I glance around the room nervously, at anywhere but him. I don’t think I will be able to keep the truth from him if he ever looks me in the eyes again.
Owen must have sensed my anxiety because he speaks up. “You can take the dress inside that box in the living room. I don’t know if they got your size right, but I’m sure it’s close.”
Oh. So he thinks I’m anxious about my dress. That’s good, I guess.
Still keeping my gaze away from the man in the bed, I head to the living room and find a box that was not there earlier. Inside is a simple long dress and coat. No underwear, though, I remark to myself.
“So, how can I contact you?”
I jump back. Think fast, I say in my head.
“Do you have a number or email that you can give me?” Owen inquires again.
I mumble the old email address that doesn’t have my name in it. Thank goodness I list down all my passwords. I can easily recover that account.
Fast as I can, I get dressed and out of his suite. But as soon as I close the door, a gnawing feeling fills my chest. I want nothing more than to spend the night with Owen. And I have never felt that about anyone before.
Chapter Twelve - Owen
After taking the much-needed break that Calvin suggested and a good night’s sleep, I feel so much more relaxed. So now I’m turning all my attention to finding Myah.
My ex-wife has finally returned to New York, so I can check their house. Since it’s technically still my property, it should have been the first place I visited. After all, I am the one who paid for it, and it will be transferred to my daughter’s name in time. But Laura has changed all the locks and threatened to call the police if I ever try to break in. It doesn’t scare me at all, but Calvin explained that we don’t want any more problems than we are already dealing with and that I shouldn’t be doing anything that can directly affect Myah. Sadly, he is right. So I have to play nice for now.
“General, remember not to let Laura get into your head again,” my assistant reminds me one more time. He has always been the most level-headed person among us three. I nod at him before ringing the doorbell.
We wait for a minute, and then I ring it again. No answer. I feel my patience ebbing, and I buzz longer. I know the bitch is here because her car is parked outside, and we checked with the neighbors. My men also learned the exact details of her flight. But where the hell is that damned woman!
“Should I check the back?” Andrew chimes in.
My assistants are already in tune with my emotions, so they step up before my anger gets out of control. I say yes and wait again. I’m losing more of my cool as seconds pass, but I don’t want to have an outburst here — where all the lovely, nosy neighbors can see me. They have been helpful, but I know they don’t fully trust me — the estranged father who left his daughter because he loved his work more. That’s the image that Laura has painted for everyone to see. And fuck her because if I had been able to take custody of Myah before, we would not be in this situation at all!
Andrew returns and motions for us to follow him to the backyard. There is a low fence here, so we can already spot Laura lounging on a chair near the pool. I paid for all these luxuries so Myah could have everything she could ever want — my Myah, who is still missing. However, I’m beginning to realize that my daughter may not be the one who uses these things. Instead, it’s Laura, her mother, who suns in her backyard with no care in the world. And it takes all of my resolve not to shout at her or punch somebody or something. Why did I ever think that this hateful woman could be a great wife and mother?
“Laura?”
My ex doesn’t budge, pretending she doesn’t notice us. I know she did because she has changed position to give us a perfect view of her tanned complexion and her still fuckable body. She craves everyone’s attention, so she flaunts herself to get it like she always has. Unfortunately for her, we want nothing to do with her. We only need access to the house and Myah’s belongings.
“Laura,” I call out again, but with a hint of the boiling anger inside me. She sighs dramatically before finally looking at us, her eyebrows raised.
I clench my fists and count to ten.
Calvin answers for me and explains that we need to get inside. Laura rolls her eyes before getting up and crossing inside the house. We return to the front, where she begrudgingly lets us in. Then she turns to go back to the yard, but I grab her arm before she can.