All Chapters of Loving Him For 30 Days: Chapter 111 - Chapter 120

The private speedboat slowed down, its twin engines dropping from a high-pitched roar to a low, quiet hum as it glided into the shallow turquoise water of the private lagoon.Eli stood near the back of the boat, holding onto the smooth chrome railing with one hand. The salt spray caught on his skin, but his eyes were fixed entirely on the structure ahead. Built directly over the calm, crystal-clear water of a inland lake extension, Lucien’s house looked massive yet secluded. Wide wooden decks wrapped around dark glass walls, connected to a private boat dock by a long, raised plank boardwalk."It looks bigger than it did in the floor plans Cassian was obsessing over," Noah said, stepping up beside Eli with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder."Cassian’s floor plans didn't have thirty feet of clear ocean underneath them," Eli said, turning his head to see Lucien stepping out from the covered cabin of the boat.Lucien had already taken off his socks and shoes, rolling his linen trouse

The house was quiet in the way a held breath is quiet not peaceful, merely waiting. Outside, the darkness pulled tight against the glass, heavy and seamless, swallowing the horizon until it was impossible to tell where the ground ended and the sky began. The glass didn't just reflect the room back at itself; it turned the outside into a black wall, transforming every window into a mirror that showed everything happening inside while hiding whatever might be standing three feet away in the dark. The air inside felt thick, carrying that faint, metallic electric tang that lingers right before a circuit snaps or a storm breaks. It settled heavy in the lungs, stale and cold, like the air at the bottom of an unventilated cellar. Every small sound was amplified into something sharp and intrusive. The subtle groan of the floorboards as the foundation settled underfoot. The low, rhythmic click of cooling metal somewhere deep within the frame of the walls. The slow, deliberate rise and fall o

The small private launch boat dropped them off at the wooden pier of the Azure Reef Resort just as the sun finished setting.Eli walked down the wooden steps onto the soft white sand of the resort beach, holding Lucien’s hand. Ahead of them, a wide circle of low wicker lounge chairs and bamboo tables surrounded a large bonfire pit. Fire dancers were spinning flaming torches in rhythm with the low beat of drums near the water’s edge, while guests in casual resort wear milled around the open-air bar."See?" Noah said, catching up to them with his arms stretched out. "I told you coming over here for a couple of hours was a good idea.""It's loud," Cassian noted, though he wasn't complaining. He had left his laptop and tablet back at the lake house, wearing a simple linen shirt and shorts, his hand resting casually against the small of Noah's back."It's fine, Cass," Eli said, turning to look at Lucien. "How are you feeling?"Lucien squeezed Eli's fingers, looking ar

The clock on the wall read three in the morning. Outside, the rain continued to beat against the heavy glass walls of the living room, but inside, the four of them sat in complete silence.Noah had fallen asleep on the couch with his shoulder pressed against Cassian. Cassian was still awake, staring blankly at his laptop screen, though his hands had stopped typing an hour ago.In the kitchen, Eli stood by the counter, holding a small metal tray he had pulled from one of the lower drawers. Lucien was standing by the glass doors, staring out into the dark, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His shoulders were drawn tight, and his posture was stiff."Lucien," Eli said softly, keeping his voice down so he wouldn't wake Noah. "Come over here."Lucien didn't move at first. "If this gets out to the press, Eli, it doesn't matter what the truth is. You know how they handle things like this. A dead body inside my house. On my private dock. A man who was publicly yelling a

The hum of the emergency backup battery in the hallway made a low, high-pitched whine against the background noise of the storm.Eli stood near the kitchen island, adjusting the strap of a heavy waterproof flashlight around his wrist. Lucien stepped beside him, pulling on a dark rain jacket and zip-fastening it up to his chin."You're sure about checking the generator room?" Lucien asked softly, looking at Eli."Cassian showed us the log," Eli said, checking the flashlight beam against the floorboards. "The south sliding door sensor registered as open at 11:18 PM. But Thomas was already soaked and dying when he reached the dock. If he didn't swim across half a mile of open ocean in a squall, he got onto this property from somewhere else on the ground."Cassian and Noah stepped out of the back office. Cassian carried his laptop tucked securely into a waterproof sleeve under his arm, while Noah held a heavy brass fire-poker he had grabbed from the fireplace hearth.