'Don't worry. The windows are tinted.'

'Good.' Kira breathed out.

She buckled up her seatbelt. 'Stamford General, please."

'Yes, ma'am/ Gideon started the engine. 'You sure you don't want to grab a bite You don't look so well.'

'I'm fine. I'm on a diet,

to eat first?

Gideon frowned. 'You're too skinny as it is. Don't be fooled by the glamour mags. You know those pictures are photoshopped, right?

'I know, I know. I just don't have much of an appetite right now.'

'Will you at least accompany me to dinner, then? I'm starving."

Kira hesitated. 'Can we do that after we visit Dad?'

'Sure. Gideon slowed the car as it approached a junction. 'By the way, there's no need to hide me from your friends, you know. If they see us, you can just tell them I'm your brother."

'I know.' Kira nodded. 'But once they see I've got such a handsome brother, they won't leave me alone. They'll be pestering me with questions like'-she mimed Heidi's saccharine voice when she was in a flirty mood-""How old is your brother?" "Does he have a girlfriend?" and "If he does, does he mind getting a new one?"

Gideon threw his head back and laughed.

He stretched out a hand and tousled her hair. 'You can tell them this-no, I don't have a girlfriend.

For now, he added in his heart.

Kira smiled despite herself.

Gideon's laughter was contagious.

'Seriously, though, I was thinking about inviting your friends out to dinner sometime.'

'What for?' Kira glanced at him.

"To get to know them. And to ask them to watch out for you. You've never stayed in a dormitory before. It can't be easy, living with a bunch of strangers."

Kira was touched.

Gideon had really let go of the past.

up on trying to rekindle the romance and reverted to being the caring big brother. He gave up

Kira would have hugged him if they were not in a moving car.

"It's not that bad. She shrugged. 'Giana's there, so it's really just two strangers."

'I still don't get why you want to move into a dorm. If you just wanted to get out of Austyn's house, you should come and stay with me. I bought a house on the lakeside. It's just twenty minutes drive to your school." Kira grew silent at the mention of Austyn's name.

The good mood from half a minute ago vanished.

Gideon stopped at a red light and turned to look at her. 'Still no news from him?"

Kira looked away.

She didn't want to talk about Austyn.

'Kira. Gideon refused to drop the subject. 'It's been almost ten days. You haven't heard anything from him?"

Austyn's absence was Gideon's opportunity.

He could use the time to get close to Kira.

'Have you considered one possibility?'

'What?' Kira asked without much enthusiasm.

She'd had plenty of time to run through every possibility.

The best case-Austyn was away on a business trip, like his secretary repeatedly told her.

But that couldn't explain why he refused to call or text her.

In the unlikely event that he'd lost his phone, ten days were more than enough time for him. to get a new one.

The worst case-Austyn had eloped with Deborah.

He could be shacked up somewhere with his old flame and couldn't be bothered to call his wife.

When Giana suggested Kira move into the dorm, she had agreed on the spor

She couldn't bear spending another night on the king-sized bed without Austyn there.

And, a small part of her was afraid that if she stayed at the villa, she was going to get a Dear Jane letter in the mail one day, along with a petition for divorce.

The light changed to green.

The black BMW rolled forward.

Gideon said slowly, 'Maybe he didn't call you because he couldn't.'

"Wh...what do you mean?' Kira grabbed the door handle, suddenly having the urge to jump out.

of the car.

She knew where Gideon was going.

It was a possibility she'd ejected the moment it occurred to her.This belongs to - ©.

'Maybe he's in danger. He could've gotten into an accid-

'Stop the car!' Kira shouted. 'Pull over right now!"

"Kira, we're in the

iddle of traffic,

'I don't care. Pull over! Or I'll jump!' She frantically pulled on the door handle.

The door was locked.

Her outburst startled Gideon.

He quickly pulled over on the side of the road and unlocked the door.

Before it had come to a complete stop, Kira was out of the car and stomping away.

'Kira!' Gideon chased after her. 'What are you doing?"

Kira refused to look at him.

She kept her head down and kept walking.

'Kira!' Gideon grabbed her arm and forced her to stop.

She shoved him back. 'Don't!'

'What's wrong?'

What's wrong is you cursing Austyn and telling me he's dead!' Kira glared at him with red-rimmed eyes.

'I didn't say he's-

'But you were thinking it, weren't you?' Kira's lips trembled.

She knew she was doing it again, taking out her frustration on someone else.

It was Heidi last time.

Now it was Gideon.

But she just couldn't help it.

The logical part of her brain knew Austyn eloping with Deborah wasn't the worst-case scenario.

The truly disastrous, devastating, earth-shattering scenario was if Austyn...

Kira couldn't bear to finish that thought.

She almost lost her father to an accident.

She couldn't imagine going through the same nightmare again.

When she opened her eyes in the morning, the first thing she did was check her phone.

She hoped against hope for a call from Austyn.

She dreaded a call from the hospital, or worse, from the police.

In this sense, no news meant good news, right?

The Last Straw

Kira would rather get a call from a divorce lawyer than one from the traffic police.

Mrs McCarthy, we are sorry to inform you that your husband has...

She shook her head to banish that horrifying scenario from her mind.

Gideon refused to let her go. 'Come on, stop lying to yourself! Have you been reading the news? Rumours about him are flying.

'Shut up!' Kira covered her ears with both hands.

Gideon gently pulled her hand down. 'Kira, you'll have to face reality sooner or later. No one has seen him for ten days, even people at his own company. If he's still alive, why won't- The rest of his words were stuck in his throat.

Kira slapped him hard across the face.

'I hate you!' Kira shrieked.

She ran off with tears streaming down her cheeks.

Gideon remained where he was.

His cheeks stung.

Kira had not held back in that slap.

He watched the woman he loved disappear into the crowd.

He wasn't mad.

It was okay.

Kira's reaction was anticipated.

He had gone through the same stages of grief when his mother passed away.

Kira was in denial.

He had provoked and goaded her until she lashed out in anger.

Soon, she would move on to bargaining.

He would be there for her when she fell into depression.

The day she accepted that Austyn was gone from her life for good was also the day she would accept him.

Gideon could wait.

He knew Austyn wasn't dead, of course.

But Kira didn't.

If she spent days mourning for Austyn, only for him to show up alive and well, with Deborah on his arm, Kira's grief was going to morph into age.

And she would never forgive Austyn.

Gideon's eyes glinted with anticipation.

That day couldn't get here fast enough.

***

Kira stopped running when her legs refused to move another step.

She looked back.

Gideon and his black BMW were no longer in sight.

She had to check the street sign to find out where she was.

She sat down on the curb and ignored the strange looks from passersby.

She took out her phone.

When the call was picked up, she burst into tears 'Giana..."

***

At the same time as Kira got into Gideon's car, two men came out of Stamford International Airport.

The man in the lead was tall and had powerful strides.

His eyes were concealed by a pair of black sunglasses.

The rest of his face was pale.

He winced as he got into a grey Lincoln Continental.

'Ardmore Park,' he said.

'Yes, Boss. Kai got in the driver's seat.

He glanced at Austyn in the rearview mirror. 'Bass, should we make a quick stop at Stamford General? It's on the way home.'

The doctors at Blumore had advised strongly against Austyn checking out so early.

But his mind was made up.

He headed straight for the airport as soon as he could stand.

The doctors made him sign a waiver.

Austyn could not sue them if his wound ruptured on the flight home or if he died from post-surgery complications.

Kai grew worried when he spotted the red patch in the front of Austyn's jacket.

Blood must have seeped through the bandage and his shirt.

"No, go straight home.' Austyn leaned against the headrest and closed his eyes, fighting the onset of jet lag-

He was now more than 240 hours late for that dinner.

'But your wound could have ruptured. The doctors said-

"Just shut up and drive!' Austyn snapped at him.

He was afraid he might lose his nerve if he dawdled any longer.

When he was six years old, he'd sneaked into his father's study when Henry was away.

He explored the cavernous room and stumbled upon Henry's gun collection.

The ancient-looking Colt 1862 Pocket Police intrigued him.

It had no external safety switch.

He toyed with the pistol.

It accidentally discharged and blew up one of Henry's file cabinets,

Shreds of paper flew everywhere.

Austyn remembered the feeling of dread, of knowing he'd done something horrible and that punishment was on its way.

He knew he could run but he couldn't hide.

Sooner or later, he had to face the consequences of his own action.

Now that same feeling returned, only a hundred times stronger.

When the car stopped at a red light, Austyn opened his eyes. 'Give me your phone.'

Kai handed over his iPhone.

Austyn found Elsie's number on the contact list and dialled.

It was picked up after six rings. 'Hello? Who's this? I don't need any insurance

'Elsie, it's me.'

A pause.

Young Master! Is that really you? Where have you been? I've been worried sick! I thought

I'm fine. I was...on a business trip. Is...is Kira home?"

"Um. Young, Madam is, uh...'

'Elsie?' Austyn sat up. 'Where's Kira?"

"Young Madam has... has moved out two days ago

Giana and Noah found Kira four blocks away from campus.

She was sitting on the curb with her head buried in her knees, sobbing.

Pedestrians occasionally stopped to gawk.

She didn't notice any of them.

'Kira, what's wrong?' Giana squatted down in front of her.

Kira was blubbering incoherently on the phone when she called Giana fifteen minutes ago.

She looked up at her friend with teary eyes. 'Giana, do you think Austyn's....Austyn's dead?'

"What? No! Of course not!' Giana was adamant.

That thought did cross her mind.

More than once, in fact.

But she wasn't about to pour fuel on the fire.

"Then why haven't I heard from him?' Kira's eyes were swollen.

She hadn't stopped crying since she called Giana

She had fought so hard to keep that crushing, devastating thought at bay.

Gideon's words were the straw that broke the camel's back.

All her pent-up emotions erupted.

Worry, fear, anxiety, dread, and now-grief.

Why must Gideon shatter the last vestiges of her hope?

Why y couldn't he let her go on indulging in wishful thinking? Why must he give voice to her worst fear?

ne Plugs Twinin (ho Hikes And Eleven Marites:

Nine Days, Twenty-One Hours And Eleven Minutes

Kira couldn't stop crying.

Giana threw both arms around her shoulders and spoke in the softest voice she could manage."

Kira dear, come on, you're overthinking. He can't be dead. It's impossible.'

'Really? Why?' Kira looked at her like a drowning person clutching at straws. 'Why is it impossible?"

"Uh, he, uh... Giana looked at her boyfriend for help.

Noah received the message.

He bent down and faced Kira. 'Mr McCarthy is the president of a huge company. He travels with bodyguards, I presume. They won't let him come to any harm. It's their job."

Kira stared in Noah's direction.

Her vision was blurred by tears. 'Really? Then why didn't he call me?"

Maybe he got held up,' Giana said.

'By what?'

His ex-girlfriend, probably.

But Giana kept that thought to herself.

She racked her brain for another plausible answer. 'Uh, maybe some difficulty at work?'

'Like what?'

Giana was sweating now. 'Uh, I don't... Maybe...maybe some big deal fell through and he had to be there to, um, to save the day. He's the boss, right? He must have a lot of responsibilities."

"He could still call."

'Maybe he's in a country without electricity. Or internet.' Giana was running out of ideas.

Noah came to her rescue. 'Mr McCarthy has at least a dozen people working directly under him. He won't be in any real danger. Besides, if something happened to him, won't his friends know about it by now? Surely, they would have informed you. Since there's no news,

you should take it as a good sign.'

Kira thought about Austyn's friends.

Luca O'Neill had blocked her number.

Jesse Chase avoided her like the plague.

Liam Cane....he was not exactly Austyn's friend.

TiromeOneHinc And Dieren Minutes

Wait!

There was one more person she hadn't called.

Damian Matthews.

She didn't have his number, but she bet Luca and Jesse did.

She should call him.