My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 804

Emily Blair had been nothing but innocent in the whole Vivian Martin ordeal. Whatever Isabella Austin owed her, it was more than just a simple apology.

She looked at him and asked, “So, Mr. Lane, did you ask me out today just to apologize on her behalf?”

Andrew Lane’s voice was calm and detached. “No. This has nothing to do with her.”

He was so composed, as if even the mention of Isabella Austin didn’t stir the slightest emotion in him.

The more Emily thought about it, the stranger it seemed. But she didn’t dare ask directly—what if Andrew Lane was holding back his grief? If she poked at that wound, she’d only end up feeling guilty for making it worse.

Suddenly, Andrew changed the subject. “The white lilies at Isabella’s grave—did you leave them?”

Emily was caught off guard. “Yes. How did you know?”

“I stopped by earlier and asked the caretaker.”

“I only wanted to pay my respects, nothing more,” Emily said after a pause, her voice quiet. “Was I not supposed to go?”

Andrew turned to glance at her, his dark eyes steady on her face. “Of course you can go. Visit whenever you’d like.”

Emily’s brows drew together. Something about his tone and expression unsettled her. This wasn’t how a man who’d just lost his wife was supposed to sound.

She hesitated, then gently offered, “Try to take care of yourself. Things will get better.”

He looked at her for a moment, then gave a muted, almost inaudible affirmation.

She searched his face for any sign of emotion, but all she found was that same unreadable mask.

Silence settled over the car. Emily watched the trees recede through the window, then finally asked, “Where are we going?”

Last night, Andrew had refused to say. Now, he answered without hesitation: “Lakeview.”

She forced herself to sound light, teasing, “Mr. Lane, haven’t you been there before? It’s not that special—just a stretch of shoreline. The internet hypes it up way too much.”

But Andrew didn’t take the bait. His voice dropped, earnest and intent. “I have been there.”

“Then why go again?”

He met her gaze, his own voice dropping lower. “Some things still don’t make sense.”

Emily hesitated. “What kind of things?”

His eyes were fixed on her, and for a moment, she thought she glimpsed a shadow of pain.

“A dream,” he said quietly. “I was hoping you could help me understand it.”

The conversation had turned strange, and Emily felt her heart twist with anxiety. “What dream? Does it have something to do with me?”