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Chapter 93
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His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 94
"Are you sure about that, Bernice?" Liam's voice showed an underlined concern-a pause that managed to cross lines into Bernice's ears.She took a deep breath then, her fingers curling into the edge of her desk as if taking strength from its solid surface. "No," she whispered. "But I also can't keep running from my past, Liam. Sooner or later I need to face it, and… I'd rather do it now, with a plan in place."On the other end was Liam, who sighed, "You do know it's gonna get tough now, right? More with Rafael, too. You left everything behind, and now going back. that's just a lot you're asking of yourself.”"I know," Bernice replied softly, her eyes fixed on the wan reflection staring back from the window. Weary she appeared, yet with something in her eyes now that she hadn't glimpsed for many years. "But Alexander will be there. And… so will you. I won't be alone this time.""Exactly," Liam's voice was firmer now, just with a bit of warmth of an old friend that had been through thic
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 95
"Do you even hear yourself, Olivia?" Ethan suddenly exploded into the silent room, as a shade of bitter venom crept into his voice.Olivia barely looked up from her phone onto which she was typing away with consummate ease. "Oh, don't be melodramatic, Ethan," she said nonchalantly, eyes fixed upon the screen. "Everything is under control."Ethan's jaw hardened. "Under control?" he repeated. Incredulous. "You just hired someone to… to murder, Olivia. In cold blood. When did you become capable of such things?"She finally looked up, her gaze cool, impassive. "When did you become so squeamish? They were nothing more than loose ends, Ethan. We can't afford to let anyone start talking, especially about us.”Ethan ran an angry hand through his hair, every action speaking volumes of his guilt and blame. "You're not the same person anymore. The Olivia I married-she would have never gone this far. Kidnapping, now murder… How much more are you going to do?”Olivia leaned back, crossing her arms
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 96
"Find her, no matter the cost," Rafael said. Uncharacteristically tense, he leaned forward, fingers drumming on his desk. "I need to see her.”Wirely, eyes like knives, the only incline to his head was made as he adjusted the stack of files held in his hand. "Finding someone in a city this size laying low's gonna take some time," he ventured cautiously. "But with good resources, I should be able to hack something out.”Rafael nodded, frustration mingling with urgency crossing his features. "I don't care what it takes, I need to speak with her-clear things that… were never settled."The investigator raised one eyebrow, a knowing light in his eyes. "It's been a long time since the… separation, hasn't it?“Years," Rafael said, his eyes clouding, almost haunted. "But that doesn't change what I am to do. At the time, I thought I was right… that she had betrayed me." He broke off, taking a deep breath as if exhaling the weight of all those years. "Yet something doesn't fit. I cannot shake t
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 97
"Ready for this?" Alexander asked, his voice slicing through the silence in the car. His eyes remained on the road, turning occasionally to glance at Bernice.Bernice blew out a breath and watched as the Italian countryside whizzed by them. The flutter of nerves felt like fingers closing in on her chest. "As ready as I'll ever be," she returned, though little conviction was laced in her tone. "It's just…I haven't seen Rafael in years, and the last time we were face-to-face…Alexander leant forward, his hand reassuring her. "Hey, this isn't the past we're revisiting. This is business. And you have every right to be here, Bernice. You're stronger than this."She nodded, taking some comfort in his being alongside her. Alexander's nature over the years had always been steady and sure-mostly in light of everything Rafael and their history had brought about, of course. Yet here now, amidst Rome, even having Alexander at her side, the notion of standing before Rafael again gave her the sens
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 98
"Alexander," Detective Marcus' voice came crisp across the line, the early morning tension thick in his tone. "We've finally got a lead."Alexander rubbed the last vestiges of sleep from his eyes as he sat up, full alert. "You mean the lead on the intruder who got into the station?”"That's right," Marcus replied. "We're going to make a move to catch him off guard tonight. I'll keep you posted.""Good," Alexander said, the voice cold. "Make sure everything is airtight. I don't want him slipping away like last time."Marcus reassured him, "We've doubled up on security this time. He won't get away."Alexander replaced the receiver, and in what felt to him like a very long moment, he just stared at his telephone. That was satisfying. But it was modulated by an irritating thread of unease still managing to lurk inside him. For the first time in months, the threat came closer toward the justice Alexander had been seeking.Next door Bernice was on, and Clara checked on the twins. Casually,
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 99
"Shall we proceed, then?" Alexander's cool voice rumbled with authority across the table, his glance sweeping the room.Rafael nodded curtly, shifted in his seat. "Of course, Mr. Cole. We're eager to hear more about this proposal."As was typical, Bernice was as cool as ice next to Alexander. She spread the papers in front of her, her hands sure as she began to outline their business plan. Ethan shifted uneasily into his seat, the tension in his body plain to see; his eyes danced between Alexander and Bernice as though he felt their presence to be some sort of imposition."The plan is simple," Bernice began, her voice even and professional, though her eyes seemed to dart to Rafael's as if watching for his reaction. "Our purpose is to align our companies in such a way that will be profitable to both of us while tapping into the European market, which-as you quite know-is very competitive.”Rafael's gaze had settled on her and for a brief moment, wordless acknowledgement flashed in his
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 100
Bernice shut the door of her hotel room, feeling this weird mix of triumph and something unsettling, like a ghost she thought she'd long since buried was whispering just behind her. She took a deep breath, leaning her head back against the door, replaying the events of the day in her mind-the meeting, Rafael's silent, searching gaze, and the way she had remained poised and unwavering. She'd hardly let herself look at him, hardly allow him to register as more than another face across the table.But of course, it wasn't that simple.She muttered to herself, as though the silence could be broken by firm resolve. "It doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters."But she knew it wasn't quite true. She could still remember the incredulous look that had crossed his face that night, the fire of his anger blazing in his eyes. And how he had cut her out of his life without a single question, without letting her explain what had happened. She didn't know today how that stranger had been in her
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 101
"Rafael has agreed to the deal," Gabriel began, his voice cool, even, as he spoke to Alexander and then Bernice in the silence of the posh restaurant's private room. The next words to leave his lips, though, were laced with the weight of a complication neither could easily disregard. "On one condition—he wants to work directly with you, Bernice."Alexander's eyes narrowed and his hand tightened around the edge of the table. "Of course he does," he muttered, speaking low enough that his frustration did not escape.She sat silent, composed, her face unreadable. She had expected this move from Rafael; it was just the kind of strategic play she had anticipated. Rafael didn't want a simple business arrangement; he wanted an opportunity to draw her back into his orbit, to see if he could unsettle her."Is that all right with you, Ms. Bernice?" Gabriel asked as if he hadn't seen the clenching of Alexander's jaw or the way Bernice's fingers rested tautly upon her thighs.Alexander turned a s
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His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 108
Bernice grasped the wheel as if to hold it for dear life, the minute she pulled into Rafael's office parking lot. Today was supposed to be routine-quick, business-focused, in and out. Yet, for some reason, that old tension that always hung in the air where Rafael was concerned seemed to ratchet a notch higher today. She steeled herself and exhaled in an attempt to keep her cool through whatever new turn this meeting might take.She entered the office, heel to toe, clicking softly on shining marble floors, and prepared herself by silent rehearsals for yet another strained-for-civility professional encounter. But as she went into Rafael's office, what greeted her was not the now-familiar figure behind the large desk but the large, empty room: the leather chairs there, the mahogany desk stood as it ought. But without Rafael's presence, the room sounded silently unread, unfinished.Frowning around. Where was he? So engrossed in steeled words and curbed emotions, she was quite caught of
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 107
"Why are you being so hard, it doesn't have to be this way," Rafael was saying in a low tone as he relaxed back into his chair, the intensity pulling at her stomach. "We've shared… a lot more than just business, haven't we?"She met his gaze steadily, hiding the frustration bubbling just below the surface. "Rafael, please," she said calmly. "Why don't you get it and just stop making this harder than it already is."He huffed, his head tilting as if he was studying her. "You make it sound so cold. I'd hoped…” He let the silence hang a little too long."I'd hoped we might find a way back, somehow. Clear the air. If not now, then perhaps… over dinner?""I don't think that's such a good idea. I'd rather keep things professional," Bernice shot back.“Professional,” he repeated, a bite to his words as he leant forward almost scoffing. "Is that really the way you want to play this?"Bernice's fingers closed over the edge of the table. "It's how it needs to be, Rafael. You made your choices.
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 106
Alexander's head had whipped toward the hall the instant Ethan's cell phone had buzzed on the coffee table."Ah, I need to take this," Ethan muttered, snatching up his phone and moving toward the door. He turned back to Alexander, his brow furrowing briefly with suspicion. "Be right back."Take your time, Alexander said with a wave of his hand, even as he settled back into the couch in that same nod of the head, waited for the door to click shut behind Ethan before springing up himself in one swift second, his expression going from one of relaxation to one of focus in that same swift second.Here it was.Alexander padded down the narrow hall, his eyes flashing to either side into the rooms on both sides. Light of foot and keen-eyed, scanning for any sign that might hint at where the burner phone was. It would not be out in the open; Ethan was too careful for that. But a man could get sloppy when he thought he was safe, and Alexander had no intention of leaving without a closer look.
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 105
"Alexander, I have an update," Detective Marcus said, the sound of his voice crackling through the phone, the seriusness of his tone a prologue to the weight of the news he was about to deliver. "We figured out the phone used to contact the kidnappers."Alexander's hand tightened on the phone as he traversed the expanse of his study. "And?""It was a burner phone. Disposable. Untraceable beyond the initial purchase, but enough to confirm someone's trying hard to cover their tracks."Alexander exhaled low and narrowed his eyes. "So Ethan and Olivia think they can outsmart us. It only makes me sure they're hiding something."For a couple of seconds, Marcus didn't say another word, his voice low. "Be careful, Alexander. If they are in this, they are playing with fire already."Alexander's jaw clenched. "I know that, and that's just what makes me have to keep pushing. Thanks for the update, Marcus."As Alexander tucked the phone back into his pocket, he hung up the call. New determinatio
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 104
"Ethan," Alexander said, his tone silky, deliberate, as he sat down opposite him, easing his body into the leather chair with a casualness that didn't quite fit the discussion about to take place. "We don't get to sit down like this often. Thought it'd be nice to… change that."Ethan's eyes fluttered, shoulders guarded. "I didn't realize you were interested in spending time… outside of business."Alexander hunched his head forward and loosed a low husky laugh; the sound broke up in a relaxed clap of hands. "Business, business," he muttered wryly, flashing Ethan a sly smile. "Seems that's all I ever talk about these days. I figured you'd understand-the need to unwind a little."Ethan nodded shortly, eyes narrowed at Alexander guardedly. "I don't have many people I. trust, to put it mildly.”Alexander lifted an eyebrow; his face slackened just enough to show empathy. "Oh, I get that. I've heard enough about Rafael's dynamic relationships to understand loyalty is hard to come by around h
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 103
"Business, Rafael," Bernice's voice cut, keen as a knife, as she looked up from the table, her eyes like steel. "That's what we are here to discuss-the partnership. Nothing else."Rafael leaned back in his chair, one corner of his mouth tugging upwards in a smirk as his eyes lingered on her. "Oh, but Bernice," he said innocently, "you make it sound so. impersonal. We have history. Surely that entitles us to a bit of friendly conversation?"She didn't bat an eyelid. "This is a business meeting, not a reunion.”Rafael's head leaned in, but that smirk never faltered. "You always did know how to cut straight to the point." A soft clearing of a chuckle emitted from him at the rhythmic tap of his fingers against the table. "Can't deny that's something I missed about you."She bit back, choking down her urge to roll her eyes as her gaze fell onto the stack of documents in front of her. She was ready for this, knew all of Rafael's games. It didn't make a difference to being incensed over it.
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 102
"Tell me, Bernice," Rafael's tone was indolent, but his eyes flashed with something darker as he leaned back in his chair, never once looking away from her. "Are you really ready to work with me?"Bernice met his gaze, her eyes unflinching. "That depends. Are you?"A smirk played on his lips, his eyes masking their true expression. "You were always… amusing. I've missed that about you."She cocked her head to one side, undisturbed by his words. "I don't miss anything about you, Rafael."He chuckled low in his throat. "We'll see about that."Alexander stood across the room, his jaw clenched, while this all transpired. Every time Rafael so much as looked in Bernice's direction, his entire being bristled. He hadn't wanted her to agree to this, and every second she spent in Rafael's presence felt to him a willful and calculated attack on his own resolve.Bernice sailed through the conference in detached grace, her voice flat and professional, her face a mask of resolve. When Rafael ventur
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 101
"Rafael has agreed to the deal," Gabriel began, his voice cool, even, as he spoke to Alexander and then Bernice in the silence of the posh restaurant's private room. The next words to leave his lips, though, were laced with the weight of a complication neither could easily disregard. "On one condition—he wants to work directly with you, Bernice."Alexander's eyes narrowed and his hand tightened around the edge of the table. "Of course he does," he muttered, speaking low enough that his frustration did not escape.She sat silent, composed, her face unreadable. She had expected this move from Rafael; it was just the kind of strategic play she had anticipated. Rafael didn't want a simple business arrangement; he wanted an opportunity to draw her back into his orbit, to see if he could unsettle her."Is that all right with you, Ms. Bernice?" Gabriel asked as if he hadn't seen the clenching of Alexander's jaw or the way Bernice's fingers rested tautly upon her thighs.Alexander turned a s
His uncle's sweetheart Chapter 100
Bernice shut the door of her hotel room, feeling this weird mix of triumph and something unsettling, like a ghost she thought she'd long since buried was whispering just behind her. She took a deep breath, leaning her head back against the door, replaying the events of the day in her mind-the meeting, Rafael's silent, searching gaze, and the way she had remained poised and unwavering. She'd hardly let herself look at him, hardly allow him to register as more than another face across the table.But of course, it wasn't that simple.She muttered to herself, as though the silence could be broken by firm resolve. "It doesn't matter anymore. None of it matters."But she knew it wasn't quite true. She could still remember the incredulous look that had crossed his face that night, the fire of his anger blazing in his eyes. And how he had cut her out of his life without a single question, without letting her explain what had happened. She didn't know today how that stranger had been in her
