'Then why do you ask?'

'I just need an outsider's perspective. You and Noah are in love. Everyone can see that. I wonder what that's like.'

'You don't think Austyn loves you?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure anymore."

He said he loved her, then he left her to spend the night with his ex-girlfriend.

Kira was confused by all the mixed signals he was sending.

'Do you want to know what I think?'

'Of course. Please enlighten me, Wise One.'

'I'm not wise, but I have eyes. From what I've observed, I think... Giana's voice trailed off.

Kira raised her head. 'You think?'

"You want the truth?"

'Of course!'

"Well, when I first met your husband, I got the feeling that he didn't love you.'

Kira's face fell.

Giana squeezed her hand. 'Let me finish. You have to admit, Austyn McCarthy can be quite... unapproachable. Even a little frightening at times. To be honest with you, I was scared by him when we first met." Kira had to agree.

Austyn tended to produce that effect on those who didn't know him well.

His resting face was designed to intimidate.

'But... Giana paused. 'I think he changed. I'm not sure why or how. I just knew he did. So, if you ask me now, the answer is yes. Yes, I think he does love you.'

Kira's heart felt lighter at Giana's words, though she still wasn't convinced. "What makes you think so?!

'Remember what happened back at The Grillroom? You were having a late-night dinner with your ex-boyfriend, who is insanely hot, by the way.'

Kira smiled. 'Don't let Noah hear you say that."

Giana rolled her eyes. "There's no harm in looking. It's not like I plan on stepping out on him or something. Anyway, my point is, Austyn wouldn't have been that upset if he didn't care about you.' Kira sighed.

That was what she thought as well, at least back then.

Being jealous meant he cared, right?

But why was she still feeling so insecure?

'He didn't come home last night,' she finally said.

Giana sensed this was the true reason that got Kira down. 'Maybe he got held up by something? Work?"

Austyn McCarthy ran a huge company.

He probably had all kinds of meetings to attend and business trips

to take.

No. He went to the hospital with his ex-girlfriend. He stayed the night with her.'

'Kayleigh?' Giana's eyebrows shot up.

She had not heard any news of the actress for a while now.

Was Kayleigh Woods still trying to sabotage Kira's marriage?

'No. Deborah Connelly, his first love. They were engaged back then."

Giana was struck dumb.

Another woman?

Gosh, how many ex-girlfriends did Austyn have?

First, a bombshell actress.

Then, a willowy woman at the hospital.

And now this...

Then something suddenly occurred to Giana.

"Wait! Was she the woman from the hospital? The one who was with Austyn at the gynaecologist?"

Kira nodded. "That's her."

So it was two ex-girlfriends then, not three.

Giana had to shake her head.

That didn't make the situation much better.

It only meant Austyn had been seeing his ex-girlfriend for some time now.

She kept that thought to herself, though.

Kira was already so upset.

Glana grasped a key piece of information from Kira's answer.

This new woman on the scene was Austyn's first love.

She knew what that meant.

First times were always special.

First love, doubly so.

37

Them Wahomes

No wonder Kira was so down in the dumps.

'Well, I'm sure there's an innocent explanation Giana said. 'Maybe they're just friends. You can be friends with an ex, right? You know Janessa still hangs out with her ex-boyfriend. They even went on a backpacking trip during the holiday.' Giana hoped she sounded more convincing than she felt.

She had fibbed a little.

Truth be told, she didn't think it was okay to be friends with an ex.

If Noah spent the night with his ex-girlfriend, Giana would claw his eyes out.

But this was not the time to pour fuel on the fire.

"His phone was switched off,' Kira said.

Giana stroked Kira's silky long hair, racking her brain for a plausible answer. 'Maybe his battery died.'

'It's been almost twenty-four hours."

Giana pulled a face.

She was running out of excuses for Austyn.

Even she had two chargers-one in her house and the other in her purse.

A rich man like Austyn surely had access to more

The pessimist in her couldn't help but think-was he ghosting Kira?

But they were married!

It was not like he could stay out forever.

Kira was still living at his house.

Then what could be the reason for him not being in touch for twenty-four hours?

At this point, only a car accident or a meteor strike could get him off Kira's black books.

www

Haneftappined

Something Bad Must Have Happened

'He has to come home eventually, right?' Giana made a last-ditch effort to convince both herself and Kira. 'You can ask him then. There's no point getting yourself so worked up now. Besides, things are just looking up between you two. Maybe you could learn to trust him a little.'

The rational part of Kira's brain knew Giana was right.

Working herself into a lather wasn't going to solve anything.

Besides, the way Austyn handled the issue of Kayleigh proved he wasn't the type to stray.

Kira should learn to have faith in him.

But sense and sensibility weren't always compatible.

Right now, her prefrontal cortex, the part in charge of logic and judgement, was taking a back seat to her limbic system, the part controlling emotions.

Kira just couldn't stop herself from worrying.

Giana could remain clear-headed and objective because she was analysing this from a bystander's perspective.

Kira couldn't.

Her imagination was running amok.

Just because she knew she was catastrophising didn't mean she could stop it.

Kira took a deep breath and counted from one to a hundred in her head.

Giana did her best.

It was Kira's own neurosis to overcome.

She closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep.

There would be no troubles in slumberland.

Giana stroked Kira's hair and hummed a lullaby.

She knew Kira would eventually pull herself together.

the fue needed some time.

Kira didn't pull herself together.

She completely lost it when she saw Austyn and Deborah together.

They were standing in the distance, their faces almost touching.

Were they holding hands?

Kira sprinted towards them.

Bastard!

She was worried sick about him.

She lost an entire night's sleep over him.

Yet here he was, having a daylight tryst with his ex-girlfriend!

Kira was ready to let insults fly.

To hell with asking him for his side of the story.

She could still do that after she gave him a good drubbing!

Austyn and Deborah didn't appear to be moving, yet somehow, Kira just couldn't close the distance between them.

She kept running, accelerating like she was dashing for the 100-metre race finishing line.

Bang!This belongs to - ©.

She stopped dead at the thunderous noise.

Her eyes were wide open.

She couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Her entire body shook

A gunshot.

She'd just heard a gunshot.

She had no idea where the shooter was.

The next thing she knew, she was kneeling in front of Austyn.

He went down like a sack of potatoes.

Bright red liquid pooled underneath him.

His white shirt was drenched in blood.

So much blood.

Kira thought she was moving, but she wasn't.

She thought she was screaming, but the world around her had fallen deathly quiet.

Austyn's eyes were closed.

He didn't appear to be breathing

*Austyn!!

Kira cried out.

She sat bolt upright in bed, hyperventilating,

Her forehead was covered in sweat.

"What's wrong? Giana was joltell awake by her scream.

Kira couldn't speak, still trying to catch her breath.

Giana touched a hand to Kira' your skin's cold and clammy. Did you have a nig

cheek.

Kira's eyes were open but unseeing

The sight unsettled Giana.

She gently shook Kira's shoulders. Kira? Can you hear me?"

Kira blinked.

Her eyes slowly regained their focus. 'Giana, pinch me.'

"What?"

"Pinch me!"

Giana complied.

She p

gave

Kira's left forearm a hard pinch.

'Ouch!' Kira grimaced.