No Mercy, No Forgiveness

The phone alarm rang. Geoffrey glanced at the time, clocked out right on schedule, leaving Sean alone in the office.

The office was empty.

Sean clenched the Heirloom Pendant in his hand until blood seeped from his palm before finally releasing it.

Stepping outside, he spotted Stuart lying barely breathing on the roadside. “Take him back,” he coldly ordered.

Pearl.

An eerie silence filled the rooms. In the corner of the living room sat a glaringly bright red case, jarringly out of place.

Geoffrey returned home precisely on time and settled onto the sofa Maureen used to favor.

Everything felt the same, yet utterly different.

He didn’t know how long he’d sat there when his gaze drifted to that case.

Sean had sent it over–Maureen’s belongings. He hadn’t opened it until now.

Approaching the case, Geoffrey bent down and lifted the lid.

The passcode was painfully simple: his birthday.

He knew because Maureen had used his birthday for every lock in this villa.

Inside lay everyday items and clothes, sparse for a woman’s belongings.

Geoffrey couldn’t bring himself to sift through them. He shut the case again.

Without eating, he retreated to the bedroom they once shared.

The moment he entered, Maureen’s cremation urn and her black–and–white photo stared back at him.

Skeletal remains couldn’t yield DNA after cremation, but Geoffrey remained certain–Maureen wasn’t dead…

She absolutely wouldn’t die!

She wouldn’t dare die!

How could someone as pain–averse as Maureen dare to die?

She was just deceiving herself to be with Gareth.

0.0%

19:25

Chapter31

Maureen’s prince

eluded him

unusually early

his assistant delivered

unchanged–until

bowl at the

photograph in the

texts when

light upon returning

leaving work

entire company witnessed his

Maureen lived, Geoffrey deliberately worked past

secretaries exchanged knowing

much did Mr. Sutton despise

she died, he clocks

288 Vouchers

I were an accomplished man like Mr. Sutton, I’d never fancy some deaf woman with

as pretty as her, I’d make sure to

the special assistant, overheard their conversation and spoke up

he liked meddling, but he was better at

work, having people look

Wayne, this behavior wasn’t just because

Geoffrey never gave up searching

Eve, snow was

the past, Maureen would always accompany Geoffrey back to

was different. Geoffrey went back

31.0%

19:25

Chapter31

288 Vouchers

cheerful and talkative man he was when Maureen first left, now Geoffrey mostly sat alone, hardly speak-

came in a hurry and left

lay white and pure, a

reason, it felt

floor–to–ceiling window,

you’d better not

behind

turned to see his mother, Heather, dressed extravagantly,

what’s wrong

a