CHAPTER 26

REUNITING WITH AN OLD FRIEND....

The house was quiet, too quiet for the kind of thoughts racing through Abigail’s mind.

Morning light filtered through the windows of the sitting room, dust catching in the golden sunbeams. Somewhere in the kitchen, a soft clatter suggested one of the maids was busy with breakfast prep, but in the lounge, silence ruled.

Luke sat on one end of the long couch, legs crossed, fingers absently tapping the armrest. He hadn’t said much since dinner the night before. His face had been calm, careful. But his eyes those cool, sharp eyes carried the weight of a hundred unsaid things.

And Abigail wasn’t sure she had the strength to ask.

She was curled at the other end of the couch, legs drawn up, arms wrapped around her knees. A light robe draped over her shoulders, her curls still damp from the shower she took an hour ago, after waking up to find the bed empty. Again.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked quietly.

Luke didn’t answer right away. His gaze stayed fixed ahead, watching nothing.

“I slept,” he said finally. “Just not for long.”

She nodded, chewing on her bottom lip. The air between them was heavy. Tense. Like a tight rope neither one of them dared to cross.

“I’ve been thinking,” he said suddenly, shifting forward. “About everything.”

Her chest tightened. “Everything?”

Luke’s voice was low, steady. “The contract. The people coming after us. And that night at the gala. The man Walter, he didn’t just show up by accident.”

Abigail blinked. “You mean the one who approached me?”

He nodded. “Walter didn’t just crash a party. He’s been working against the Vandell name for years. Slowly. Quietly. Gathering influence where he could. He’s a rival, but more than that he’s dangerous. A man who likes to look clean while other people get their hands dirty. I already told you before.”

Her stomach twisted. “And he… used me?”

Luke’s eyes met hers. “He approached you because you were my wife. Because you mattered to me. And because he knew, somehow, that would matter to you, too. Abigail did you have a memory loss I told you all these already.”

She sat up straighter, heart thumping. “so your thinking as to..”

“how he knew when I got with you at first.”

Abigail swallowed, fear crawling back up her throat.

“I wanted to be sure,” he said. “I had to confirm it before dragging you deeper into this mess.”

A long pause stretched between them.

“So what now?” she asked.

Luke hesitated, then leaned back again, his hand resting on the couch near her leg but not quite touching. “Now we stay quiet. We let him think we’re distracted. That we’re just husband and wife trying to play house. And while he watches, we prepare.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay.”

It wasn’t much. But it was something.

After a moment, she stood up. “I think I need some air. Maybe a walk.”

Luke didn’t stop her. Just gave a small nod, like he understood. Maybe he did.

But the moment her bare feet hit the hallway floor, memories came flooding back. Not of Luke. Not of Walter. But of someone else entirely someone from a simpler time.

Someone she missed more than she realized. Someone she had just talked to whom could make her troubled soul calm just with a sentence.someone that could calm her nerves.

Earlier that week…

The boutique had been a whirlwind designers pulling out dresses, perfumes misting the air, and assistants buzzing around like bees. Abigail had smiled politely, trying to enjoy the moment, but her thoughts had drifted.

And that’s when she saw her.

Maya.

Standing by the entrance, framed by sunlight, in a high-waisted skirt and soft yellow blouse, holding a phone to her ear and frowning in that same thoughtful way she always had back in university.

For a second, Abigail thought she was imagining it. But then Maya turned, and their eyes locked.

Time stopped.

“Abby?” Maya’s voice cracked like it hadn’t spoken that name in years.

Abigail dropped the perfume bottle in her hand. It clattered harmlessly onto the velvet display counter.

“Maya?”

They met halfway across the floor, arms wrapping tight around each other like nothing had changed even though everything had.

“My God,” Maya whispered into her shoulder. “It’s really you.”

Abigail held on tighter, blinking back tears. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

They stepped back, hands still clasped.

Maya gave her a playful shove. “Married?! You you married into the Vandell family? Abigail ?”

“I know,” Abigail laughed softly, cheeks warm. “It’s… a long story.”

Maya raised an eyebrow. “And I want every single detail. Over coffee. Or wine. Or whatever rich wives drink these days.”

Abigail shook her head, eyes misty. “You haven’t changed.”

“Neither have you,” Maya said, her smile faltering just a little. “But your eyes… they’re different.”

That silenced Abigail. And Maya didn’t push.

Instead, they exchanged numbers, promising to meet again soon. No excuses. No cancellations.

They’d waited too long already.

Back in the present…

Abigail made it to the garden, letting the soft wind kiss her skin. The flowers Luke’s staff had planted were blooming wildly now peach, ivory, deep purple. They almost didn’t look real.

She took a seat on the small bench under the hibiscus tree. Closed her eyes. Let herself breathe.

When her phone buzzed, she didn’t expect it to be Maya.

Maya: Abby don't forget tomorrow ok, I promise to be on time . 💛

Abigail smiled, fingers hovering over the screen.

Abigail: Yes. Let’s do it.

She hit send, then stared at the screen for a moment longer.

Luke’s world was chaos. Quiet, elegant, dangerous chaos. And she was a guest in it sometimes a partner, sometimes a pawn.

But Maya… Maya was a piece of her before. And seeing her again reminded her that she hadn’t lost everything not yet and hoped silently this would last…she just couldn't help but remember more about Maya like a list love or so…like someone who meant the whole world to her. Maybe she really did mean the whole world to her.