His Heart Knew Before He Did novel Chapter 10

When she was eight, her uncle fought through immense pressure to bring her home from the orphanage.

Since then, she lived a life walking on eggshells under someone else's roof.

Gerald was a weak man, but he fought Audrey endlessly to protect Lydia.

He gave her the absolute best he could within his limited power.

Even if, most of the time, he was helpless against Audrey's tyrannical grip...

A knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. It was the motel receptionist.

The receptionist handed her a takeout bag.

"Ms. Lockwood, your food."

"I didn't order this." Even though she actually was starving.

"Someone asked me to bring it up."

"Who?"

"There's a note inside. You'll see."

Lydia took the bag and pulled out a sticky note.

A short sentence was scribbled across it.

[Eat well, sleep well.]

Her eyes dropped to the bold, sweeping signature at the bottom.

[The Small-Town Nobody]

Lydia stared at the note, overwhelmed by a sudden rush of conflicting emotions.

Regardless, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

……

Early the next morning, her uncle called, asking her to come home for lunch.

She didn't refuse.

Fiona rarely visited, and no matter how much they hated each other, Lydia owed her uncle that much respect.

As she hung up, a message popped up on her phone.

[Come downstairs. We need to talk.]

It was Xavier.

Simon was about to say more, but he noticed the oversized men's jacket draped over Lydia. His gaze shifted, landing on a formidable, grim-faced man glaring at him with icy hostility.

"Lydia, who is this?"

Before Lydia could explain, Simon's phone rang.

He checked the caller ID, a soft, loving smile spreading across his face, and answered the call right in front of her.

"Chloe... Yeah... I'm heading back to the city today... I know... I miss you too... Be a good girl... Wait for me..."

His gentle expression and sweet, doting tone were like rusted nails driving violently into Lydia's heart.

Once upon a time, Simon used to stroke her hair and say he missed her. He used to hold her when she cried, whispering that he would always be by her side.

But in just a few short months, he was about to marry another woman and become someone else's husband...

"Sorry, I had to take that." Simon gave a polite, elegant smile and looked back at her. "Lydia, who is this gentleman?"

A hurricane of emotions ripped through Lydia, and for once, she lost all her composure.

An incredibly childish, reckless impulse hijacked her brain.

She suddenly hooked her arm through Xavier's and flashed Simon a radiant smile.

"He's my boyfriend."