His for a year. - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

A gentle knock echoed through my room just as I was still engrossed in my thoughts .
Not firm. Not urgent. Just... polite.
I glanced toward the door, a little hesitant. After everything that happened last night, even a knock could set my heart pacing.
“Mrs. Olive? It’s Sofia!”
I moved towards the door then opened it gently. I was sure she wasn't in on the contract now.
There she was—curly bob bouncing, arms already extended as if she’d been waiting all morning to hug someone. Dressed in a yellow floral dress with measuring tape looped around her neck like a necklace, she looked exactly as I remembered her from the golf meeting: bright, vibrant, and oddly comforting.
She was acting like I was her long lost bestie. “Mrs. Olive Lloyd! The billionaire’s bride! My goodness, you’re glowing—still glowing! It's been months, but wow, congratulations again! I’m so happy for you!”
I laughed softly. “Thank you,” I said, the calm in my voice a complete contrast to her whirlwind energy. “It’s really good to see you.”
She stepped in without waiting for an invitation, like the room had always been hers to enter. I didn’t mind.
“I was actually hoping I’d run into you soon,” she said, already pulling a notepad out of the oversized bag on her shoulder. “Anna sent me to get your measurements again. Something about an outfit set for Mrs. Eloise’s birthday party next week? We’re going grand this time. Think red carpet, but with scarier eye contact.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re dressing Zade’s mom too?”
“Oh, I’m in charge of everything this year!” Sofia chirped, dramatically stretching her measuring tape. “Apparently, Mrs. Eloise wants to ‘rebrand the elegance of fifty’ or whatever that means. And tomorrow, she’s planning to go see her husband, so I have to make sure her look is... you know, fortress-worthy.”
I paused mid-step. “Wait—her husband? Mr Avner Lloyd? I thought he was...”
“Dead?” She completed my question for me, waving a hand as she crouched beside me and began wrapping the tape around my ankle. “Yeah, most people do. But nope. He’s just immobile. Can’t walk. Doesn’t leave his quarters. He talks too. Faintly, but clear enough. Like a wise ghost who reads the stock market.”
I blinked, caught between intrigue and mild disbelief. “Zade’s never mentioned that.”
“Of course not. Nobody ever does. He’s kind of... mysterious? Like an Avner version of Bigfoot but with silk pajamas.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at that.
She moved quickly, chatting all the while as she wrapped the tape around my waist, then bust. “So! Anyway, Mrs. Eloise wants to visit him tomorrow, you know, in case he has any more words left in him. Can’t have him thinking she aged a single day. Not when she’s still got that jawline of justice.”
“You really love your job... and your client,” I said, amused.
She grinned, standing up and jotting a few numbers down in her notebook. “I do. I mean, she’s terrifying. But in a get-your-life-together kind of way. She once made me redo a hemline because she felt it blinked too slowly.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Blinked...?”
“Don’t ask,” she said shaking her head dramatically. “Fashion metaphors are dangerous in her mouth.”
She stepped back, clapping her hands. “And done! Quickest fittings in Avner history. You’re easier to measure than a mannequin—no offense.”
“None taken,” I smiled.
There was a beat of silence between us. Not uncomfortable—just full. Familiar.
Then she sighed dramatically, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “You look better than I expected, by the way. I heard things got... tense.”
My smile faltered.
“I'm sorry I'm so loud today. I just have this peace around you, since I first met you at the golf course. You're the first Avner that's smiled at me and I don't know what to do with it.” She said, her voice lower than before. Like she'd been holding on to that secret for a while.
“Aww. Maybe they're all too engrossed in work and duty. Don't feel bad.” I said in the most comforting way I could.
“Thank you so much.”
I gave a gentle smile. If only I was truly an Avner maybe it would had meant so much to me, but this was just… an act. My face gave away my thoughts.
She noticed, but didn’t press. Instead, she walked toward the door, then turned with a small grin. “If you ever need filling in on any Anver history, you know where to find me. I still owe you a dressing-room dance party.”
That made me laugh again, quietly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do. And take care, Mrs. Lloyd.” She gave a bow. “Fashion emergency calls, and I must answer.”
With that, she was gone in a flurry of perfume and purpose, leaving my room somehow lighter than before.
And for the first time in a while… I didn’t feel completely alone. It was like I’d just gained a trusted and committed follower.
I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as thoughts started to crowd in again—Amanda’s lies and now… my father. If Zade's father is truly alive, then maybe—just maybe—I could get some answers.
Was he and my father really partners? Was my dad a criminal? A murderer? Was he… still alive?
I had to see him. He was the only one who could fill in the blanks. I just needed to know where he was… or find a way to follow Mrs. Eloise. Risky. But doable. Right?
I slowly got off the bed and cracked open my door. Ray was standing outside, as usual, silent and alert.
I cleared my throat softly. “Do you want to, maybe, sit for a while?” My head popped out just enough to meet his eyes.
“No, ma'am. I’m fine.” He didn’t look at me.
He hadn’t been the same since that launch incident with Zade. No long conversations. No prolonged care. Just cool professionalism. It felt strange, especially knowing I was the reason.
“Can I talk to you, though?” I asked, stepping fully out of the room.
“I’m all yours, ma’am,” he replied.
I gestured toward the open door. He walked in, and I followed behind. I pointed to the couch and he sat. I stayed in the lounge chair opposite him.
“Um, can you stop calling me ‘ma’am’, please?”
“Mr. Zade wouldn’t like that,” he said, expression unreadable.
This was too awkward.
“Well… let it be our secret.” I tried to wink, then instantly regretted it. Cringe.
He chuckled. “Okay then. Secret unlocked.” He winked back. We both laughed.
“I was thinking… are you free tomorrow?”
“I was assigned to you. Whatever you want me to do, I’m at your service.”
I didn’t know how to say I wanted to follow Zade’s mother around tomorrow. My eyes dropped to the floor as I gathered the courage to speak.
“Is it perhaps a secret too?” Ray whispered in a playful tone.
“Do you read minds now?” I smiled. “Yeah. It is.”
“Tell me already. I’m ready.”
“Well, I’m… I want to stalk Zade’s mom tomorrow,” I said in the lowest voice possible.
His expression screamed ‘what-the-hell’, but he didn’t say a word.
“Whenever you’re ready tomorrow, I’ll be too,” he finally said.
I studied his face. Was he serious?
“Thank you. Please don’t forget—it’s a secret.”
“Not at all, ma’am.” He stood. “Can I go back to my duty post now?”
“Yeah, of course.” I stood too, tucking my hair behind my ear.
He walked out and gently shut the door behind him.
And then it hit me.
What did I just do?
Did I just plan my death?
The next morning, I woke up before my alarm and immediately picked up my phone and texted Zade.
“Can I go see Aliyah today?”
Seconds later, my phone rang, Zade’s name flashed on my screen.
I picked up. “Hey—”
“You’ve been going out a lot lately,” he said, his voice calm but suspicious. “What’s going on?”
I paused. Why’s he being suspicious of all days?
I cleared my throat. “I just miss her. That’s all.”
“I’ll send my driver.”
“Actually… I want Ray to drive me.”
There was sudden silence.
“Ray?” he asked. “Why Ray?”
I swallowed. “I feel safer with him around.”
That wasn’t a lie. Not completely, anyway.
He sighed, the sound heavy and loaded. “Fine. Take Ray.”
“Thanks.”
When the call ended, I jumped out of bed and cracked the door open again. Ray was there.
“It’s time,” I whispered. “The plan’s in motion.”
He nodded once. “Understood.”
I dressed quickly and waited in the car until we saw Mrs. Eloise’s sleek black sedan pull out of the driveway. We followed at a distance, Ray expertly weaving through traffic as we tailed her for forty-five minutes until she turned into the driveway of another mansion, not as big as the one we just came from but more concealed.
We parked on the opposite side of the street, well-hidden behind tinted windows.
“She’s not staying long,” Ray murmured, watching her through binoculars. “No bags.”
He was right. She spent only thirty minutes inside. While we waited, he finally asked, “Can I ask why you’re really here?”
I didn’t answer immediately. “To find something. Or someone. I just… I need answers Ray.”
He didn’t press further. Just gave a single, understanding nod.
As Mrs. Eloise’s car rolled out of the gates, I knew my window had opened.
I glanced at Ray. “Be my eyes, okay? If anything strange happens… call me or come get me. Please.”
“Always.”
With a steady breath, I stepped out of the car and crossed the street. I rang the doorbell at the gate.
A middle-aged man responded, dressed in subtle black livery. He eyed me cautiously. “Yes?”
“I’m Zade’s wife,” I said with careful calm, “and I have a message for him.”
He blinked. “Wait here.”
Then the door opened wider.
And he let me in.
The mansion's interior was just as intimidating as its towering gates. Guards were stationed at every hallway intersection, their eyes sharp and expressionless. Workers moved briskly in silence—chefs dressed in black and white, housekeepers in muted uniforms, their heads slightly bowed as they passed.
The man who’d opened the door didn’t speak again. He simply gestured for me to follow, and I did—my feet quiet against the marble floor that stretched endlessly beneath gold-accented ceilings.
We walked down a long corridor before arriving at a tall, mahogany door. He knocked twice before opening it and stepping aside for me to enter.
The air inside the room was heavy with antiseptic and muted perfume, like an odd mix of death and dignity. The room was dimly lit, expansive, and pristine. A hospital-grade bed stood at the center, surrounded by soft leather armchairs. To the left, shelves lined with expensive medicine bottles and medical devices gleamed under a small lamp. A sleek monitor pulsed quietly in the corner. Everything was in its place—too perfect for a man who seemed one breath away from the end.
He was lying on the bed, propped up by pillows, wearing a gray robe. A nurse stood by his IV drip, another adjusting the humidifier next to his oxygen tank.
The man beside me finally spoke. “Sir, Zade’s wife is here to see you.”
That was when Mr. Lloyd turned his head—slow, deliberate, almost painful. His eyes settled on me. They were murky and weary but sharp enough to recognize a stranger.
I was breathing heavily, and my palms were damp with sweat.
The nurses quietly exited the room, closing the door behind them with a gentle click.
I stood frozen for a beat, then took a few cautious steps forward. “Do you know a Mr. Trevor?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Your former partner?”
He stared at me. His expression shifted, a strange flicker between confusion and recognition. As though the name stirred something buried.
I stepped closer. “Is he a murderer?” My voice cracked. “Or a thief? What exactly happened between you two?”
His eyes darkened, and slowly—painfully—he raised one trembling hand, gesturing me closer. I obeyed, inching to the side of his bed.
When he finally spoke, his voice was gravelly and frail, like dry leaves rustling in the wind. “I’ve got no reason to lie… not at this age. Not with this body.” He gave a weak chuckle that quickly turned into a wheeze.
“We were best friends… your father and I. Loyal like brothers,” he said slowly. “Until a man… a thief in a suit… stole everything we built. Threatened us. Said if we came after him, we’d regret it.”
I leaned closer, hardly breathing.
“After a year… we went for him. Couldn’t stay quiet forever,” he continued. “There was a fight. Trevor got beat badly. But then… in the struggle… he—he killed the man. Not out of hatred. Out of defense. He…”
Suddenly, he clutched his chest and started coughing violently. His whole body jerked as he gasped for air.
“Wait—please,” I whispered, my hands shaking. “What happened after that?!”
The door burst open. The nurses rushed back in.
“Miss, you have to leave—”
“No! Please! He was about to tell me something!” I shouted, tears slipping down my cheeks as they pushed me back.
“Please!” I cried. “Just let him finish!”
But the nurses were too focused, working quickly to stabilize him, raising his oxygen flow and attaching sensors.
They ushered me out as gently as they could, but I was still trembling, still sobbing, still begging under my breath.
They door shut behind me.
And just like that… it was over.
I stumbled back to the car, my legs barely holding me up. The second I sat, I broke down—completely. My shoulders shook with heavy sobs, my hands covering my face.
Ray didn’t say a word. He just sat in the driver's seat, silent. Present.
When the sobs finally began to fade, and all I had left were sniffles, migraines and a cracked heart, he turned on the engine and drove.
Not a single question.
Just the quiet hum of the tires on the road and my heart slowly splintering apart.
When we got back, he helped me out of the car and up the stairs to my room. I leaned against him, too tired to pretend I was strong.
Once I was inside, he returned to his post.
And I was alone again.
But this time, with answers I didn’t know how to carry.