Page 103 of The Devil's Pawn

Glancing over my shoulder to make sure he hasn’t crept up on me, I make my way behind his desk and pick up the journal.

I don’t have to read much to get the answers I’m looking for.

Iknewhe didn’t want a divorce, although even his private thoughts don’t tell me why. It doesn’t matter, though. Nothing will make me sign these papers now I know he wants me.

I need answers, but it’s clear to me that my husband has no intentions of giving them. And as Charles told me when I first arrived at Oakleigh, no one makes Alexander do something he doesn’t want to do.

Think.

The answer comes to me in a blinding flash. If Alexander won’t tell me why, maybe his therapist might have some insight into what could possibly have changed in less than three days. Except, I don’t know where Lilian operates from.

Unless...

He goes there every Tuesday, which means…

With another furtive glance at the door, I open the calendar app on his laptop and scroll back to earlier in theweek. Right there, at two o’clock until 3 o’clock, reads Lilian’s name with an address and a phone number. It must be a recurring appointment, and he’s never bothered to remove the address. Whatever the reason, I’ve hit pay dirt.

After jotting down the details on a Post-it note, I tear the divorce papers into tiny pieces, stuff them back in the envelope, and write a quick note that I also put in there. On the envelope itself, I write: Private, along with his name.

Then I call Lilian. She answers on the third ring.

I explain who I am and tell her what’s happened. As I expected, she quotes client confidentiality at me, but that doesn’t mean she can’t seeme.Helpmefigure out what to do next. That’s not breaking any client code.

It takes some persuasion, but eventually, she agrees to see me. I hang up, and I’m halfway out the door and heading for the garages to get a car when I stutter to a halt. Ah, fuck. There’s no way I’m getting off this property without at least two bodyguards following me, and if I do that, they are bound to report back to Alexander. He’ll jump to conclusions about why I’ve gone to see Lilian, and I’ll make things worse instead of better between us.

I rack my brains for a way off this estate without anyone knowing. Saskia won’t help me, nor will any of Alexander’s brothers, not even Tobias. They’re all as security conscious as he is. Plus, they’re bound to take his side.

Wait. I’ve got it. As much as smiling is the last thing I feel like doing, I break into a grin. Vicky. She’s a rule breaker. She’ll be only too happy to help me.

I head back to my old rooms and close the door. Dialing Vicky’s number, I wait for her to answer.

“Hey, Vicky. I need your help.”

The walk to the church where Alexander and I got married takes me twenty-five minutes. Vicky, God bless that woman, is waiting for me, butt resting against the hood of her car.

She grins as I approach and pushes herself upright. “Well, this is rather cloak and dagger. What’s the gossip?”

“I need you to take me into London, but no one can know. I can’t have bodyguards following me.”

She rubs her hands together. “Ooh, an adventure. I’m in.”

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything else? Like why?”

“Do you want to tell me?”

I grimace. “It’s kind of personal.”

“Then, there’s no need for me to know, is there?” She opens the car door. “Let’s go.”

“Umm, I need to ride in the trunk, otherwise we’ll get stopped at the gatehouse.”

“Trunk?” She frowns. “Oh, you mean the boot. Gotcha.” She opens the trunk. “It’ll be a bit uncomfortable. I’ll get you out once we’re clear of the all-seeing De Vils.”

I touch her arm. “Thank you, Vicky. I owe you.”

“What are friends for?” She jerks her chin. “Get in.”

After checking my surroundings to make sure we’re not being watched, I climb inside. Vicky winks, then slams it closed. It’s dark and smells a little musty, but I won’t have to be in here for long. It’s easy for Vicky to come and go from Oakleigh, which is why she was the best choice. Not to mention she enjoys taking risks, and this is a risk for her.

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