Page 64 of Sexted By a Stranger
I took a sip of coffee, trying to focus my attention on this peaceful scene before me.
However, the shadow of Connor's escape coiled around me like a venomous snake.
I stared absently at the dark brown swirl in my coffee cup. This whirlpool seemed ready to drag Sheila in too—the bloody reality that came with my identity, the reality Sheila would have to face once she knew the truth.
"Been tired lately?" she asked, her gaze falling on the undisguisable fatigue and gloom between my brows, her tone showing just the right amount of concern. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."
My heartbeat skipped.
Did she know something?
I remembered that night a few days ago, the way she'd hesitated and stammered.
Maybe…
No. Too dangerous.
At least… at least wait until Connor's whereabouts were locked down.
"There are some tricky matters," I answered vaguely, casting my gaze toward the lawn glowing green in the sunlight. "An old business rival who won't stay in line."
"That rival must be very powerful." Sheila laughed softly, but her gaze never left my face. "Making you look like you've been coming back from a battlefield lately."
My heart lurched. I tried to force a reassuring smile, but my mouth felt impossibly stiff.
"That's right, those sly dogs do use rather intense methods." I faked casualness.
"Intense…"
She repeated those words, but somehow her tone carried a bitter edge. "Pretty intense, coming home every day smelling like gunpowder."
"Sheila…" My voice was tense. I was about to reassure her when she suddenly spoke:
"Luca, I don't know why, but I always feel like you're very far from me, so far it's like you're in another world. I…"
She stopped mid-sentence, finally just lowering her head, unconsciously stirring the coffee in her cup with a small silver spoon. Her long lashes cast shadows, hiding the expression in her eyes.
"I'm going back to my studio," she said quietly, her tone unreadable.
Just as she turned to leave, a corner of her dress got caught in the wicker chair's weave. She frowned slightly, then tugged gently to free the tangled fabric.
They briefly twisted together, rubbing with a soft rustling sound, before finally separating.
She didn't look back, walking toward the path that led to her studio.
In the morning light, her figure gradually blurred, as if she might vanish at any moment.
Chapter 21
Luca & Sheila
Sheila
He's still lying to me.
Still choosing to brush me off with pathetic excuses about "business troubles."
I returned to my studio, faced with all those beautiful gems and sketches, but I couldn't draw a single line. What danced before my eyes was the undisguisable violence and exhaustion etched between Luca's brows, and all those words about a "settled life." Disappointment and anger swept over me.
