Contract Marriage After a Crazy Night

Chapter 197: ~ 197

Chapter 197

~ Octavia ~

The following morning, the sun climbed over the jagged skyline of Manhattan, casting long, golden fingers across Central Park. Walter navigated the limo to the edge of the park, which was awakening in that quiet, rhythmic way unique to New York mornings. The air was crisp, scented with damp earth and the promise of spring.

Locke and Holt trailed me with the practiced ease of shadows. They were far enough to grant me the illusion of privacy, yet close enough that I could hear the faint, rhythmic scuff of their boots on the pavement. My eyes scanned the verdant landscape instinctively, searching for a face I barely knew but felt tied to.

Then I saw her. Annie was standing near a weathered stone bench, a large silver suitcase resting by her side. The sight of the luggage made my pace falter. Why was she packed? Was she running, or was she part of the plan to move me?

She checked her watch, a sharp, restless movement, and sighed. As I approached, she looked up, her eyes widening slightly behind her sunglasses. "Octavia. I...I wasn’t entirely sure you’d actually show up."

"I don’t make a habit of bailing on meetings, Annie. Especially not ones that sound this urgent."

"Thank you for coming," she said, her voice small against the backdrop of the city’s distant hum..

"Let’s sit," I suggested, gesturing to the bench.

We sat, the cold stone biting through my coat. For a moment, the only sound was the rustle of leaves and the distant chirping of birds. Annie’s knuckles were white as she gripped the handle of her suitcase. Finally, she turned to me, and what I saw in her eyes wasn’t the cold calculation of a Harrington. It was a raw, agonizing conflict.

"I don’t have much time," she began, glancing at her watch again. "My flight to Chicago leaves in a few hours. I’m heading to Illinois for my sister’s wedding."

"So why the secret rendezvous, Annie? Why reach out now?"

She took a deep, shaky breath. "Dorian Harrington approached me yesterday. He...he came to me with a proposition."

The mention of Dorian’s name acted like a spark in a dark room. My posture straightened, every nerve ending on high alert. "What did he want from you?"

Annie looked down at her feet, her voice barely a whisper. "He wanted me to help him get rid of you, Octavia. He wanted me to be the one to lure you into a situation where you’d be...neutralized."

I stared at her, my blood turning to ice. I knew Dorian was a monster, but the scale of his depravity was still staggering. He wasn’t just using professionals like Anthony and Bella anymore; he was trying to turn family into assassins.

"And did he offer you a prize for your loyalty?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm. "Dorian doesn’t ask for favors; he makes trades."

Annie’s fingers trembled. "He offered me Clinton. He told me that if I helped him remove the ’obstacle’—meaning you—he would ensure that Clinton finally saw me. That Clinton would be mine, legally and emotionally."

I leaned back, my mind spinning. Dorian knew Annie’s weakness. He had weaponized her unrequited love for his own son, dangling Clinton like a carrot to incite a murder.

"And are you?" I asked, the question sharp as a needle. "Are you on his side, Annie?"

She looked up, her eyes flashing with a sudden, fierce integrity. "No! God, no. I couldn’t do it." She shook her head violently. "I love Clinton, Octavia. I’ve loved him since we were children. But I won’t buy his affection with blood. I won’t destroy a woman’s life just to possess a man who doesn’t want me."

A sob caught in her throat, but she swallowed it down. "I was jealous of you. I hated how he looked at you, how he spoke your name like it was a prayer. But being a part of the Harrington family doesn’t mean I’m a murderer. I couldn’t live with myself."

I watched her, looking for a crack in the story, a hint of the Harrington deceit. But all I saw was a heartbroken girl trying to do the right thing. I felt a surge of genuine pity for her.

"You did the right thing by coming to me," I said gently. "Dorian is dangerous, Annie. More dangerous than you realize."

"I see that now," she whispered. "He looked at me like I was just another piece of paper to be signed. He didn’t care about my feelings for Clinton; he just wanted a weapon."

"I’m glad you didn’t let him use you."

Annie wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "Can I ask you something? Before I go?"

"Anything."

"Do you love him? Your husband, Franklin? Is he really the one for you?"

I didn’t hesitate. "Yes. With everything I am. I’ve never loved anyone the way I love my husband."

Annie smiled—a sad, fleeting thing. "I figured as much. The way you’re fighting for him..it’s beautiful, in a tragic sort of way. I hope he makes it back to you, Octavia. You both deserve a win." ƒreewebɳovel.com

She stood up, checking her watch one last time. "I have to go. The airport is a nightmare this time of day."

"Be careful, Annie. If Dorian finds out you spoke to me—"

"He won’t. I finally came up to him and told him I needed time to think about it while I was in Chicago. By the time I get back, hopefully, you’ve taken him down." She paused, then took me by surprise by accepting the hug I offered. For a few seconds, we weren’t rivals or enemies; we were just two women caught in the wake of a very powerful, very evil man.

She trolleyed her suitcase away, disappearing into the morning mist. I stood there, my heart heavy with the weight of her confession. Dorian was actively plotting my death. The timeline had shifted from days to hours.

I turned to head back to the limo, Locke and Holt falling into their usual formation. We were halfway to the parking lot when my phone erupted in my pocket. I pulled it out to see an unlisted number. My thumb hovered over the screen. freёwebnovel.com

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Flemington?" The voice was male, professional, and crackling with the static of a long-distance connection.

"This is she. Who am I speaking to?"

"This is Officer Reynolds from the Aviation Emergency Response unit. I’m calling from the regional coordination center."

My heart began a frantic, erratic rhythm. Tum-dum. Tum-dum. I came to a dead stop in the middle of the path. "Did you find them? Did you find the plane?"

"We have more than the plane, ma’am. We have finally located your husband, Franklin Flemington."

The world seemed to blur at the edges. The trees, the lake, the joggers—everything faded into a hazy backdrop. "What?" I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Your husband is alive, Mrs. Flemington. He’s been recovered."

I felt the tears spill over before I could even process the words. Alive. The word felt sacred, like a miracle I wasn’t worthy of.

"He’s injured—a significant wound to his right leg, trauma, and blood loss—but the medics on-site have him stabilized. He’s conscious and talking. There was another survivor found with him, a woman named Raquel Cruz."

I closed my eyes, a jagged, sobbing breath escaping my lips. I didn’t care about the details, the injuries, or the other survivor. All that mattered was that his heart was still beating.

"Where are they?" I asked, my voice rising in a desperate pitch.

"They are currently in Brazil. Due to the severity of the infection in his leg, he’s being airlifted to an emergency facility in Manaus for immediate surgery. Once he’s fit for a long-haul flight, we’ll coordinate his transfer back to the States."

"Can I speak to him? Please, I need to hear his voice."

"Not yet, ma’am. He’s being prepped for transport and his vitals are still being monitored. But we will establish a secure line as soon as he’s out of surgery."

"Thank you," I sobbed. "Thank you so much."

The call ended, leaving me standing in the center of the park, the morning sun finally feeling warm on my skin. I looked up at the sky, the tears streaming down my face.

"He’s alive," I whispered to the trees. "He’s coming home."

The war wasn’t over—Dorian was still out there, and Bella was still missing—but for the first time since the plane went down, I had the only thing that mattered.

I had hope. And God help anyone who tried to take it from me now.