Page 15 of Broken Bonds

While he speaks, I gape at him. Boy, he has been busy for the last couple of hours. It seems as if he has uncovered all our life secrets.

Well, not all, but close.

“The thing is, we also have evidence those same weekends Lionel was with you, he was also in the mountains, his phone records are clear. We have been able to access them even though his phone disappeared, and we didn’t find a single call to Kentucky.”

I get up to search for my phone in my bag and hand it over to him without hesitation after unlocking it.

“There it is,” I say. “Our calls, the text messages, everything.”

Although our conversations are quite personal, I’m not afraid of someone reading them. I have nothing to hide, and Lionel is my husband.

Ethan takes a few notes and some pictures of my phone.

“There are so many red flags. How could he be in two places at the same time?”

That can’t be…

“I don’t understand anything,” I confess quietly. Alexandra takes my hand, giving it a squeeze.

“We gotta wait for Lionel, Stella. We should continue to trust he’ll recover quickly and, hopefully, he will offer us the answers we all need to hear.”

After answering the rest of Ethan’s questions, we return to the hallway in front of Lionel’s room. A few moments later, they say their goodbyes, and not long after, I see Mrs. Kral leave.

The woman doesn’t even glance in my direction when she leaves, like I don’t exist. That’s fine by me.

Upon entering the room, I find a nurse by the side of the bed, checking the machines connected to his body and writing everything down on the clipboard in her left hand.

“All good?”

“All good, Mrs. Kral, nothing to worry about.” I’m not going to stop worrying until we get out of here.

“Lionel,” I mumble when we’re finally alone. “Bizarre things are happening. Ethan, Ethan Conrad has been talking to me, but I don’t know much or understand what he’s saying. He told me that while you were with me, you were also…”

Beep, beep, beep.

The noise of the machine echoes in the silence of the room.

I continue to hold his hand, squeezing it gently, I need this connection with him.

“Wake up and fix this mess. You’re the only one who can, baby. You’re the only one who knows all the answers.”

“Baby,” I hear him say in a hoarse voice as those beautiful eyes the color of melted chocolate open.

It takes me a moment to realize what is happening.

“Lionel!” I yelp, full of emotion, my eyes filling with tears.

“Who are you?”

Chapter 7

“Lionel, love,” I shout again when I see him open his eyes. “My God, this is…”

“Hmm… Hmm…” he whispers, closing his eyes again, the light bothering him.

I don’t even know what to do with myself. I kiss his hands, his cheeks, his forehead.

He woke up. Lionel just woke up!

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