Chapter 30 Shifting Ground
Finished
Chase was a doctor. He rarely smoked. But every now and then, when his mind was a mess, he’d light one or two to ease it.
Tonight, there were no cigarettes. Just the silence, and a loneliness that settled in like fog.
If he didn’t get what Wendy was doing by now, he’d really be an idiot.
She wanted to get back together. She wanted to fix things, to make it right. She’d been putting in real effort, making changes. Trying to win him back.
And Chase… he wasn’t made of stone. He had started to waver.
But Henry–Henry was still a thorn in his side. Always there, always a shadow.
Chase let out a long breath.
If that’s how things were now, he’d just take it day by day.
And if he was right, then the one chasing now… was Wendy.
So the one with something to worry about… was Henry.
Sure enough, Stella was sent overseas. She cried, begged, made a scene, but it didn’t matter. Wendy had made up her mind this time. She even had people escort her onto the plane.
“Stella’s gone?” Wendy asked as she signed the last of the documents and closed the folder.
Sam nodded. “She put up a real fight. Swore she wasn’t getting on that plane. But she called Mr. Henry before boarding, asked him to talk you into letting her stay. I don’t know what he said to her, but she suddenly gave in. Hung up the phone and walked straight to the gate.”
Wendy paused, clearly surprised.
“Is Henry home? Tell Finn to send me the call recording.”
“He’s not. Lately, he’s been out all day with Joy. They don’t come back till late afternoon.”
Out all day with Joy?
Wendy narrowed her eyes.
“Have someone look into what Henry’s been doing. And that woman he married–Cory, was it? Find out where she’s been. If we can track her down, we’ll know what the Harrison family’s really hiding.”
“On it.”
Sam could tell Wendy was in a good mood, so she didn’t rush to leave.
126 PM
Chapter 30 Shifting Ground
the gown
and tux,
send them to the office. We’ll head over together.”
Finished
“Yes, ma’am.”
Wyvern Group was one of the few state–backed chemical product giants in the business world. Their chairman and his wife had started the company from nothing, building it from the ground. up. Fifty years later, they were still together.
Back when she was still with Henry, they’d attended the wife’s birthday banquet. Wendy had been touched by the couple’s story, how they’d been together through it all. She even told Henry she wanted something just like that–growing old together.
Things changed. Either the person beside them changed, or their heart did.
She opened a drawer and stared down at the diamond necklace inside.
It was a birthday gift from Henry, their second year together. She’d treasured it for a long time.
She used to wear it, up until a couple years into the marriage. That’s when Chase gave her at necklace too. She didn’t wear Chase’s, but she took off Henry’s. That was her way of staying loyal to her marriage.
It was what she’d been taught–loyalty, no matter what.
But now? Now it wasn’t about obligation anymore.
She loved Chase.
And not because she had to. Not because she was supposed to. Because she really did.
She pressed a button on the office phone.
“Have someone order a pair of rings. Use mine and Chase’s measurements.”
The Wyvern Group banquet was being held at Rose Manor–a venue so exclusive that Quinn Group had only ever used it once, for their ten–year anniversary.
Behind the massive iron gates bloomed a sea of roses, so dense you could smell them from the road. Every shade imaginable, blooming wild and full. They were famous for their wine, too–no average customer could book this place.
That’s the kind of influence Wyvern Group had.
On the day of the banquet, Chase only had one surgery. He was in a good mood. Lately, he’d been feeling Wendy’s attention in ways he hadn’t for years. And honestly? He was kind of glad he hadn’t
gone through with leaving.
Blanc was finishing up rounds with their attending. On his way out, he passed Chase’s office–just in time to see him grinning at his phone.
“Hey, someone’s in a good mood. A few days ago you looked like someone kicked your dog. I
Chapter 30 Shifting Ground
Blanc plopped into the chair across from him without waiting for an invitation.
Finished
Chase had just finished replying to Wendy’s message. He set the phone down and spun his pen between his fingers.
“It’s been all right. How’d you feel assisting in this afternoon’s surgery?”
“Not bad. Doc was walking me through it step by step. I’m so jealous of you, man. Your hands don’t even shake. I’m gonna go practice some more later. You heading back to the dorm tonight?”
“Not tonight,”
Wendy showed up at the hospital on time. Before Chase could get out of the building, she called Henry,
It was a big day. She needed to make sure Henry didn’t show up and ruin it.
Lately, he’d been going out more and more, often taking Joy with him. If he were just meeting with the Harrison family, he wouldn’t bring a kid along. But according to Finn, every time they came back, Henry looked pissed, and Joy wasn’t in a great mood either.
Henry could fake it for Finn. But Joy was just a kid.
The past few nights, when Finn went to bring her milk, she could hear Joy arguing with Henry.
“I don’t want to see her again.”
Send Gifts
