The Hide and Seek Game That Lasted a Lifetime novel Chapter 31

Chapter 3

The sharp, acrid scent of disinfectant invaded Vivian Bennett’s lungs, burning deep within her chest and settling into her very soul. The sterile hospital room felt colder than ever as she turned to face Charles, her voice trembling with a mixture of sorrow and accusation. “It was you, wasn’t it?”

Who else could have wiped away the evidence of a crime scene so quickly and thoroughly? Who else could still hold a poisonous woman like Diana so tenderly, as if she were fragile and innocent?

Charles met her eyes, his gaze dark and unreadable, a shadow flickering behind his calm exterior. Then, without a word, he reached behind him and pulled out a small, elegant gift box. Inside, nestled in velvet, was a pink diamond necklace, gleaming brilliantly under the harsh hospital lights—the very necklace he had once promised to give her on their wedding anniversary.

His hand, warm and steady, came to rest gently atop her head. “The case is closed, Vivian. Nothing’s going to change now. Your parents… they’re gone. It is what it is. You have to let it go.”

He paused, his voice softening. “From now on, we’re all each other has. Stay with me. Let me spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Please don’t fight this anymore.”

Vivian’s fingers curled around the heavy box, but all she felt was the vast emptiness inside her chest, a cold void sucking in every breath. Her mind flashed back to two years ago, when a stray cat she’d rescued was cruelly killed by a shady animal clinic. Charles had erupted in fury then, shutting the place down and forcing the vet, even with his arm in a cast, to apologize.

But now? Her parents were dead, and all Charles could say was “let it go.”

She closed her eyes tightly, swallowing hard to suppress the sob that clawed its way up her throat. “Charles Foster, I want a divorce…”

“Diana, why are you crying?”

Her voice cracked as it overlapped with Charles’s as he answered a phone call. He didn’t hear her words at all, turning sharply and rushing out of the room.

He moved so quickly that his cufflink snagged on her hair, yanking out a strand with the root still attached. He didn’t glance back.

The sting on her scalp was nothing compared to the ache that gripped her heart.

Numb and hollow, Vivian pulled the divorce settlement papers she had prepared from her drawer and followed after him.

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