Chapter 5

My heart missed a beat.

"Come with you?"

"Yes. You've spent the last ten years alone and waiting for me. I want to take you out there, treat it like a second honeymoon. The coast is beautiful, the weather is warm, and the beaches are incredible."

"Once I finish my paperwork, we can travel around for a few weeks before coming back."

His grip on my hand tightened slightly.

Inside my head, a siren went off.

*If he asks you to leave the country with him, under no circumstances do you go.* Detective Miller's warning echoed in my mind.

I forced myself to remain calm. Gently, I slipped my hand out of his grip, pretending to reach for my glass of water on the coffee table.

"Where exactly is the office located?" I asked, keeping my tone light and curious.

"Penang, Malaysia," he said. "It's a gorgeous island."

*Penang.* I memorized the name instantly.

I let out a soft sigh, playing my part. "I don't think I can go, Julian."

"Why not?"

"You know how terribly motion-sick I get on long flights and boats. Traveling that far sounds like torture for me. Plus, my mom hasn't been feeling well lately. I really want to spend some time taking care of her."

"Oh. Okay then," he said. His voice was entirely calm and understanding. "I'll go handle it myself and come back as fast as I can."

He didn't argue.

He didn't try to persuade me, he didn't push, and he didn't even ask a single follow-up question.

He just accepted it.

That was wrong.

The Julian I knew was stubborn. If he truly wanted me to join him, he would have begged, whined, and brought it up a thousand times until I finally gave in. He was never a man who accepted "no" on the first try.

But this man let it go without a second thought.

A cold sweat broke out across my back.

"Actually," I said, pretending the thought had just popped into my head. "I think I’m going to head over to my mom's place tomorrow for a few days. It's been so long since we've spent time together."

"Sure. I'll drive you there and stay with you guys."

"No, don't worry about it," I said quickly. "You just got back, you need to rest and get over your jet lag. And you know how my mom gets—she'll stress herself out trying to host you and clean the whole house. I’ll just go by myself, chat with her for a couple of days, and come right back."

He stared at me for a brief second, then nodded. "Alright. Whatever you think is best."

More compliance.

Unconditional, effortless compliance.

I didn't sleep a single wink that night.

The next morning, by the time I opened my eyes, he was already up.

The pleasant sound of a spatula scraping a pan and the sizzle of bacon drifted from the kitchen.

I got dressed and walked out. The dining table was set with a beautiful breakfast spread—avocado toast, perfectly poached eggs, fresh fruit, and a cup of freshly brewed coffee.

It looked like a picture-perfect brunch from an upscale cafe.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Eat up, you don't want to miss your train."

He walked out of the kitchen, placing a warm glass of milk in front of me.

I sat down and took a bite of the toast. It was delicious.

"I went ahead and bought your train ticket," he said, checking his phone. "It leaves at ten. You’ll arrive around twelve-thirty. I also bought some luxury wellness gift baskets for your mom. They're by the door."

He pointed toward the entryway. Two beautifully packaged, high-end gift baskets were resting against the wall. They looked incredibly expensive.

I looked at him, an unsettling wave of emotion washing over me. "Thank you," I mumbled, keeping my head down.

Halfway through the meal, he suddenly laid his fork down and looked directly at me.

"By the way, where did you go yesterday afternoon?"

My hand froze, the coffee cup hovering inches from my lips.

"I went out for a walk yesterday, but when I came back, you weren't home," he said smoothly.

***

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