The Husband She Left Behind

Chapter 13

Vanessa's heart tightened. "Where are you?"

"At my apartment."

"I'll come over immediately." The words escaped her before she could think. Then she stopped and her eyes unconsciously moved toward Darren.

She remembered the promise she had made him. She had promised to keep her distance from Adrian.

Darren was sitting opposite her, his expression already cold after the repeated calls.

Vanessa swallowed. "No." She quickly corrected herself. "You should call emergency services. I'll arrange for someone to come and check on you."

On the other end, Adrian was silent for a moment. Clearly, he hadn't expected that answer.

"Alright." Adrian's voice sounded disappointed. "Thank you."

The call ended.

Darren had watched everything without saying a word. Yet he had noticed the moment Vanessa changed her response.

For the first time that evening, the icy darkness in his eyes eased slightly. At least she had remembered her promise and she hadn't immediately rushed to Adrian.

Vanessa put her phone down. "Let's continue." She tried to smile.

Darren nodded and they resumed dinner.

But the warmth from earlier was gone. The candles still flickered between them, the city lights still glittered below, and the music remained soft and romantic. Yet neither of them felt the romance anymore.

Vanessa picked up her fork, but she barely touched her food. Every few minutes, her eyes drifted toward her phone. She tried to hide it but Darren noticed every time.

Finally, the phone remained silent for several minutes.

Vanessa couldn't bear the uncertainty anymore, so she put down her fork. "Darren... I think I should go check on Adrian."

Darren's expression immediately hardened. "You want to leave?"

Vanessa hesitated. "I just want to make sure he's alright."

Darren stared at her. "Tonight is our birthday. Our shared birthday."

He glanced at the candles.

"You promised me that no matter what happened, you wouldn't leave again, and I came here because I believed you. And now that you've finally brought me here, you want to leave again?"

Vanessa's heart ached. "I know how this looks. But what if he's seriously injured? He said the microwave exploded. I can't just sit here and pretend I didn't hear that."

Darren laughed bitterly. "So you're going."

Vanessa lowered her eyes. "I'll only be gone for a little while. I'll confirm that he's okay, and then I'll come straight back."

Darren stared at her for a long time.

Something inside him gradually went numb. "Vanessa." His voice became colder. "If you walk out of that door tonight, there may be no way for us to return to what we were."

Vanessa's heart trembled. She looked at him with tears beginning to gather in her eyes.

"Darren, I love you. I truly do. I've never stopped loving you. But if someone is genuinely in danger, I can't simply ignore them. Saving someone's life is more important."

The last trace of warmth disappeared from Darren's eyes. He didn't argue but simply looked at her.

Vanessa picked up her handbag and turned toward the exit.

Just before she reached the door, Darren spoke.

"Wait."

Vanessa stopped, and Darren reached down beside his chair and picked up a file bag. He removed a document.

"Sign this before you go."

Vanessa looked confused. "What is it? A contract related to the arms business?"

She glanced at the document. "If that's what it is, I'll sign it when I come back."

Darren shook his head. "No. You'll sign it now."

Vanessa frowned. Even though Adrian was injured, she knew the company was also in a critical period. There were several supplementary agreements and documents that required her signature.

She looked at the thick document.

"You've been helping move the process forward. I know how important these papers are."

Her anxiety over Adrian competed with her awareness of the company's urgent affairs. She had no time to waste.

Without reading the document, Vanessa flipped through the pages quickly until she reached the final page, then she quickly signed her name.

"There." She handed the document back and Darren accepted it.

His expression remained unreadable.

Vanessa immediately picked up her handbag. "I'll be back soon. Please wait for me. If you're hungry, don't wait. Eat first." She smiled apologetically, then she left.