Tempted Trapped and Too Late to Run

Chapter 881

When the car pulled up at Palm Bay, she could tell Dylan was dead set on

keeping the whole thing with the child and Walter a secret—for good this time. She didn't even bother asking. Instead, she went straight upstairs and found the guest room furthest from the master bedroom to crash in.

Dylan stood alone in the empty foyer, listening as her footsteps faded down the hall.

The housekeeper spotted him and lit up. "Sir, you're finally home! Is there anything you'd like for dinner tonight?"

Dylan shook his head, glanced up the stairs, and started climbing, slow and heavy-footed.

He paused when he heard noise from the courtyard. Looking out, he caught sight of a face that looked almost exactly like Charles's-only younger, as if they could be twins.

Uno saw him too, but his face stayed blank. He just kept munching through a plate piled with fruit.

The housekeeper hurried over. "He's someone Mrs. Clara brought home. Eats like he's starving, every single meal."

Dylan just nodded and went upstairs without another word.

He and Clara had slipped into this weird, silent standoff. Two days went by and neither of them said a thing.

On the third night, Clara woke up in the middle of the night, restless and frustrated. What was the point of acting like this? She'd risked everything to find him-gone alone to dangerous places. Now they were both safe. Why keep pretending nothing was wrong?

She got up and padded down the hallway toward his room.

off except for a sliver of light under his door. He never did like sleeping in

was about to knock when his

I supposed to do? His feelings

low and calm. "Sir, you

voice sounded lost and, in the quiet,

started to turn back, but then that second

the truth about his disappearance. She loves you-but she's

froze, one hand braced

was she

drifted back to her room, Megan's words echoing in her head: Z's red bead bracelet and that ring had both shown up in Dylan's

much. She'd gone to the West Hill cemetery, she'd learned there was a child. Dylan

light, and stepped out onto the

her mind came

like that isn't good enough for Clara.

"I do."

maybe she was just done with it all. She took a breath, turned,

of the hallway,

straight over and thrust

was just about to lie down. He looked up, startled, as she

he'd been talking to

apple bobbed