Chapter 9
Elijah immediately pushed the doubt aside. Impossible. Gloria was obsessed with him.
Making her stop loving him would hurt her more than death itself. This had to be another of her games–playing hard to get.
His eyes hardened. Whatever she was planning, it wouldn’t work. He’d never love her. Jenna was and would always be the only one.
Forcing his attention back to his bride, he spoke his vows with careful emphasis:
“Jenna, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I take you as my wife. I’ll never leave you. In this life and all lives to come, you’re the only one for me.”
Tears welled in Jenna’s eyes as she responded, pulling him into a passionate kiss.
The wedding went perfectly smooth. None of the disasters Elijah had feared materialized. No dramatic interruptions, no issues with his bride’s health. His friends even commented that he seemed more focused than ever.
Only Elijah knew the truth–his mind had been elsewhere. A certain face kept appearing in his thoughts, disturbing his concentration.
While Jenna rested in their suite, he retrieved his phone from the wedding coordinator. His body went rigid when he saw the red exclamation point by his message.
In all these years, no matter how dramatic things got, Gloria had never blocked him.
She was definitely playing games.
Elijah rubbed his temples and dialed her number.
“Gloria, you-”
“The number you’ve dialed is no longer in service. Please try-”
SLAM. His phone hit the desk.
Well, well, well.
Little Gloria had really done it.
She’d actually blocked him.
Fine. He wouldn’t chase her. When he came to bring her home, she’d come running back. Despite his marriage, she loved him too much to stay away.
His anger cooled slightly. Still, she was his responsibility–her father had trusted him. If anything happened to her…
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Addio To The Stand–In Past, This Time I Chose To Reclaim My Own Life
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Chapter 9
He made another call. “Find out which city she went to. Once you locate her, keep an eye on her.”
That night, after getting Jenna to sleep, a knock came at his door. He slipped out carefully.
The moment the door closed, Jenna’s eyes snapped open.
In his study, Elijah’s face darkened as his assistant reported.
“Say that again. Where did she go?”
The assistant swallowed hard. “We’ve checked every travel record in the city. No trace of Miss Ramírez.”
“All her domestic IDs have been canceled… We think she left the country. We don’t know where…”
“Sir, should we contact her father? She is his daughter after all…”
Elijah was speechless with rage. He’d thought she’d just blocked his number–but secretly leaving the country?
How dare she?
“Gloria…”
“Sir…?” The assistant ventured when Elijah remained silent.
Elijah took a deep breath, forcing down his anger.
“Not yet. Keep looking.”
She’d come back. Gloria, who was so desperately in love with him, couldn’t stay away forever.
Could she?
claim My Own Life
