Page 87 of Unravelling: Aria & Crispin
Picking up the slight softening of her expression, he pushed his advantage. He reached into the inner pocket of his coat and brought out a small carved rosewood box with enamel inlays. Gently, he opened it to reveal an ornate, antique French yellow sapphire ring, nestled in a bed of velvet, diamonds circling it like petals.
"Do you think she'd like it?" he asked, eyes not leaving Lule's face.
As if asking for her blessing.
Lule's eyes widened. "Oh, you idiot." Crispin got the impression she wasn't referring to him.
She turned to Rahul, who was already giving her a smug I-told-you-so look. She wrinkled her nose. "That's not a good look on you," she shot right back at him.
She was thoughtful for a beat before looking up. "I knew something stank," she said, then introspectively, "I should have trusted my instincts. She didn't say it, but I could feel something was off. Something happened that day you had the board meeting."
Crispin's expression hardened. "Tell me."
Lule hesitated, then haltingly, began recounting what she knew. Aria had been shaken by what she heard over the phone that evening. She had said little afterwards, only that he was marrying Helga. How she had packed up and moved to Harlech. But she remembered the odd bruises on her wrist where she had held too tight. The tears she tried to hide.
Crispin's hands curled into fists.
"Marcus," he said grimly. "He had access to my phone. He must have said something. I recently came to know Helga made my sister's life hell in secondary school. I would rather marry a viper."
He looked at Lule, eyes burning. "Tell me where she is."
She looked at him for a long, measuring moment. "Tell you what, let's go together. It's a long drive."
Crispin shot to his feet. "I'll grab my bag."
But as he turned, Lule held up a hand. "Wait. Just...listen."
He paused, suddenly on guard at that hesitant tone from Lule.
"I think," she said, glancing at Rahul, then back to Crispin, "that you and my sister need a calm conversation. No drama, just honesty. She's fragile right now. Don't storm in like an overgrown bull."
"You lead the way." Crispin nodded solemnly. "I'm calm," he added, straightening his jacket.
Rahul snorted.
Lule raised a brow. "Famous last words."
Chapter 47
Crispin
The trip to Harlech was five hours of nail-biting torture...at least for Crispin.
It was a Friday afternoon, traffic was slow and the clouds were heavy with impending rain. Rahul had brought his car, a sleek black Audi that still smelled of new leather. Lule beat Crispin to the front seat with the triumph of a victorious general.
"You've been delegated to the wastelands, Crispy," she said, shooting him a wicked grin.
He could do nothing but get in the back like a scolded intern.
Lule was dressed in an oversized hoodie that readI Am Allergic to Bullshit and Stupid Menand grey sweatpants. She had shoved her feet up on the dashboard within minutes of the car starting and was already munching on Oreos, scattering crumbs with reckless abandon. Rahul, in a soft black T-shirt and matching joggers, flicked his eyes to the mess but said nothing.
Crispin sympathised deeply.
"Is she always like this?" he murmured to Rahul. "You should have become a diplomat."
Rahul's mouth twitched. "You got the placid sister."
"I'm going to burn holes through your skull using my super-duper laser vision," Lule muttered around a mouthful of chocolate biscuit to one or both of them.
