Page 178 of Symphony for Lies

Amelia belonged to me, so I wasn’t afraid of losingher to him.

My eyes flicked up to the clock. I had a meeting with an art dealer in an unfamiliar city, far away from my wife.

Three days without Amelia.

Too many days.

My phone buzzed. I unlocked it and opened the new photo message.

Amelia.

She was in the garden, surrounded by Layla, Tiana, Stacy, my parents, Layla’s baby girl, Simon, and Ivy. A familiar warmth settled in my chest until my eyes caught sight of someone else in the group.

Spencer.

My jaw tightened instinctively, and I forced myself to stay calm. He was just a friend, but still… I didn’t like him anywhere near her.

A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

An irritated Ryan entered the room. “Mr. Cole, the artist had to cancel at the last minute. He’s asking if we can reschedule.”

I shot to my feet. “Then he can come to us next time. Let’s go.”

He arched a brow. “In a hurry, are we?”

“I want to see my wife.” I brushed past him, grabbing my laptop, jacket, and bag.

“We still have some formalities to go over,” he protested, catching my arm.

“What formalities?” I was seconds away from shaking him off.

“The contracts! They still need your signature. We can’t leave until that’s done.”

I rolled my eyes, motioning toward the desk. “They’re all there. Signed.”

Ryan blinked in surprise. “Wait… what? I thought you were going to review them after the meeting?”

“Changed my mind. Can I leave now?”

A trace of amusement, maybe even pride, flashed in his eyes. “Yeah, sir. You can.”

The moment he released me, I was out the door and hailing a cab back to my hotel.

After changing my flight, I’d be home in only a few hours if everything went according to plan.

It was late at night when I finally stood in front of our home. My suitcase felt heavy in my hand, but it was nothing compared to the weight pressing on my chest.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Dropping my suitcase with a dull thud, I kicked off my shoes and draped my jacket on the hook.

With every step up the stairs, the anticipation rose.

But the bedroom was empty.

A flicker of unease gripped me until I heard the sound of splashing.

My body relaxed.

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