Annulment

Chapter 20

The next few days have been essentially a blur for Lily. Between looking to get over her injuries and the constant pressure of anticipating news on Chloe's whereabouts, she felt like she changed into dwelling in a peculiar limbo state.

James was gone more than he was home, coordinating the manhunt along with his security men. Lily hated how hectic and preoccupied he seemed on every occasion they were together. She knew he was seeking to guard her, but the distance between them became in reality starting to wear on her.

One night, Lily was curled up on the sofa mindlessly flipping through TV channels when James came through the door. He appeared past exhausted, with heavy bags underneath his eyes and a few days' worth of scruff on his chiseled jawline.

"Hey you," Lily greeted him softly, patting the sofa cushion next to her in invitation. "Looks like a long day."

James gave her a good smile and collapsed onto the sofa with a grunt, running a hand over his face wearily.