Just Before My Wedding: Trapped By My Ruthless Boss novel Chapter 156

12:15 pm PPP.

Chapter 156

Chapter 156

KISAREL.

It rang four times, and I was already lowering the phone, certain it would go to voicemail the way my calls had gone to voicemail since our fight, when he picked up.

I had prepared myself for the usual flat tone asking me to leave a message he would not return.

For a second, I forgot how to speak.

There was silence on the line. His silence.

“Elgin?”

Another second passed.

“Arel.”

The sound of my name in his voice nearly broke me.

He sounded tired.

“Hi.”

It was a stupid thing to say.

His breath moved quietly against the receiver. “Hi.”

Neither of us knew what came after that.

I looked around the room as if the faded curtains or the envelope Oceans had left could tell me how to speak to the person who used to understand me before I finished a sentence.

“You picked up,” I tried again, stupidly.

“I am as surprised as you are.” There was a kind of pause that had never once existed between us before this. “It is late, You do not call this late unless something is wrong.”

And there it was – the awkwardness sitting in the line like it was a third person on the call. We were both aware of everything that would be left unsaid. Neither of us reached for it. It was too big and too tender, and I didn’t have the strength tonight to apologize the way it deserved.

“I know we’re not-” I stopped and started again. “I know things aren’t good between us. And I have no right to call you at midnight after everything. But this isn’t about us. It’s about Gerald, and you’re the only person who should hear it, and I couldn’t sit on it.”

There was another brief pause.

I could hear something shifting on his end that sounded like fabric, maybe. Then I heard a man’s voice say something that I couldn’t make out.

Elgin covered the phone briefly, answered him, then came back.

“What about my grandfather?”

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Chapter 156

Fign I pressed my hand far to my stomach whbour me

before he died. The last people to see him”

“And I assume that person is Nessa? He asked, and I felt the underlying tension around the name s

The frustration in his voice was so strong that I pulled the phone away from my ear

“Elgin, please.” I pressed my fingers to my temple.

“No, I’m not making trouble. I’m only stating the fact that every time something happens lately, that woman is manding beside it with an answer to it.”

“Let’s forget about the messenger and focus more on the message,” I said quickly.

He was quiet, and I took it as a cue to continue.

“Oceans.” I dropped the bombshell. “Oceans and his head of security. Reeves. They were there, Elgte. At Gerald’s, the night

before-

“What?” She let out a breathless chuckle. “That’s ridiculous.”

“No, it’s not. I saw the photos. I saw them going in, EL

There was a long pause from his end.

“Elgin?” I called. “Talk to me.”

He was still quiet. And whenever he stayed that quiet, he was one second away from making a bad decision.

“Send me the pictures, Arel.” He said finally.

“I will. But you need to listen first.”

“I’m listening.”

I knew he wasn’t.

“Nessa said the footage still needs to be verified. She’s trying to get another angle and confirm the timestamp.”

“Nessa said,” he scoffed bitterly.

“Elgin.”

“What else did Nessa say?”

J

I pressed my lips together. There was no good way to make the next part sound less terrible. “She told me not to call you tonight.”

“How much more evil is this woman? Care to tell me?” His voice rose. “She told you not to tell me who was in my grandfather’s home the night before he died? Make it make sense!”

“She thought you might act before we knew what it meant.” I tried to reason with him.

“And you agreed with her?” He asked.

“But I called you either way.” I said softly because I was getting weaker.

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Chapter La

And I should be grateful for that?”

“God, Elgin…” Frubbed my forehead, trying to steady the pressure building behind my eyes. “Just don’t do anything rash just yet. You can’t confront him about it just yet. Please.” I said,

“Non.” He breathed. “Non, non you are telling me that man, that man with his money and his lawyers and his reach into everything, was in my grandfather’s home the night before he died of nothing, of natural cauces the doctors could not even properly explain-” His voice climbed and cracked. “You are telling me this and expecting me to sit here and do nothing?”

“I told you because you deserve to know. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Thank you for deeming me deserving to know. But I am going to him.” I heard movement and rustling, and I knew he was already standing, reaching for a coat. “Tonight. Now, I will stand in front of that bastard, and I will look at his face while he tells me why he was in Grand-père’s house-

“Elgin, no.” I sat up straight. “Listen to me. You can’t just show up at Oceans Stark’s door in the middle of the night and accuse him of— you don’t have proof. You don’t have anything except that he was there. You’ll be a grieving man, alone at night, shouting at the most powerful person in this city. That’s not brave. That’s dangerous.”

“I never knew you cared enough.” He laughed, but it wasn’t even amused. “I could go ahead and die for all you

care.

“I want you alive,” I said, and it silenced him. “I’ve already lost too much,” I said, lowering my voice. “I’m not adding you to the list because you got angry and walked into the house of a man who could end you and no one would ask questions.”

“You think I’m going to storm his compound with a kitchen knife?” He kept pushing.

“I don’t think anything. Jesus, EI.” My voice frayed. “I think you’re grieving and furious, and you’re not hearing a word I say, and I’m sitting in this room alone at midnight begging you not to get yourself killed, and you keep throwing it back at me like I’m the enemy-

”

“Then give me one reason.” His voice was hard. “One real reason I should stay in this house tonight instead of getting the truth out of that man. One, Kisarel. And don’t tell me it’s tied to Nessa.”

I didn’t even know when the words left my mouth, but they did. And even though Nessa warned me not to let anyone know, I didn’t regret telling Elgin….

“Because, I am pregnant.” I finally let it out. “And my baby needs a godmother.”

The line went very silent.

“So please. Please. I cannot lose you tonight. Not tonight. I don’t have it in me.”

For a long moment, he said nothing at all.

Then, very softly, the fury gone out of him completely, he asked, “Arel. Whose is it?”

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