The Firefighter Became a Billionaire... and He’s Had Enough!

Chapter 007

For five days, Erin heard nothing from Derek. 

No calls. No messages. Not even a reply to the texts she had sent. 

That evening, she stood by the window with her phone clutched in one hand. Beyond the glass, the sky glowed an ominous red, the distant wildfire staining the clouds like blood.

Suddenly, a key scraped against the front-door lock. 

Erin turned sharply, and froze. 

Derek stood in the doorway. He looked exhausted, his face pale and his clothes rumpled, but he was alive. 

She crossed the room before she even realized she was moving. 

"Where have you been?" Her voice broke. "I was so worried. I thought something happened to you." 

"I was in the hospital, babe," Derek said. "But I’m fine now." 

His expression softened. "I'm home now." 

He pulled her into his arms. The familiar scent. The warmth.

The tension inside Erin finally gave way. Derek held her tightly, pressing her face against his chest as relief washed over her. When he lifted her chin and kissed her, she closed her eyes, almost dizzy with happiness. 

Then she opened her eyes. 

Derek’s face was gone.

She was kissing a blackened skull, of which burned flesh alive with writhing maggots.

Erin screamed and jolted awake.

The gray ceiling of her office stared back at her.

For several seconds, she could not move. 

The air conditioner hummed overhead. Cold sweat soaked the back of her blouse, and her heart slammed against her ribs so violently that it hurt.

A dream. It had only been a stupid dream.

Erin covered her face with both hands and forced herself to breathe.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Mrs. Moss," Her secretary, Kittly Jean, entered with a fresh cup of coffee. She stopped when she saw Erin sitting rigidly on the sofa. "Are you... all right?"

"I’m fine."

Erin pushed herself upright and smoothed down her blouse, rebuilding the polished expression everyone expected from her.

"Of course." Kitty lowered her eyes and quietly went out.

The moment the door shut, Elise's composure crumbled again

She had barely slept in days because Derek had disappeared.

That bastard had actually gone five entire days without contacting her!

Even after their worst arguments, he had never stayed away for more than three. He always came back first, he always apologized, even when she was the one who had hurt him.

Her phone suddenly vibrated. Erin snatched it up, her pulse quickening.

It was only Mike.

Mike: Dinner tonight? I know a place you’ll love.

Erin stared at it for a moment, then swiped the notification away. Instead, she opened her conversation with Derek.

His last messages were still there.

Derek: Babe, there’s a fire at the Grandview Hotel. I’m heading over now.

Derek: What do you want for dinner? Leave me a message. I’ll pick up groceries after my shift.

Erin read them twice.

That night, Derek had rushed into the burning hotel to save strangers. And found her with Mike.

A wave of anger rose inside her, sharp enough to push back the unease.

What exactly did Derek expect from her?

Mike had secured a massive investment for her foundation. They had celebrated. They had drunk too much. He had kissed her, and for a few moments, she had kissed him back...

But the fire stopped it before they slept together. She had not crossed the final line.

So Derek had no right to act as though she had committed some unforgivable betrayal.

She was not the villain here.

Definitely not.

Her gaze returned to Derek’s final message, the one he had sent just before entering the fire.

The blackened skull from her dream flashed through her mind.

"Kitty!"

Her secretary appeared a moment later.

"I need you to find out where Engine Seven has been deployed."

Kitty blinked. "Engine Seven"

"My husband’s unit." Erin rose and began pacing. "Call his station. Find out whether they’ve been sent anywhere during the past five days."

"I’ll look into it."

As soon as Kitty left, Erin stared at Derek’s name on her screen.

For five days, she had refused to call him. She had told herself that he would come crawling back when he realized how ridiculous he was being.

But now her thumb hovered over the call button, and pressed it.

The phone rang once before going straight to voicemail.

Erin suddenly aware of how quiet the office had become.

By the time Kitty returned fifty minutes later, Erin had called Derek eleven times.

"Mrs. Moss," Kitty said carefully, "I found out where his unit went."

Erin stood so quickly that her phone nearly slipped from her hand.

"They were sent to the wildfire in Los Vangees County."

The blood drained from Erin’s face. She remembered that fire.

Five days ago, while she and Derek were arguing, the news had been playing in the background. Erin had changed the channel without paying too much attention.

"No." She shook her head. "That fire isn’t even in our county."

"It became too severe for the local departments to handle. Several nearby stations were called in. Mr. Moss’s unit was among the first reinforcements sent."

"And..." For the first time, Erin found herself afraid to ask. "Were there casualties?"

Kitty's voice was noticeably quieter. "Fifteen firefighters have been confirmed dead. The authorities haven’t released their names yet."

"But the fire is under control now," Kitty added quickly. "Mr. Moss is an experienced firefighter. I’m sure he’s all right."

Erin closed her eyes.

Kitty did not know. Derek had been missing for five days. His phone had been switched off the entire time.

And after what had happened with Mike, what if he had thrown himself into the fire because he no longer cared what happened to himself?

When Erin opened her eyes again, all the hesitation was gone.

"Find the exact location of the command center," she ordered.

Kitty stared at her. "You’re going there?"

"Yes."

"Mrs. Moss, the roads may still be closed—"

"Then find me a road that isn’t!"

Erin snatched up her coat and strode toward the door.

Whatever had happened between her and Derek was between them.

He was still her husband.

And whether he was alive or dead, she was going to find him.