Chapter 4

After dinner, I headed to the Sloan residence alone.

Instead of using the front door, I fished out the key Tracie gave me from my pocket and let myself in through the back.

When I reached upstairs, I heard voices and quickly ducked into the bathroom.

The master bedroom was right next door. I pressed my ear against the wall and caught bits of their hushed conversation.

"Easton, you ought to call Tracie," a voice said.

I recognized Zelda's voice right away. It was trembling and sounded like she was about to cry.

She went on, "This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, Tracie wouldn't have run away.

"She hasn't called because she's waiting for you to coax her. I know women. Tracie's just feeling jealous even at this age."

Well, she was not exactly a spring chicken herself.

Easton didn't say a word.

Zelda's sobs got even louder. I could literally hear her sniffling.

She choked out, "After all these years, do you really still hate me? You have no idea, but I actually sneaked back to see you once."

Then she went on about her miserable life after being shipped overseas for marriage. She said Lloyd pulled out all the stops to tear them apart, and that she'd sacrificed her own happiness by handing over the gift money to Lloyd, but even that couldn't save the Sloan family's business.

I could hear Easton's breathing get shaky. He said, "Are you telling the truth? Lloyd never breathed a word about any of this."

The Sloan residence was a vast, old compound, designed by Lloyd to reflect the classic taste of the era. The bathroom actually had a direct line of sight straight into the master bedroom.

I couldn't hold back anymore. I moved to the bathroom window and stuck half my body out, so I could finally get a clear look inside.

They were both sitting on the edge of the bed, but they kept a decent distance between them.

Zelda's tears fell one after another, dropping with every sentence she uttered.

Each one hung on her cheek, tugging at my heart.

If she ever tried out for a soap opera role, even the director would probably be touched.

She said, "After I got married, things were good for a few years. But you know how those foreign types are. My husband always looked down on me because of my background. After a while, he got bored, saying, I was too old-fashioned, not nearly as charming or savvy as other women. Then came the abuse and nights when he just wouldn't come home, which was almost routine and reported in the newspapers."

Well, that was true. She made it onto Nenouton Times.

Easton took a deep breath. "Why didn't you ever tell me any of this?"

Zelda explained, "You were the first person I thought of. I wanted to reach out. But when I tried to call home, Lloyd told me you were already married. I couldn't believe it, so I secretly came back to see for myself. But you were already off on your honeymoon with your wife. Lloyd told me there was no need for me to come back ever again."

Easton hesitated, his head bowed in thought.

"He's looked after you all these years. No way he'd throw you out," he said.

"Why? You don't believe me?" Zelda asked.

Seeing the doubt in Easton's eyes, Zelda immediately swore, "If I'm lying, may I die a horrible death."

Easton shifted uncomfortably. "Don't say things like that. Just stay here from now on. I'll talk to her about last night."

"But how am I supposed to face Tracie after all this?" Zelda asked.

Easton sounded a bit impatient. "I told you. I'll handle it with her."

But Zelda was stubborn. She edged even closer. "Easton, I know you still have feelings for me, and I've never stopped caring about you. What happened last night... It was just the two of us losing control. So, I'm thinking..."

I raised an eyebrow, my heart racing. Like hell what he was thinking would happen.

There was no way I'd let Easton divorce Tracie.

Easton immediately stood up, turning his back to Zelda. He said a bit coolly, "Let's not overthink about what happened last night, okay?"

Worried they'd catch me snooping, I jerked back inside, only to spot someone downstairs eyeing me with a sharp, suspicious stare.

Then a shadowy figure darted in through the back door.

I scrambled to lock the bathroom, hunkered down on the toilet seat, and kept my ear perked for every single word.

"Easton, you let me down thirty years ago. Are you really going to dump me again now that I'm in trouble?" Zelda demanded.

"Don't worry. I'll help you pay off every debt you owe overseas. From now on, you can finally live—" Easton started to say.

But Zelda cut him off before he could finish, practically yelling, "No. That's not what I want, and you know it. I want you. Only you!"

I rolled my eyes. She was totally nuts.

This was so nasty that I literally almost puked right into the toilet.

Just then, my phone started buzzing on the edge of the sink, making me jump. I snatched it up and frantically shut it off against my chest.

But that buzzing had already alerted the two in the master room.

Easton swung the door open, his voice echoing down the hallway. "Who's there?"