Alle Kapitel von The Wife He Replaced : Kapitel 31 – Kapitel 40

Chapter31Ethan's povI sat still in the leather booth. Watched the front doors of the restaurant. Victor turned his back to us. His broad shoulders looked stiff. He was wearing a dark suit. It caught the light of the dining room as he walked away. He did not turn around to look back at our table. He did not give us a glance. He just walked with angry steps toward the exit.I watched him push his hands flat against the heavy glass doors. He pushed them open. Stepped right out into the pouring rain. The cold night wind rushed into the restaurant for a second before the doors swung shut behind him. The woman he was with, Kate, had run out a minute ago in a total panic. Now Victor was gone too.They were finally gone. The threat had left the building.I let out a shaky breath. I felt the tight muscles in my back finally relax. My shoulders dropped. The heavy tension in the air slowly faded away. The soft relaxing jazz music playing over the restaurant speakers sounded normal again. The l

CHAPTER 33Rita's pov The phone call ended with a click. The robotic voice was gone. The threat was still in the air. The room felt like it had lost all its air. My hands were stuck up pressed flat against my mouth. I could not move. I could not drop my arms. I could only look down at the screen of my phone."Rita?" Ethan's voice was soft. He sounded like he was trying not to scare me. "Rita, please talk to me. Who was that?"I dropped my hands. They hit the table with a thud. I looked at Ethan. My eyes could not focus on his face. Everything in the restaurant looked blurry. The music sounded like it was playing underwater."They know, " I whispered. My voice did not sound like mine. It was small. "They know about Aria. They know where she is sleeping.""We do not know that for sure, " Ethan said quickly. He leaned over the table trying to get closer to me. "It could be a trick. It could be someone trying to scare you so you drop the case. You cannot let them win.""A trick?" I laugh

CHAPTER 35Victor's povThe small brass desk lamp cast a yellow glow across the dark wood of my desk. Outside, the rain had stopped. The night was still pitch black and silent. The rest of my office was completely dark. I sat alone in my leather chair, surrounded by piles of papers, leather folders and printed computer logs.My eyes burned. My face felt tight and hot. I had been sitting in this spot for hours staring down at the numbers.It had been five years. I needed to look at the dates. I needed to see the calendar with my eyes.I picked up my personal travel log. It was a leather booklet where my assistant recorded every flight, every meeting and every international trip I took for business. The pages were yellowed at the edges. I flipped through them quickly, my fingers shaking badly. I tore the corner of one page."May " I whispered into the quiet room. "It happened in May."I found the page for May five years ago. I ran my thumb down the printed lines.* May 12: Board meeting

CHAPTER 37 Ethan's pov I slammed my foot hard on the gas pedal. The SUVs engine roared as I sped away from JFK International Airport. Through the rearview mirror I watched the beams of that mysterious black sedan fade into the gray night fog. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. My heart was racing."Ethan!" Rita cried out from the seat. Her voice was rising in panic. She was hyperventilating. She had the pink blanket wrapped tight around Aria. The little girl was stirring. She let out a whimper. "Ethan what was that? Who was in that car? They were waiting for us! If you hadn't pulled up then I don't know what would have happened!""I don't know who they were, Rita " I said. My eyes were on the highway. I tried to keep my voice steady. ". They aren't behind us now. Just breathe. You are safe with me. I promise you you are safe. We have to get out of here.""It was like a nightmare " Maya whispered. She was trembling. She stared out into the night. "One second those lights hi

CHAPTER 39Rita's pov The kitchen inside the penthouse was huge, cold and entirely made of marble. It looked beautiful like a picture in a magazine. It did not feel like a home. It felt like a museum. I stood in front of the stainless steel stove staring down at a pan of boiling pasta. My hands were shaking a lot and the metal spoon kept clicking against the side of the pot.I was trying hard to breathe normally. Every muscle in my back was tight aching from the fear that had been pressing down on me for hours. Every time the refrigerator made a clicking sound my heart jumped into my throat."Is it almost ready Mommy?" a small sweet voice asked from the kitchen island.I forced a loving smile onto my lips and turned around to look at my daughter. Aria was sitting on a barstool, her small legs swinging back and forth in the air. Her long dark curls were a little messy. She was wearing her favorite oversized yellow pajama shirt. She looked so innocent. She looked untouched by the man w