His uncle's sweetheart のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 71 - チャプター 80

Rafael had been pacing in and out of his study, staring at his phone. Most of the party was foggy after that guest uttered Bernice's name so off-handedly. The minute he got inside his front door, he had hooked up his phone and began searching for her on the news. An hour later, he saw it; a press conference with Bernice beside Alexander, smiling self-assuredly as they announced their new venture.His fingers involuntarily closed tighter over the phone, with her glowing face swimming amidst a storm of conflicted emotions before him, the relief that she was safe, and also the gut rage that she'd moved on without him, he couldn't shake off the bitter memories.Rafael banged his phone down onto the desk. How memories swarmed back to that moment that had broken him: the betrayal with another man, the lies she had said. He had tried to forget it all, bury it under layers of indifferences, but seeing her now, it all rushed back.He clenched his fists and his jaw and forced himself to watch

Bernice had been floating over the phone while the ringing was still on. Her pulse raced to every beat as stretched nerves were taut and her mind racing till she pressed the green button and took the phone to her ear."Yes?" she said with steely steadiness, giving barely a glimpse of anxiety coiled in her stomach.There was dead silence but for the heavy breathing on the other side. She missed a heartbeat as she clutched the phone tighter. "Who is this?" she asked, firm but laced with silent kinds of fear.Still nothing, except that ominous sound of someone breathing very seriously and slowly. A chill ran up her spine as with a sudden rush, she replaced the receiver, dropping the phone onto her desk as though it had seared her.She leaned back in her chair, setting her eyes on the phone as her mind went over all the possible reasons that could be: prankster, wrong number, something more sinister. She inhaled a deep breath to quiet the runaway heartbeat. It's nothing, she told herself

"Did I tell you how beautiful you look tonight?" Alexander was saying in that husky low voice of his, his eyes never leaving Bernice across the table set with candles.Bernice smiled; her cheeks colored. "Only about a dozen times. But I'm not complaining. It's been a while since I had an excuse to dress up."Alexander beamed, eyes shining with approval. "You should have more excuses then. I'm sure we can think of a few."She gave a low throaty laugh and shook her head. "You always know what to say, don't you?""I'm just telling the truth," he said, leaning across the table, his hand engulfing hers. His thumb stroked over her knuckles. "It's nice to see you smile like this, Bernice. It had tingled in her heart as he spoke, things that hadn't crossed for so long. she had walked this circle of pain and distrust until now; Alexander was here to take the weight off her chest. She looked where their joined hands and took a deep breath.She leaned in closer to him and whispered, "I never th

"Don't do anything stupid, Bernice." Alexander's voice was taut as a thread, cutting through the silence in the room.Bernice barely heard him. She was glued to her phone's screen. Her mind was caught in the endless loop of the video. Luca sat on a chair, blindfolded, crying. Sobs racked his lean shoulders up and down. Every word deeper and deeper in the knife to her heart. That cold, dispassionate voice then ordered her to go to an address they would be mailing only to her and warned her about one thing: the minute she called in police, Luca was dead."I have to go, Alex." Her voice came flat, emotionless, as if fear and guilt so far had managed to completely numb her."No way," Alexander said, his hand slapping down onto the table. "You go nowhere. We have to get the police involved, trace that message. We can't just walk into a trap!""Don't you understand?!*" Bernice shrieked, her voice breaking. "They'll kill him if they see any police. My baby is out there, alone and terrified,

"Bernice! Open the door!"The voice was insistent, a fist coming down in a series of pounds against the front door. Bernice jumped and her heart ran a race down to the door. She pulled it open and felt instant relief well up inside her at the sight of her cousin."Liam!" she exclaimed, flinging her arms around him. "Thank you for coming.""Of course," he said, embracing her tightly as he entered the house. "We're going to get Luca back. I promise."“Anything?" Anxiety etched its way into her tone as she led him toward the living room.“Not yet, but I've reached out to some contacts," he said. "We'll figure this out, together.Just then, Mia toddled into the room, rubbing her eyes in sleepiness. "Uncle Liam!" she squealed, running toward him."Hey, little buddy," Liam said, dropping onto his knees. "How's my favorite girl today?"The smile fell in an instant as Mia looked around. "Where's Luca?" she asked in that tiny voice that quivered a little.Bernice knelt beside her, a wave of fr