Chapter Twenty-Eight

Weeks later, Noah found himself alone in the boardroom of one of his London hotels.

Lost in his own thoughts as he gazed out the window. Everyone else had already left the room. As he sat there, deep in thought, the door suddenly swung open, and his personal assistant, Jarrod, walked in. Noah remained unaware of Jarrod’s presence until his name was called multiple times.

“Noah.” Jarrod said again.

Noah swung around to face Jarrod, who had a frown on his face at Noah’s lack of awareness. “What is it?”

“Sorry to disturb you. Ryan Hawkins is on line two.” Jarrod told him before backing out of the boardroom.

Noah frowned. It was unlike Ryan to chase him down when he was in another country away for work. Reaching across the table, Noah lifted the phone sitting there on the boardroom table. Punching line two to answer the call. Bringing the handset to his ear. “Hi.”

“Noah, thanks for taking my call, mate.” Ryan sounded relieved.

“I left my mobile with reception. I just wrapped up a meeting. What is it?”

“Noah, it’s William Harrington.” Then the line went quiet for a moment before his friend said. “He passed away less than an hour ago.”

Noah felt a pang of guilt. He hadn’t ended things well with William. Noah had liked the man well enough, but was still angry over the forced marriage to April. Even though he had understood William’s desire to protect his daughter. He just wished his last meeting with William hadn’t been the way it was.

He had to tread carefully with April. Now he knew she wasn’t to blame for their marriage years ago. She had been the innocent child he had always thought her to be.

“I’ll fly home as soon as I can get a flight.” Noah buzzed to let Jarrod know to come back into the room.

“I’m sure April would send the Harrington private jet if you didn’t want to wait for a flight.” Ryan said in reply.

Jarrod opened the door of the boardroom and walked in, iPad in hand. “I wouldn’t ask. I will just ask Jarrod to book the next available flight for me back home.” It was said to Ryan as much as Jarrod.

Noah saw Jarrod understood as he nodded and went to work on his iPad. Noah was sure to book the needed flights. He then let Ryan and Jarrod know. “I’ll get him to stay and tie up any loose ends here.” Someone needed to stay, and he trusted Jarrod. 

Jarrod held up a thumb. 

“Ok, if you’re sure.” Ryan said before adding. “I’m here if you need me. Tally has already left for the hospital to be there for April.”

Noah knew he should have been there. He would never stay married to April, but right now he was her husband. He had taken this trip to get away from the country. 

Frustrated at May for not being easy to find. Hugo had rung him with no information on any woman of May’s description being treated with a cut to the hand that night. She was as slippery as an eel. He knew she was hiding something. He just needed to figure out the obstacles in his way. One thing he was very good at was solving problems. He was determined to have May in his life. 

“Noah.” Came Ryan’s voice on the phone.

“I’m here. I’m glad she has Tally. Let me know if I can do anything. There is no point in me calling April. She will not take my call.”

“Noah there something I…” Ryan stopped talking as if considering his words. “It doesn’t matter. We can talk about it later.”

Noah frowned. It was so unlike Ryan to be uncertain. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, right now, it’s not important. Get home, then we will talk.”

“Ok, I’ll talk to you soon.” Noah hung up and looked at Jarrod in question.

“I have you on a direct flight leaving in 2 hours. You better leave now.” Jarrod looked up from his iPad, then added. “Bad news?

Noah nodded. “William Harrington, my father-in-law, has died. I will need you to arrange my hotel room to be packed up. I’ll fly home as I am. There will be no time to go back to the hotel.”

“I’m sorry, Noah.” Jarrod didn’t know the entire story about his marriage. He only knew Noah didn’t live with his wife. But he was one of the few that knew he was still married. Jarrod also knew Noah had slept around. It wasn’t the first time he had caught his personal assistant giving him disapproving looks. 

Shrugging. Noah may have been in the wrong with April and he intended to let her know how sorry he was. It just wouldn’t stop the end of their marriage. 

“It’s not like it wasn’t unexpected.” Noah said, standing up and gathering his laptop and files from the boardroom table. “He has been sick for sometime.” Before leaving the boardroom to catch his flight. 

As soon as Noah’s flight landed, he headed to the Harrington estate, intending to meet with April. He waited after knocking on the front door for what seemed an eternity. Before, the door was opened by the butler. “Yes. May I help you?”

Noah smirked at the older man. He knew who Noah was. “Is April here?” Well aware she could be making arrangements for her father.

“No, Sir she isn’t.” Came the very stiff reply. Not really surprised by the answer or the way it was delivered. 

“Who is it Henry?” came a loud, arrogant voice from behind the butler

Noah watched the butler, Henry, roll his eyes at the question. Noah was even more unsurprised by the door, getting yanked out of the butler’s hand so it could be opened further. He came face to face with April’s uncle David, soon followed by his wife and their daughter Porsha. Upon seeing Noah, Porsha fluttered her eyelashes and pushed out her chest. Noah was so uninterested.

“Noah Crawford to see April.” The butler informed David Harrington reluctantly. 

“I can see that for myself, you idiot.” David shouldered the butler out of the way to fill the doorway as best as he could. “Noah, what are you doing here?”

This action made Noah frown down at David. First, for calling the butler an idiot and second for roughly pushing him away. Noah was glad when the butler caught himself before falling. Noah looked at the butler, asking before he would address David’s question. “Are you ok Henry?”

Henry looked a little surprised at Noah’s concern. But nodded saying. “Yes, sir.”

It was only then he again looked down his nose at David. “I was here to see my wife.” Noah would have thought his presence was self explanatory.

“Ex-wife,” David pointed out.

“No, Wife. There has been no divorce. I would like to know what you are doing in my wife’s home when she is not in residence? Or pushing around her staff.” Noah watched the flicker of shock in his eyes. He hadn’t realized that April hadn’t been divorced yet. Was that why he was here? To take advantage of her in a vulnerable time. 

David tried puffing out his chest almost in a carbon copy of his daughter, but this wasn’t to show Noah his assets. It was more to throw his might around. Considering Noah was eight inches taller than the other man. “Well, if she isn’t your ex-wife yet, she soon will be. I will make sure of that.”

Noah laughed at the other man. “Really? And how do you expect to do that?”

“Well, as head of this family now. I will order the lawyers to draw up the necessary paperwork.” 

Noah’s eyebrow went up at the other man’s statement. William hadn’t been wrong about David’s intent should anything happen to him. “You are not the head of this family, David.” Noah took a step towards the older man. “You see, when I married April, I made sure I found out everything I could about her family.” 

David’s eyes widened. Clearly concerned about what Noah may have found out. 

Noah nodded. The man should be worried. “I know you burned through your inheritance and have been living off William’s generosity for years. Now you are worried that the gravy train will stop unless you can control April. Let me tell you married to her or not. I will never let that happen.”

David was speechless for a second before he looked at his family. Noah could see from the look on their faces they had no clue. Well, tough shit. Part of the reason David was broke was because of his wife and daughter’s spending habits. 

“This has nothing to do with you. This is a family matter…”

Noah cut the other man off. “William trusted me to look after April and I intend to be there for her if needed. I’m telling you to pack up your things and get out of this house. I will call the police if I call the house, say in…” Noah looked down at the watch on his wrist. “thirty minutes and Henry tells me you still haven’t gone. Do I make myself clear?”

Noah didn’t wait for an answer, just turned and left.