CHAPTER 38

DON'T YOU DARE ME MRS ABIGAIL...

The day began quietly enough. Luke had left early for a meeting, leaving Abigail to her own devices. The estate was peaceful in his absence, almost too peaceful. No sounds or noise. Seems the servants were already done for the day's work. Just the nature's sound drizzling.

She wandered through the rooms aimlessly, sipping coffee, skimming through a book she wasn’t really reading. But her mind kept drifting to a message she’d received the night before.

Maya.

The last time they’d spoken, their conversation had been brief but warm, ending with a casual, "we should catch up soon". And this morning, Maya had sent a simple:

I’m in town. Can we meet? Just us.

Abigail hesitated. She knew Luke would insist on sending a driver, security layers of precautions she didn’t want to deal with. This wasn’t about safety; it was about normalcy. She wanted to see Maya as a friend, not as “Luke Vandell’s guarded partner.”

So, she didn’t tell him.

She dressed simply jeans, a white blouse with a brown coat draped over her shoulder, with a scarf tied on her hair and drawn forward to cover her face, with a glass over her eyes and slipped out through the side gate, the one the gardeners used. It felt oddly thrilling, almost rebellious.

They met at a small café, tucked away on a quiet street. Same place they had met the last time they saw each other. Maya was already there, waving from a corner table.

“You look amazing but almost like a spy,” Maya said the last part as a joke as Abigail slid into the seat opposite her.

“You too,” Abigail replied with a smile.”I had to, if not, my cover might be blown like a rebellious wife.

They talked for nearly an hour about work, about the city, about nothing in particular. It was easy, familiar. Abigail had missed that kind of freedom, the ability to exist in public without being shadowed and she always felt so relieved with having Maya, though it might not be for a long time but the few moments Maya stayed with her was a heaven’s blessing.

But eventually, the conversation turned.

“How’s Luke?” Maya asked, leaning forward.

Abigail hesitated. “He’s… Luke. Protective. Sometimes too much.”

Maya’s brows lifted. “Too much?”

Abigail shrugged. “I get it, but it can feel like… I don’t know. Like I’m in a glass case.”

“You’re not afraid of him, are you?” Maya’s tone was casual, but her eyes were sharp.

“No,” Abigail said firmly. “It’s not like that. It’s just… sometimes I wish he’d let me breathe, he doesn't think I can take care of myself. I'm not a kid anymore”

Maya smiled as she stretched her hand forth placing hers on Abigail's hand.

“Your world is totally different from his Abby. He's the only one that knows how dangerous his world could be. You're just a simple girl living a simple life, but his, is a chaotic one and he's the one that knows best how to handle it so as to protect you. He might be cold and all that but believe me, he means well for you.

“Your beginning to sound like an aunt” Abigail said jokingly with a smile plastered on their both faces.

They parted with warm hugs and promises not to let so much time pass before the next meeting.

Abigail returned to the estate the same way she’d left, unnoticed. Or so she thought.

Luke was home when she walked in. He was in the living room, leaning against the back of the sofa, arms crossed.

“Where were you?” His voice was calm, but there was an undercurrent she couldn’t mistake.

She froze, then forced a smile. “Out.”

His eyes narrowed. “Out where?”

Her pulse quickened. “I just… met a friend for coffee.”

“Which friend?”

“Maya.”

Luke’s jaw tightened. “And you went alone?”

“Yes.”

“No driver. No guards. You just walked out of here without telling me where you were going?”

The calm in his tone was unraveling now, replaced by a heat that made her chest tighten.

“I didn’t think it was a big deal”

“Not a big deal?” He stepped closer, his voice sharp now. “Abigail, do you have any idea what could have happened? What if someone followed you?  I had already warned you before don't be careless What if”

“But nothing happened,” she cut in, frustration rising in her own chest. “I was fine. I just wanted to see her without feeling like I’m under surveillance.”

Luke stared at her for a long moment, breathing hard.

“You don’t get it,” he said finally, his voice lower but no less intense. “This isn’t about surveillance. It’s about keeping you safe. If something happened to you because you didn’t tell me”

“Then what? You’d blame me?”

His eyes darkened. “I’d blame myself. And I wouldn’t forgive either of us.”

The words landed heavy. Neither of them spoke for a moment.

Finally, Luke turned away, running a hand through his hair. “You can’t do that again. Ever. If you want to see someone, you tell me. I don’t care who it is.”

Abigail crossed her arms, her voice tight. “And if I don’t?”

He looked over his shoulder at her, his expression a mix of anger and something else…fear. “Then we’re going to have a much bigger problem than this. Don't you dare me Mrs Abigail.”

The rest of the evening passed in a strained quiet. Dinner was brief and wordless. They retreated to separate corners of the house, both unwilling to break the silence first. Luke had gone back to his room not willing to say any other thing to her.

But beneath her irritation, Abigail felt a pang of guilt. She knew his reaction wasn’t just possessiveness, it was rooted in the reality of his world just as Maya had said earlier, the risks she barely understood.

Still, part of her wondered if his fury came from fear of losing her… or from the idea that she’d slipped from his control. That was a part she still found confusing.