Page 81 of Rosabel and the Billionaire Beast

We passed the Sweetheart Tree. We passed the house with Spanish-style architecture and its tall, adjoined tower out front and then slowed until Clive pulled into Duncan’s driveway.

Before Clive pulled to a complete stop, Duncan slid out of the car without a word and stalked back into the house without a backward glance at me.

TWENTY-ONE

duncan

My phone wasout before I made it inside the house. I’d texted Maddox and Hawk during my brief walk around the block—but neither of them had replied yet.

I didn’t want to have any kind of conversation about this in front of Rosabel, and while I was flummoxed and thrown off about what to do about her, something about finding Eudora here in my hometown felt off.

Eudora had said she hadn’t spoken with Ulrich, but she’d also said the frat wouldn’t leave her be. She’d said it was cursed.

Something more was going on. Something she hadn’t told me—and I didn’t like the thought that she had the upper hand. I especially didn’t like what she’d said about Rosabel.

Rosabel.

I hated arguing with her. I hated backtracking after how close we’d grown on this trip. She was reaching out to me. She cared about me enough to worry about my well-being. She’d touched my arm—and it had ripped a piece of me away to pull away from her.

I’d said more than I should have back there, but I couldn’t leave her hanging. Not anymore. I wanted to tell her so much. I wanted to tell her everything.

What if I’d never signed that blasted thing? What if I had free rein of my emotions?

I wouldn’t hesitate. I wouldn’t pull away. I would have done the opposite, gauged her willingness, watched the emotion in her eyes, and savored her short breaths as I’d slipped my arms around her.

As I pulled her close like I wanted to.

“Don’t go there,” I muttered, kicking off my shoes. One of them struck the wall behind the door, and I grimaced. I hadn’t meant to be so forceful.

I couldn’t do anything about my feelings for Rosabel. In fact, oddly enough, after doing exactly what Maddox had told me to and finally letting her go—finally doing what was best forher—I felt this bizarre release in my chest.

I’d tried controlling her. I’d manipulated her. I’d deceived her. Maddox had been right—I should have just let her go a long time ago.

While it left an ache in my chest that I couldn’t ignore no matter how hard I tried, I also knew it was the right thing. I would miss her. I would do all I could to ensure her safety from a distance.

And I would always love her the best way I could. The way I should have. By doing what was best for her.

How come it had taken me so long to realize thatthatwas what true love meant?

She’d accused me of not knowing how to love someone. Maybe she’d been right.

After bending to retrieve my shoes, I marched on sock feet down the hall, yanking my tie off and closing the door to my room so I could change out of this suit and get my thoughts in some semblance of order. I tossed my suit jacket on the bed and unbuttoned the dress shirt, thoughts racing.

The first person I called was Noah, the P.I. we’d had tailing Pris. He agreed to look up Eudora Wilson and see what he could find.

Maddox had mentioned something about Eudora’s disappearance when he’d been investigating Adelie’s grandma’s disappearance a few months ago. He had also mentioned some kind of mysterious note that Eudora had left for all the other GGs, but I couldn’t remember what it had said.

I hadn’t paid that much attention, if I were being honest.

After slipping into some jeans and a t-shirt, I hung up my suit. Nicole would probably give me crap if I didn’t. Actually, knowing her, she’d coo in that motherly way she had about how I was such a child and hang it up for me. Even so, I didn’t want it getting wrinkled.

Finally, my phone buzzed with a reply from the text I’d sent Maddox earlier:

Me:I found Eudora.

And his reply loosened something in my chest. I sank onto the edge of the bed, glad he had my back in this, and read it twice.

Maddox:No way. Where? How?

---