Chapter 66

Jane Just this once

Lv.1

A week later I still haven’t been able to bring myself to tell Ethan about the police suspecting me for his Mother’s murder. I keep telling myself that it’s simply too much stress for him at an already difficult time, but I think there’s also a small part of me that’s afraid he won’t believe me. The detective’s words have been playing on loop in my mind, and I have to admit his story sounds compelling.

We’re finally returning to the apartment today, assured by the crime scene cleanup team that it’s now spotless and we would never know such a horrible thing happened there. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to erase the image from my mind, nor do I think Ethan will. The kids are the least bothered by all of this, but then again they don’t know Petra was murdered, they simply know she’s gone.

So when we return to the Penthouse, the kids run in almost instantly, rushing off to their rooms while Ethan and I stand frozen in the doorway, haunted by the last occasion we stood in this place. To their credit, the crime scene team had been true to their word. There’s not even the slightest hint that anything happened, no lingering scent of death or items out of place – it’s exactly as was before the murder.

“Are you alright?” I ask Ethan, squeezing his arm.

His handsome face is hard as steel, his jaw clenched so tight I can see it twitch. “I’m not sure I can stay in this apartment now.”

“There’s always my rat breeding farm.” I offer.

He hooks his arm around my neck and pulls me in, dropping a kiss on my temple with a chuckle. “Thank you, but I’ll give it a few days and see how I feel.”

“No one would blame you if you wanted to move.” I tell him, pulling out of his hold. “But they also tell you not to make any major life decisions for like 6 months after a loss like this.”

He’s already reaching for me again, “Does that include custody decisions?”

taking Paisley from Ethan when he’s just lost his mother. Slipping out of his

tenderness and Ethan dearly needed it, in fact I’ve woken every morning this week with both Ethan and our pups in my bed, even on the nights I went to sleep completely alone. “Including with the pups.” I add. “I don’t mind co-sleeping every now and then but it took me ages to

him he’s eyeing me

I meant and you know it.” I

I don’t have something soft to cuddle, and then the pack will pay the price: Without a strong leader the city will fall to ruin,

predator.” I quip, dancing away from him as he continues to stalk me through the apartment, “in that case we’ll see if Paisley will

sweet-smelling the way a lovely little

stopping long enough to let

as if he doesn’t believe his ears.

palms to his chest, looking up at him as

his head back and laughs, calling after me as I cart

make a puppy pile amongst themselves, then retreating to my own room and closing the door behind me. However hours later, when it was

room and found Ethan sitting up in the dim lamplight,

Petra was prominent in many of the photos, and

reach out my hand to Ethan, who didn’t seem to realize I was there until he sees it in

Venka

room and crawled into bed beside him, fully intending to go back to my own room once he was asleep. However the next thing I know it’s morning, and I’m waking up sprawled

few hours later. We’re meeting for coffee, reconnecting for the first time since the murder. I know he’s probably anxious to find out if I’ve thought any more about dating him, but the moment we sit down, I couldn’t help but spill the developments I’ve been hiding from Ethan. “I feel more and more nervous every minute. It’s a huge relief to finally be able to talk

“What makes you

course it’s Eve.” I respond, “I mean

Paisley out of

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