Semua Bab Be Mine Again, Dear Wife: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Harper gripped the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles turned white. The rain had started as soon as she left Horizon Care Partners in a daze. She hadn't even said goodbye to Aiden. She just walked out, got in her car, and drove.Now her phone sat face-down in the passenger seat, buzzing nonstop. She ignored it. She couldn't deal with any more messages right now. She just needed to get home. To the one place that still felt safe.A pair of headlights appeared in her rearview mirror, and Harper frowned. The car behind her accelerated, closing the gap until its high beams flooded her cabin.She squinted, her heart kicking up a notch. She changed lanes, and the car followed. When she sped up, it promptly matched her pace.Her pulse jumped into her throat. She took the next exit, a sharp right onto a narrower road that cut through an industrial area. Still, the headlights stayed glued to her bumper.Harper's breathing turned shallow. She glanced at the phone again. It was still

Malakai sat in the wheelchair by the living room window, staring out at the rain. He hadn't moved in over an hour. His mind was louder than the pain in his knee. Every worst-case scenario looped in vicious circles. Harper cornered somewhere dark, Harper hurt, Harper believing whatever lie the impostor would feed her.He'd tried calling her six times since he asked Andrei to track her. It went straight to voicemail every time. Frustration boiled inside of him, suffocating. All he could do was sit here and wait, like some pathetic invalid, while his woman was out there alone with a psychopath.He dragged both hands down his face, breathing hard."Come on, Harper," he muttered. "Just... come home."The front door flew open suddenly. And there she was.She looked like a ghost. Her hair was plastered to her face, her wet clothes clinging to her skin, her eyes wide and glassy. She moved like she was sleepwalking.Malakai's breathing quickened. He shoved the wheelchair forward so

Harper hesitated in the doorway, one hand still on the knob. Anita stood on the porch looking smaller than Harper had ever seen her. There was no anger in her posture. Only... weariness.Harper's first instinct was to close the door. But something in Anita's eyes made her pause. So she stepped aside."Come in," she said softly.Anita entered slowly, her steps hesitant, as if the foyer itself might reject her presence.She paused just inside the threshold, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Harper closed the door behind her, silently.Without warning, Anita's knees buckled. She dropped to the floor in a graceless heap. Her shoulders shook hard before the first sob tore out of her.Harper stared at her, stunned."Anita—""I'm sorry," Anita choked out, her voice cracking. "I'm so sorry, Harper. I'm so sorry."Tears streamed down her face unchecked. She pressed both hands to her mouth as though she was trying to hold the sounds in, but they kept coming in great, wrenchi

Harper felt the chills travel down her spine. "Malakai?" she whispered again, her voice nearly inaudible. He tilted his head just slightly and looked at her. Those eyes weren't Malakai's anymore. They were darker. The guilt, the self-loathing, and the heartbreak were all gone. He blinked slowly. Then he smiled. "Hello, darling." Harper's eyes widened. She recoiled instinctively, scooting back on the couch until her spine hit the armrest. Her heart slammed against her ribs so hard that she thought it might crack them. Only L would call her that in such a seductive tone. What was happening? Daniel was L. So, why...why was she getting this strange feeling? "You..." Her voice cracked. "You're not him." His smile deepened. "Not right now," he said, his voice lower. "But he’s still here." Harper's mouth went dry. She pressed herself harder against the couch. "Who...are you?" His smile widened. "You recognize me, why do you still ask?" Harper shook her head in disbel

Harper hesitated, her thumb hovering over "decline". But for some unknown reason, she couldn't bring herself to ignore the call. Gritting her teeth, she swiped to answer."Harper?" Aiden's voice came through immediately, urgent. "Where are you? Are you at home?"She swallowed hard, glancing at Malakai. He was watching her, his expression carefully neutral, but she could see the tension in his jaw."I'm... at work," she lied.There was a long pause on the other end. Aiden sighed, defeated."No, you're not. I went to Horizon Care. Then I went to Hemsworth General. You weren't at either. I even asked the charge nurse. She said you were suspended."Harper's throat tightened. She felt Malakai stiffen beside her. Aiden kept talking, his voice softer."I know you found out the truth. About the accident and what I did."Harper's vision blurred. She pressed her lips together to keep the sob inside."I'm sorry," Aiden said, his voice cracking. "I'm so fucking sorry, Harper. I was terrifie