Page 42 of Deadline for Love

His words and his look broke my heart. Nathan had lost his sister; the other families had lost their daughters, too. Animportant person in their lives was sacrificed for an inexplicable act.

I bowed my head in shame—how could I be selfish and refuse this proposal when so much was at stake?

“But what if he gets more aggressive and kills more people? According to the new poem, he already seems to have a new victim.”

Nia held onto my shoulders and looked deep into my eyes. “He’s already murdered people. It’s not your fault, Bella. If he has a victim already, she may not be with us anymore... No matter what else happens, if we drag this out any longer, you won’t be able to get out on your own, and there will surely be more victims because he’s taking his time. But if we provoke him, he will make mistakes, and those mistakes will be his downfall.”

Her words made sense. I looked over at Nathan, who had a severe look, but when our eyes met, his eyes softened and reassured me.

“Yeah, well... if you think it will be helpful... maybe we should do it.”

Chapter 15

Nia was satisfied with my decision but thought we should discuss it further tomorrow, as we still had to complete all the articles. So, she took her leave because she wanted to edit the pictures on her computer at home and send them to me later.

She was excited and thrilled; for me, it was also exciting but kind of scary...

Nathan accompanied Nia downstairs where a friend was already waiting to pick her up in front of the building.

After a while, he returned and persuaded me to stay overnight…

I was initially uncomfortable with the idea. I wasn’t mentally prepared to live with Nathan, but I was grateful he was helping me.

A quick tour of his apartment had been done, and he hadn’t been lying when he said he hadn’t exaggerated. What he had listed to us was true. Although the apartment looked cozy and modern; it was also somehow lifeless. There were hardly any decorations, family pictures, and little color...

When we arrived in his room, he asked me if sleeping together on the same bed would be a problem. He offered to sleep in the living room for the time being, and I would sleep in his room until he redesigned the study area for me and got me another bed. I didn’t want him to waste money unnecessarily because of me. Besides, the bed was so big that neither of us had to sleep on the sofa.

My gaze roamed for a moment to his bedside table, where I could see a family picture and sleeping pills next to it... Then I looked at Nathan again; he seemed tired. Really, really tired... Nevertheless, he asked if I wanted to stop by my place to grab some clothes or any toiletries.

We decided I would get some clothes the next day, so he left me his shorts and a T-shirt for later.

By now, I was in the study. I was sitting at the oversized desk in front of the window. I could see the park and the beautiful moonlight in the background. The chair I was sitting on was wonderfully comfortable, and it seemed that Nathan often worked here. He had a flipchart and a board with drawings. There were even notes stuck to the computer display.

Sighing, I put my laptop on the table and connected it to my recording device, where I had transferred all the interviews, and then started typing straight away. Nathan popped in to bring me some snacks and tea, then left because he wanted to go to bed.

He really was caring, made me feel comfortable here, and allowed me space to work. What more could I ask for?

My smile disappeared; however, when I returned to work, I completed everything several times and deleted and rewrote it. I wanted to make the article about the anonymous sender and possible murderer so provocative and yet fascinating for the readers that I was almost obsessed with having it all perfect.

‘Riddle me this: Nursery Rhymes or Nursery Crimes?’

The article was two pages long and had a tone that sounded derogatory towards the perpetrator while honoring the dead. I was also making fun of the beginner rhymes he had sent to Rita Blake—I was completely immersed in my own rage.

When I was finally done, I saved the articles and checked my mail to find the attachment from Nia. The images were all perfect, and when I saw Fernando’s photo, all my anger faded. Nia had taken a picture of him alone, and Enzo and Maria stood to his right and left, proudly looking at their grandson. Such a loving picture could only bring a smile to your face.

I quickly added all the photos and sent everything to my boss. He would see the articles tomorrow, and I sincerely hoped he would be satisfied.

After closing the laptop, I stretched myself before returning to the chair. I felt tired now.

My fingers throbbed from all the keying, and my eyes burned from staring at the display. The room clock told me it was two a.m.

I took the empty plates and put them away in the kitchen. Then I grabbed the clothes Nathan had prepared for me and had a quick shower, though I initially struggled to figure out how to get the water going… Why did rich people need so many handles in their showers?

When I finished, I put on Nathan’s shorts and sweatshirt, which were comically large but still very comfortable. I dried my wet hair with a towel and tied it in a bun.

It was dark in the room, but the windows were huge, and the moonlight lit up the room. The atmosphere here was somehow magical...

A strange feeling spread through my body. This was the first time I would sleep next to a man in years. And not just any man, but Nathan, who completely confuses my emotional world. He managed to break through my walls and made me give him achance, even though I had vowed never to give a man a shot in my life again.

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