From His Wife to His Uncle's Wife novel Chapter 168

After five calls with no answer, Max finally started to worry. He scrolled through his messages with Eleanor. The last one was from her, saying she had to work late.

Without hesitating, Max grabbed his jacket and headed straight for the parking garage. He barely paid attention to the speedometer as he drove back to the company, cutting through the quiet night. This time, he didn't even bother with his own office. He went straight to the research building.

The elevator was dark and out of order. Max rapped on the security office door. "What happened to the elevator?"

The guard recognized him and nearly jumped out of his chair. "Mr. Clarkson, the elevator broke down around six. The repair guys had already left for the day, so it'll have to wait till tomorrow. Anyone working overtime tonight had to take the stairs."

Max didn't waste another second. He headed straight for the stairwell.

On the fifth floor, he pushed open the door and found the hallway pitch black except for a thin line of light way down at the end. He walked closer and saw her through the glass window, curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.

His heart clenched. He tried the door, but something was jammed in the lock. A broken piece of a key stuck out from the keyhole.

Max’s expression turned icy. Was Billy not paying attention at all? How many times had stuff like this happened in the R&D department?

He found a toolbox and worked the broken key out of the lock. But when he tried the handle, the door still wouldn’t budge. It was locked from the inside. Max knocked on the window.

Eleanor, in the middle of a dream, woke up with a jolt. She heard the knocking, blinked herself awake, and saw Max standing outside. For a second, she just stared. Why was Max here?

She walked over and tried the door. This time, it opened.

“Mr. Clarkson?”

Max looked at her, concern creasing his brow. “Are you alright?”

Eleanor shook her head, still a little dazed. “I don’t know what happened. The door just wouldn’t open. Did you get someone to fix it?”

She glanced down and noticed the toolbox at his feet. So it was Max who fixed it himself.

Max’s eyes darkened. He bent down, slipped one arm around her back and the other under her knees. “Sorry, but this will be faster.”

Eleanor was caught off guard and instinctively clung to his neck. They were so close she could hear the strong, steady thump of his heart.

In the dark staircase, her cheeks burned. She felt something inside her flare, hot and intense, impossible to ignore.

Max carried her all the way out of the building. The sleepy security guard blinked as they passed.

Something just zipped by... If he hadn’t been half-asleep, he might’ve caught a glimpse of Max’s face.

Max settled Eleanor gently into the car, then leaned against the door and made a call.

“Check the security cameras on the fifth floor of the research building.”