Page 530 of The Sinner: James

He closes the space between us, rests his fingers on my neck, and places a soft kiss on my hair.

“He’ll be here any moment now. I told you he would come. Where’s my wife?” he asks, looking at the backyard again.

“She’s at the table with Eve and Thea and everybody else. Ed is here too.”

“Good,” he says, tearing away from me.

“And he doesn’t know?” I toss at him.

“No, he doesn’t,” he says, smiling mysteriously again.

“Lex? I’m serious here.”

“I know, baby. He doesn’t know. But I’m sure he suspects something. It’s his birthday, after all.”

“Okay, okay... Go,” I say, nudging him to the terrace.

He pulls away, grinning.

Rushed, I glance around to make sure that everything is in order. The house is beautifully decorated, and the rooms are ready for our guests.

The servers are on standby.

Veronica, our housekeeper, has instructed the staff to wait in the kitchen.

Nervously, I run my hand over my dress.

One frantic thought sends me to the full mirror propped against the wall next to the entrance.

Running my gaze over my body, I check my summery dress––it has a buttercream background and a blue butterflies print–– and my sleek sandals.

I rake my fingers through my hair, annoyed with a few rebellious strands that refuse to stay in place.

A noise comes from outside. And I think that was a car engine. Rushed, I spin and slide the door open.

Silence and the sound of birds and crickets greet me in front of the house.

The car engine noise must’ve been the product of my imagination.

I crane my neck and look down the gravel path. The flowers are in bloom, the summer wrapping them in beauty.

The sun caresses the horizon, and a scent of flowers drifts to me as I take a few steps across the driveway.

There’s no car as far as I can see.

I turn around and sit on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the driveway, getting swept away by the scenery in front of me.

The colors bleed into each other, painting the sky red as more soothing sounds ripple through the silence, giving me a sense of peace and calm.

The voices in the backyard are barely perceptible.

And then I hear a quiet hum.

Shifting my position, I whip my gaze to the end of the road.

The gate slides open before his black Bugatti makes a turn and crawls up the pathway.

I push off the concrete edge and dash into the house.

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