Chapter 0071

Ryder

The sight of the bubbling city through the slick glass walls of my office did nothing to improve my mood.

Had my gifts upset her so much? The sight of the flowers on the floor had broken my heart the minute I saw them. She used to love them.

“I need to show her how much she means to me. I need to prove it,” I said aloud, my hand reaching for my neck.

I caressed the empty space where my locket had stayed for years. I felt different, incomplete even, walking around without it.

I had always thought I would give the locket to Alim when he was much older. But after last night, I knew losing Sarah again would be the death of me and I wanted her to have something of mine that was symbolic to my heart.

Memories of her lying beside me in our bed, after a wild lovemaking. Her fingers trailing lightly over the locket hanging from my neck flooded my mind.

"Why do you always wear this?" she asked, her voice a soft purr against my ear as her fingers lazily grazed my skin.

She was beautiful,