signature.”
“Alright,” I replied with a nod. “Bring them in.”
My office felt unusually quiet when I stepped inside. The glass wall reflected the rest of the floor, and instinctively, my gaze shifted to Elias’s office.
Empty.
He wasn’t there.
I sat behind my desk, smoothing my gown as Richard entered and laid the files out carefully in front of me. He hesitated, then followed my line of sight.
“Mr. Lawson stepped out earlier,” he said. “He’s in a meeting outside the company, with the Dubai lady.”
The words settled heavily in my chest.
My thoughts went straight to Amira.
I kept my expression neutral, forcing composure over the sudden discomfort curling inside me. “I see. Thank you.”
Richard nodded and turned to leave, closing the door softly behind him.
I picked up the first file and uncapped my pen, signing it quickly. As I reached for the second file, something else caught my attention.
A brown envelope, tucked neatly between two folders.
It didn’t look like something meant for signing.
Frowning slightly, I pulled it free.
My breath caught.
It was the autopsy report.
The one Dr. Dan had handed me during the anniversary.
My pulse spiked.
How did this get here?
How did it end up in the company?
I had hidden it under the bed when Elias barged into the room.
Did Elias…..
My fingers trembled as I opened the envelope.
No.
That couldn’t be.
I unfolded the pages slowly, my heartbeat loud in my ears as my eyes scanned the first page.
Autopsy Report of Philip Lawson
I hadn’t had the chance to read it properly before. I’d never gone back to the resort to retrieve it.
Now, I read every word.
Cause of death: Arsenic toxicity.
Secondary findings: Consistent with administration of a paralytic agent, succinylcholine, via injection to the upper arm.
Clear documentation.
Clear photographs of the injection site.
Clear notes from the examiner:
Angle of entry indicates deliberate administration.
Timing suggests intentional delivery prior to collapse.
My vision blurred.
Philip was really murdered as I had thought.
Poisoned.
The same poison I had seen Camille drop in his study.
But it wasn’t only that. He hadn’t just been poisoned with arsenic, there was more. Someone had injected him with another toxin, one lethal enough to cost him his life.
Who would have done that?
The paper slipped from my fingers, landing softly on the desk.
I reached for the office phone and dialed the reception, requesting for Richard.
A few seconds later, Richard knocked and entered, confusion flickering across his face.
“You called for me, ma’am?”
“The files,” I said quietly. “Where did you get them?”
“Mr. Lawson instructed me to give them to you this morning before he left.”
I said nothing more, only gesturing for him to leave.
The door closed behind him.
He must have found the report in my room.
And whatever he thought afterward, whatever conclusions he’d drawn, explained everything.
His distance.
His coldness.
The way he’d barely looked at me after the anniversary.
He thought I was hiding something.
Worse.
He might think I had something to do with Philip’s death.
My stomach twisted violently.
“No…” I whispered.
I needed to explain.
I had to.
I grabbed my phone, my thumb hovering over Elias’s name to dial immediately.
But doubt crept in.
He was in a meeting.
A business meeting.
With Amira.
What if I interrupted? What if it only made things worse?
Slowly, my hand fell.
I placed the phone face down on the desk, pressing my palm against it as if that could still the ache tightening in my chest.
I forced myself to sit back down and finish signing the documents, though the words blurred before my eyes.
Time passed.
When I finally looked up, the light beyond the glass wall had shifted. Dusk was settling in. The office floor had grown quieter.
I had expected him to return.
But it seemed he had other plans.
With her.
Was it truly business, or something else?
The thought made me frown.
A knock sounded at my door.
Richard stepped in again, and only then did I remember I’d asked for him earlier.
“You sent for me, Mrs. Lawson?”
“Yes,” I said, standing. “Do you know when Elias will be back?”
He hesitated. “He may not return today. There’s nothing else scheduled for him at the company.”
My heart dipped, but I kept my voice steady. “Could you call him for me? Let him know I’d like to speak with him, once he’s done with his meeting.”
Richard nodded and stepped aside, pulling out his phone.
It rang.
Once.
Twice.
“He’s not picking up,” Richard said, glancing at me.
“Try again,” I said softly, not allowing room for hesitation.
He called again.
This time, Elias answered.
I couldn’t hear his words, but I could tell by Richard’s posture that Elias wasn’t pleased.
“Yes, sir… I’m sorry for the interruption… Mrs. Lawson would like to speak with you when you’re done.”
Richard covered the speaker. “He says he won’t be coming back to the company.”
I shook my head immediately. “Please, tell him I’ll wait. I’ll wait here in the company till he finishes.”
Richard relayed the message.
There was a pause.
A long one.
Then the call ended.
Richard lowered his phone slowly. “He… didn’t say anything else, ma’am. He ended the call.”
Something inside me sank.
I forced a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Thank you, Richard. You may go.”
He hesitated, clearly uncomfortable, then nodded and left.
The office grew quieter by the minute.
Voices faded.
Footsteps thinned.
Lights shut off section by section.
At some point, exhaustion overtook me.
I must have dozed off at my desk, because when I opened my eyes again, the floor was nearly empty. Only a few distant lights remained.
It was late.
He wasn’t coming.
I swallowed hard, standing slowly. I slipped the autopsy report back into its envelope and locked it inside my drawer.
I gathered my bag, straightened my dress, and headed toward the door.
That was when I saw him.
Elias stood near the entrance, just stepping inside.
He wasn’t in his suit.
He wore a fitted casual blouse that clung to his broad shoulders and tapered waist, joggers tracing the solid strength of his thighs. He looked like someone who had already gone home.
And that realization struck hard.
He hadn’t planned to meet me here.
So why was he here now?
Our eyes met.
My heart slammed painfully against my ribs as we stared at each other, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down between us.
- Writer
