Page 46 of Suddenly Married

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Luc rubbed his eyes.

He’d been awake all night, then in the morning he didn’t show up for work. He wasn’t the type to not show up for work unless he had a very good reason— and his assistant was probably missing too. He’d texted Richard and told him he couldn’t make it to work, and Richard had called and told him neither had his wife.

Richard continued to ask questions, but he dodged them and hung up.

The morning shifted into afternoon, and fuck, he still had no idea what he’d do. The day before, Samantha had given him the go-ahead to schedule a meeting with the entire team. She enjoyed his idea. And he thought that part of the equation had been solved.

But when he’d come back home…

Luc shifted in the couch, hoping he’d find the right position that would extinguish the sense of loss lurking around him since she left. He’d been caught disarmed, and didn’t know how to react. Tried lying at first, then had to come through because she already knew him too much—which also stripped him of the self-reliance he’d thought he could cling to.

Why the hell was he so upset? He’d gotten what he wanted. Once Samantha heard them, there was no way she’d refuse. She’d been more than open to the idea. She wanted not an ounce of controversy to her name. That’s what her late husband would have wanted.

Frustrated, he ran his fingers down his face. Why didn’t that seem like enough anymore?

He’d lived without Kira before. He’d learn how to live without her after.

Did he want to, though?

A nauseated sensation spread across his chest, sending his heart into a drumming mess. The doorbell rang. Who could it be? He’d told the cleaning crew not to come today—the last thing he needed was much noise around him. After all, he was already dealing with all the fog in his brain.

Cursing under his breath, he dragged himself from the couch then to an upright position, and walked up to the door—expecting Richard to be on the other side of the door. Most likely, he’d realized that something was amiss, what with both Luc and Kira not going to work, added to the rumor of him being seen entering Samantha’s place.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t kick a sixty-something man out of his place, but today wasn’t a normal day. And talking about strategic plans to make himself look better was the least of his priorities, particularly when he felt like shit.

He swung open the door, only to find a different older man at his doorstep.

His father.

“May I come in?” he asked.

“Sure,” he said without much enthusiasm, and stepped back, gesturing for his father to join him inside.

Had Kira told him about what he told her? No, don’t be paranoid. Even if they were through, he couldn’t imagine Kira betraying him—he’d been the one who betrayed her. That thought alone deflated his soul.

“Richard told me you didn’t go to work today,” his father said when they sat across each other in the living room. “Are you okay?”

Luc opened his mouth to say something ironic about how that made him feel like he was a six-year-old and Richard a concerned principal calling his parent to make sure he was all right. But then his quip got trapped in his throat as his father’s words echoed in his ears. Are you okay? He never even imagined he’d care. “I assure you I’m not behind on anything.”

His father waved him off, impatient. “I don’t mean that. God, Luc. How are you doing? I know Kira didn’t go to work either, and she’s not here, and I want to make sure you’re all okay.”

A bit too late for caring, wasn’t it? “Why? Ours is a marriage of convenience,” he said calmly, even if every fiber of his being scolded him for it.

His father crossed one leg over the other and shrugged. “That’s what Richard said. I couldn’t disagree more.”

“Why?” Restless, he stood and walked to the wet bar area, retrieving his favorite scotch and two tumblers from the cupboard. Something told him he needed hard liquor to continue this conversation. He poured himself and his father a good amount, and returned, giving him his.

His father studied the amber contents before taking a drink. “I’ve seen the two of you. The way she looks at you, or talks about you. I may be many things, but an idiot isn’t one of them.”

Luc took a sip, the powerful liquid burning down his throat, then leaving a strong aftertaste. “Okay.”

Charles sat his tumbler on the side table, and scooted to the edge of the sofa, his eyes trained on Luc’s. “Listen, Luc, I’m sorry. I was a bastard to your mom, and I’m sure you know that.”

The admission was like a punch in Luc’s gut, which tightened in response. An awareness swept beneath his skin, his visceral reaction to his father’s apology not something he could control. He knew saying sorry wasn’t enough, and wasn’t sure if he believed him. For all he knew, could be a plan to get him on his good side if Samantha or even Kira had shared Luc’s plans with Charles. Still. He couldn’t keep from asking, “Why did you leave us?”

His father stood, the uneasy energy oozing from him as he shifted from one side to another, walking around in a small circle, seemingly unable to get comfortable. “Because I had ambitions, and when I got the opportunity to work in the US, my relationship to your mom wasn’t good.”

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