Chapter 11
Knox drove the last few hundred meters painfully slowly, as if reluctant to return home. But the moment they reached the door, he was the first to step out.
“We’re here. Get out,” he said, instinctively starting to walk straight inside before remembering something and stepping back to wait for Elena.
The woman in the back seat felt dizzy from Knox’s reckless driving and needed a moment to recover before getting out. She’d expected Knox to go in without her, but her eyes lit up when she saw him waiting. She put on a delighted expression and hurried over to link her arm through his.
“Sorry Knox, did I keep you waiting?”
Knox said nothing and led her through the door.
He expected to see a lavish spread of food, to see Mara clumsily wearing an apron, trying her best to please him. He expected to see her usual tolerance, her humble yet boundless love.
But when Knox pushed open the door, the house was completely empty.
The slight smile that had been playing at his lips immediately turned into a frown.
“Your injury isn’t fully healed yet. Why don’t you stay here tonight?” he said gently, turning to Elena.
Truth is, he was holding back a pissed–off vibe–Mara wasn’t displaying her usual devotion. He’d just agreed to call off divorce today–it hadn’t even been twenty–four hours and now, She’s gone?
So he decided to keep pushing her buttons.
Knox’s expression was stone–cold, but he forced himself to appear tender, letting Elena eat it up.
“Thanks Knox, but if I stay here, won’t I be disturbing you and Mara? You just withdrew the divorce application today–what if you end up filing again because of me?”
Elena giggled, her words hitting exactly the note Knox wanted to hear.
He snorted coldly, his eyes flicking subtly up to the upstairs bedroom.
“You haven’t done anything wrong. If Mara’s not happy about it, she can go find somewhere else to stay.”
Elena followed his gaze and immediately identified Mara’s room. Excitement flashed across her face before she controlled herself, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
“In that case, I’ll take that upstairs room. Is okay? Knox.”
20-21
60 Dixon
Chapter 11
Knox chuckled softly without responding, but his movement toward the stairs already showed his answer. Step by step, he climbed to the second floor and pushed open the door-“Mara, can you hear? Elena wants your room.”
The scene he’d imagined didn’t materialize. The room was completely empty, stripped of anything that belonged to her.
Knox’s expression finally changed. He suddenly remembered that the last time Elena had stayed over, Mara had moved out and never moved back in. Looking at the empty room now, Knox felt a sudden surge of panic. Why wasn’t Mara home? She should have been back by now.
She must have gotten held up somewhere.
He forced down his inner turmoil and turned to Elena.
“Go ahead and move in. Mara hasn’t brought her stuff back yet anyway.”
Elena’s face lit up as she eagerly agreed.
She planned to order all her necessities online and have them delivered directly. Considering she might be living with Knox for quite a while, Elena made sure to ask his opinion on every single item.
They bought matching towels, matching toothbrushes, even new sheets and comforters. Watching the delivery workers go in and out, gradually erasing every trace of Mara, Knox said nothing, but his brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
He kept picking up his phone, then putting it down again. Mara hadn’t texted him all day. Usually, on the first day after withdrawing a divorce application, Mara couldn’t help but send him a long, gushing message. But so far, he’d received nothing.
As long as Mara came back, apologized, and tried to please him, he’d send Elena packing and have everything in the house changed back.
That’s what he told himself as he stood in the villa for hours, until Elena had replaced everything and the last trace of Mara’s memory had vanished. Only then did his usually perfect composure finally crack.
He didn’t give a shit about looking cool, dialing with frowning.
He’d already planned out exactly what his opening line would be, but after the phone rang for a full minute, all he
heard was the cold electronic voice of voicemail.
This was the first time Mara had ever failed to answer his call.
Rage surged through him as he typed out a message.
“Not picking up? We just called off the divorce–you wanna file again already?!”
The message didn’t go through. Instead, a red exclamation mark popped up.
20.21
