The Paper Wife’s Empire novel Chapter 21

The image hadn’t even finished loading before his phone rang.

It was Brianna. As soon as Jotham answered, he was met with the sound of her crying.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

A knot formed in his chest; he could hear the urgency in his own voice.

But no matter how many times he asked, Brianna only sobbed, refusing to say a word.

Frustrated and worried, Jotham tried again. “Where are you? Are you at home? I’ll come find you, okay?”

But he didn’t even finish before the call was abruptly cut off.

Panic surged through him. He didn’t care that the dinner with clients wasn’t over—he gave his assistant a rushed explanation, apologized to the clients, and left in a hurry.

The thought that something might have happened to Brianna made his whole body go cold, like his soul was about to be yanked out of him.

Thankfully, Jotham rarely drank at these events, so he was able to drive. As he sped through the city, he called Brianna again and again.

It took several tries before someone finally picked up.

“Brianna, what’s going on—”

“I’m not Brianna, it’s Jennifer. You need to get to Quartz Bar. She’s had way too much to drink.”

Jennifer was Brianna’s close friend and owned Quartz Bar in Havencrest City. Back when Jotham was pursuing Brianna, the two would often meet in secret at Jennifer’s place to avoid being seen.

“I’m on my way!”

He hung up and drove straight to the bar, barely caring about the speed limits. In less than fifteen minutes, he arrived.

Inside one of the private rooms, Brianna was collapsed against Jennifer, looking utterly wrecked and still demanding more drinks.

Empty bottles were scattered all over the table. She’d clearly had more than enough.

“Brianna, what are you—”

Jotham stood frozen at the doorway, shock and heartbreak warring inside him. He’d been with Brianna for years, and she never touched a drop of alcohol. She’d always been so careful with her health.

“Jotham, don’t you think you’ve gone too far?” Jennifer snapped, her expression icy as soon as she saw him. “You know how much Brianna’s given up for you. And now, just because of that woman, you’re going to break your promise?”

She held Brianna close, blocking Jotham from coming any nearer.

“Jennifer, what are you talking about? How have I broken my promise?”

He was bone-tired, and seeing Brianna like this only made everything worse. The last thing he needed was Jennifer’s accusations.

“See for yourself.” Jennifer tossed her phone onto the table in front of him.

On the screen were her chat logs with Brianna.

“Come on, stop it. I’m really exhausted, Brianna.”

She didn’t answer. For a moment, her shoulders shook—she was crying again.

Seeing her like this was agony, like needles stabbing into his heart.

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault.”

He pulled her into his arms from behind. No matter how much she struggled, he didn’t let go.

“Things have been a mess at work. We’ve lost a lot of money, and my family’s been at each other’s throats. I haven’t had the energy to take care of you.”

“There’s nothing between me and Ramona. She’s just been difficult at work, so I tried to calm her down, that’s all.”

His explanation seemed to reach her. Brianna stopped resisting, sitting quietly as he spoke.

“You know Ramona is useful to us. If she gets suspicious, it won’t help either of us. Is your trust in me really that fragile?”

He sighed, his voice tinged with bitterness.

“I just… I’m scared,” Brianna whispered, her voice raspy and thick with tears. “I’m scared that after all these years, you’ve changed.”

Jotham gently turned her to face him. She smelled strongly of alcohol, her cheeks streaked with tears. She looked utterly broken.