Chapter 8
Sitting in my office, I focused intently on the blueprint in front of me. Being an architect in one of the biggest companies in Sydney was no easy feat, but I welcomed the distraction. It kept my mind from wandering too far into memories I wanted to bury.
As I adjusted the dimensions on my design, my phone buzzed beside me. I glanced at the screen and saw a message from one of the hired staff I’d been working with to keep tabs on Oliver and Naomi. Reluctantly, I opened it.
The message included photos, along with a short update: “Oliver and Naomi aren’t going well. He’s abandoned her and told her to abort the baby. But Naomi hasn’t done it She’s planning to keep the baby so she can use it to get back to Oliver once it’s born.”
I stared at the pictures of Naomi, her hand resting on her stomach, her face a mix of frustration and desperation. She still thought she could use that child to control Oliver, to
tie him to her forever.
No. It needed to end.
I wasn’t going to let the police or the courts handle this. They wouldn’t understand what I had been through, what I had lost because of her. This wasn’t about justice–it was about making sure Naomi felt every ounce of the pain she had caused me.
Picking up my phone, I made the call. The line clicked, and one of the men I had hired answered.
“She needs to be taught a lesson,” I said coldly. “Do what needs to be done. Torture her until she bleeds. She has to lose the child.”
“Consider it done,” the man replied, his voice steady.
I hung up and set the phone down, inhaling deeply. This was the only way.
Shoving those thoughts aside, I stood and grabbed my helmet and bag before heading to the construction site to check on progress. As I walked through the hall, I heard laughter and giggling coming from outside the office. At first, I ignored it, assuming it was just the workers joking around, but then I heard Scott’s name being mentioned.
Curious and slightly irritated, I stepped outside, only to find Scott standing in the middle of the site, preparing lunch for everyone. He had a table set up with sandwiches, drinks, and snacks, his grin as charming as ever as he handed out plates to the workers.
“What are you doing?” I asked, crossing my arms.
Scott turned to me, a plate in hand. “You haven’t eaten, have you? This is for you.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Scott, no. I don’t need-”
“How about we think of this as us being friends again?” he interrupted, cutting me off with that annoyingly stubborn tone of his. “You know, just so things aren’t awkward.”
I let out a long breath, knowing full well that Scott wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Fine,” I muttered, taking the plate from him.
His grin widened, and I could hear a few of the workers chuckling behind him.
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Scott turned to me, a plate in hand. “You haven’t eaten, have you? This is for you.”
I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Scott, no. I don’t need-”
“How about we think of this as us being friends again?” he interrupted, cutting me off with that annoyingly stubborn tone of his. “You know, just so things aren’t awkward.”
I let out a long breath, knowing full well that Scott wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Fine,” I muttered, taking the plate from him.
His grin widened, and I could hear a few of the workers chuckling behind him.
As we sat down to eat, I couldn’t help but notice how easily Scott fit in with everyone. He had this natural charisma that drew people in, making them laugh with his playful remarks and lighthearted jokes. He’d spent most of the morning helping the workers on site, even though he wasn’t obligated to. The way he interacted with them–offering a helping hand or cracking a joke when someone needed a pick–me–up–made it impossible for anyone to dislike him.
“You’re surprisingly good at this,” I said, raising an eyebrow as I watched him hand out food to the workers like he owned the place.
Scott turned to me with his signature grin. “What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.”
“Annoying me is definitely at the top of the list,” I replied, rolling my eyes as I unwrapped my sandwich.
“Ah, but I’m not just annoying, am I?” he teased, leaning back in his chair. “Admit it, Hannah, you’d miss me if I wasn’t here.”
I snorted, shaking my head. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
One of the workers passing by chimed in with a laugh. “Scott, you should just quit your day job and become our team chef. These sandwiches are way better than what we usually
get.”
“See? People love me,” Scott said, winking at me. “You could learn a thing or two from
them.”
I rolled my eyes again, trying to hide the small smile tugging at my lips. “Don’t get used to it. This is a one–time thing.”
“You’ve been saying that since I got here,” he shot back, his grin widening. “And yet, here we are, still tolerating each other. Progress,”
Despite myself, I couldn’t help but laugh. Scott had this way of breaking down my walls, even when I was determined to keep them up.
We ate in silence for a moment before my phone buzzed again. I pulled it out, expecting another work update, but what I saw made my lips curl into a smirk.
It was a video message.
I pressed play and watched as Naomi was dragged away by two men, her screams muffled as they pushed her into the back of a van.
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a slow breath. “She deserves this,” I whispered to myself, a quiet satisfaction washing over me.
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“See? People love me.” Scott said, winking at me “You souls wanting sum
them
trolled my eyes again, trying to hide the small smile tugging on my lips on ge
- it. This is a one–time thing
“You’ve been saying that since got here,” he shot back his gen worsening that we here we are still tolerating each other Progress”
Despite myself, I couldn’t help but laugh. Scott had this way of breaking from my vale even when I was determined to keep them up.
We ate in silence for a moment before my phone buzzed agan pules rOS ATSKA another work update, but what I saw made my lips our into a smick
It was a video message.
I pressed play and watched as Naomi was dragged away by two men he gene muffler as they pushed her into the back of a van.
I leaned back in my chair, letting out a slow breath “She deserves this whispered to myself, a quiet satisfaction washing over me.
Scott glanced at me, raising an eyebrow. “Wher’s that
“Nothing” I said quickly, slipping my phone back into my pocket
Naomi was finally going to feel the pain I had endured. And for the first time in a long time, 1 felt like I could breathe.
