The Officer's Runaway Wife and Secret Son novel Chapter 349

The evening sky over Heron Bay was ablaze with color. Simon parked the car and glanced back at Felix, who was sleeping soundly in the back seat.

He whispered to Alex, "You carry Felix inside. Be quiet, don't wake him up and let him see."

Alex nodded and gently lifted Felix out of the car.

As he passed the car parked by the gate, Alex paused, gave a slight nod to the figure in the driver's seat as a greeting, and hurried into the yard with the child.

Simon locked his car, shoved his hands in his pockets, and sauntered over to the other vehicle. He tapped twice on the passenger-side window.

A soft click signaled the doors unlocking.

Simon pulled the door open and plopped down inside.

The air in the car was stuffy without the AC running.

"I'm telling you, Captain Huntington," Simon began, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "Should I paint a parking spot for you right here and start charging by the hour? Are you planning to set up a permanent vigil for your lost love, or are you thinking of a career change to security guard?"

Rhys ignored the taunt. His eyes were lost in the twilight, his expression unreadable, but his voice was hoarse when he spoke.

"She changed her plans."

"No kidding," Simon rolled his eyes. "Clara's on a road trip, not serving a prison sentence. Of course she's moving around. One day she's watching the ocean down south, the next she's admiring mountains up north. Maybe tomorrow she'll feel like flying abroad to feed pigeons. What, she didn't send you her location?"

He let out a short, cold laugh. "Right. You're the ex-hubby now. Gotta know your place. No more tracking privileges for you."

"She's in Brighton City."

Simon, who had just pulled out his phone to scroll through Twitter, froze. "Where?"

"Brighton City."

Rhys repeated himself and tossed his phone onto Simon's lap. The screen was still lit, displaying the messages from Mia.

Simon glanced at them.

"So?" he tossed the phone back. "Is Brighton City some kind of forbidden zone? She's not allowed to go there?"

"She's at Brighton City General Hospital."

Simon didn't shy away from the fact. "Noah's there. Is it a problem for her to visit him? You know what they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. A little time apart makes for a sweet reunion. Ever heard of it?"

Rhys's lips tightened into a thin line.

"Rhys, that's enough," Simon said, his tone serious now. "You've seen it yourself. Felix really likes Noah. My parents are happy with him too. Just stop making things difficult."

"Let her go. And let yourself go. Can you do that?"

Let go. The words were so easy to say, just a simple movement of the lips.

Every TV show and novel taught people how to have a graceful exit, how to do the noble thing and wish someone well.

Rhys had tried.

For years, every single moment before he had stepped into The Ivory House, he had forced himself to let go. He told himself that as long as she was happy, as long as she could smile, it was okay if the person who made her smile wasn't him.

But now, knowing that she had driven a thousand miles by herself just to see another man, that she might be about to settle down with him, and that her joys, her sorrows, and the rest of her life would have nothing to do with him—a savage pain tore through his chest.

He couldn't accept it.

Noah had four years to be with her and nothing happened. Why now, right after he had reappeared, was everything suddenly falling into place for them?

"Simon."

Rhys suddenly asked, "If I had managed to get to her side in time back then, do you think she still would have chosen Noah?"