Page 48 of The Enemy's Daughter

“Bella?” a guy said.

She was a little confused right now, and she turned to see a man in a business suit.

“What?”

“Bella Reed, I’m Rex, a friend of Blue’s.”

No! His name wasn’t Blue. It was Alaric, and he had lied to her. Why? So many lies. She looked down at the brown bag in her hand, and her heart was breaking. This was too good to be true. Blue wasn’t the man she thought he was, and everything right now was colliding and scaring the shit out of her.

“I’ll take her,” Rex said, grabbing her arm.

“She doesn’t have an appointment.”

“It doesn’t matter. She wouldn’t need one.”

Bella followed him toward the elevator, and she moved into the corner trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Blue isn’t Blue, is he?”

“He is, but he’s not.”

She stared at the elevator doors, feeling sick as it took her higher and higher. Each floor was like a blow to her stomach, crushing her heart.

He’d lied to her.

Blue wasn’t the man she thought he was.

The door pinged open, and Rex took the lead. She didn’t say a word as he led the way down a long corridor, talking to random people.

At a closed door, Rex knocked, and opened the door. Glancing through the small gap she saw Alaric standing at the window. There was no mistaking his outline or his voice. He was giving out a list of instructions, and he slammed the phone down.

“Alaric,” Rex said.

“It’s about time you showed up.”

Alaric kept on talking.

“Alaric,” Rex said. He repeated his name until he finally shouted it.

Finally, the man she had fallen in love with looked up, and his gaze met hers. He immediately stood, and if she wasn’t mistaken, his face went pale. “Bella.”

“I thought I’d come and surprise you, and imagine my surprise at discovering something else.” She held up the paper bag with his lunch. Rex pushed her inside the room.

“I’m going to give you some privacy.”

Neither of them spoke as the door closed, and Bella looked at Blue. No, Alaric.

“What was all this about?” she asked.

“About?”

“Well there has to be a reason, right? I mean, there’s no way you just appear at the veterinary practice, and give me the wrong name, and the wrong information about who you are.” Her throat felt tight, and she was struggling to keep it together.

All she wanted to do was cry. Instead, she held it together, barely.

“Bella.” He rounded the desk.

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