My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 645

The driver climbed into the car and shut the door. “Mr. Gomez, Ms. Austin, they’ve left.”

Isabella Austin leaned forward anxiously, peering out the front window toward the gated entrance. “Are you sure they’re really gone? Maybe it’s just a trick. They could circle back at any moment.”

The driver hesitated, weighing her words. “Would you like me to wait a little while longer, just to be safe?”

Before Benjamin Gomez could reply, Isabella cut in, “Let’s wait. I want to be absolutely certain that car is really gone before we do anything.”

The driver didn’t answer, instead glancing at Benjamin for direction.

Benjamin crossed his long legs and spoke in an even tone. “Let’s do as she says.”

The driver nodded. “Understood.”

Isabella bit her lip, inching closer to Benjamin, her voice soft and uncertain. “Benjamin, do you have any idea who might be following us?”

He turned to look at her. “I’m not sure. I’ll need to investigate.”

Nervousness flickered in Isabella’s eyes as she shrank back into her seat. “Benjamin, maybe… maybe we shouldn’t see each other for a while…”

Her anxiety was genuine. The fear of being discovered felt suffocating.

She gripped Benjamin’s wrist, her voice pleading. “See? Every time we meet, someone tails us. Perhaps we should lay low for a few days. Just until things calm down.”

Benjamin’s eyes darkened as he studied her, his voice low and edged. “You’re really that afraid of being found out?”

Her heart skipped. She held onto his hand with both of hers, trying to reassure him—and herself. “It’s not just for me, Benjamin. It’s for both of us. If we’re discovered, it’ll be bad for you, too.”

He gazed at her in the dim light of the car, his amber eyes shining with a strange softness that almost made her believe he agreed.

A hopeful smile tugged at her lips, but Benjamin quickly shattered it. “No. That’s not going to happen.”

Isabella’s face froze, the color draining from her cheeks.

He flipped her hand in his, interlacing their fingers, his grip firm. “Isabella, you’re the only one worried about being found out. I’m not. I don’t care about the consequences.”

He gave a low, almost amused laugh. “To be honest, I wish we were caught. I’d love for Andrew Lane to know what’s really going on between us.”

Isabella’s face went pale. “Benjamin, what’s gotten into you? You used to listen to me—always.”

He stared at her for a long moment, then let out a short, humorless laugh. “Isabella, I did listen to you. For years. And what did that get me?”

“You ran back to Andrew Lane, married him, had his child. So where did that leave me?”

He suddenly reached out, gripping her chin between his fingers. “Isabella, this time, you’re the one who needs to listen to me.”

She stared at him, stunned, her confusion plain.

Benjamin let go, his hand gentling as he stroked her cheek. “Enough. I’ll have someone look into that car, all right? Stop worrying, you’re pale as a ghost.”

Isabella looked at the man before her and felt as if she’d never known him at all.

He used to do whatever she asked. Now, he was a complete stranger.

“…Okay.”

She withdrew her hand from his, and a shadow crossed Benjamin’s eyes.

Emily Blair’s tone was cool. “Yes. It’s summer break—take your kids, get away for a while. Come back in a couple of months.”

He stared at her in shock, then suddenly looked around, body tense, suspicion etched on his face.

“This isn’t a vacation, is it? You’re trying to get me out of the country—and then get rid of me!” He hugged his arms across his chest, voice rising. “That’s why you drove us out to a place like this, in the middle of nowhere. You want to tie up loose ends. You even want to hurt my son!”

“Shut it.”

Emily finished texting her driver, clicking her tongue in annoyance. “What do you think this is, a crime thriller?”

A flash of embarrassment crossed his features. “Art imitates life. You can never be too careful.”

She’d driven here for a reason: there were no cameras, and it made handling things easier.

She already guessed her tailing had caught Benjamin Gomez and Isabella Austin’s attention, so she’d left for a more discreet location.

Emily got straight to the point. “Show me your payment app.”

He hesitated, slowly handing over his phone. Emily scanned the code, tapped a few times, and handed it back.

“Take a look.”

The man’s eyes widened at the figure on the screen. “You—you actually—this is—”

“Is it enough?” Emily put away her own phone. “If you’re satisfied, come with me. I’ll have someone drive you home later. Leave this car here; I’ll look after it while you’re away. Take your family on vacation. The money is compensation for your trouble.”

Staring at the hefty sum, he no longer dared protest, and obediently followed Emily to another car that had somehow appeared nearby.