Chapter 162
Without another word, Lilly grabs her phone and dials. I can hear the faint ring, then Noah’s voice low, calm and controlled.
“Where are you?” she asks.
“In my study,” he replies.
My head snaps up. He’s here? He’s been here this whole time? I didn’t even know he was home. He didn’t text, didn’t knock, and didn’t say a word. Somehow that stings more than it should.
“Come to Sierra’s room,” Lilly says briskly, then hangs up before he can ask why.
I stare at her. “You could have at least warned me. p>
She shrugs. “You were going to tell him anyway p>
While we wait, she scrolls through her phone again, this time dialing another number. Her tone drops lower, turning colder than I’ve ever heard it.
“I want everything on Brook. Where she goes, who she meets, anything she’s hiding and all her dirty secrets. I want every fucking thing.” 2
I blink, surprised by the sharpness in her voice. It sends shivers down my spine, but I still can’t help but smile. Yeah, when Lilly gets like this, I can’t help but feel proud. She’s such a kickass, and I love it.
She ends the call just as a knock sounds on the door.
“Come in,” she says.
Noah steps inside, his presence instantly filling the space. He’s in a black shirt, sleeves rolled up, the faint smell of his cologne drifting in with him. But his eyes, they don’t meet mine. Not even once.
“What’s going on?” he asks, his gaze fixed on Lilly.
I sit perfectly still, hands folded in my lap, watching him. It’s strange; he’s only a few feet away, and yet he feels miles distant.
Lilly stands and holds out the card. “Sierra found this p>
He takes it from her, his brows knitting as he turns it over. “Where did it come from p>
He asks her, not me.
Lilly glances at me. “She found it among her things p>
I can feel my chest tighten, my pulse picking up. He still won’t look at me. It’s as if I’m invisible.
“When did you find it?” he asks again, still to Lilly.
“Some minutes ago,” this time I reply. “After I was given a tour of the house p>
Noah nods slightly, his jaw clenching as he flips the card open, scanning the inside briefly. His expression darkens and the muscles in his neck tighten.
“Did anyone else see this?” he asks, tone clipped.
“No. Just Si and me,” Lilly says.
He exhales sharply and pulls out his phone. “Jason,” he says when someone answers. “Get up here p>
Within a minute, one of the bodyguards appears at the door.
“Was this card among the things you brought from the hospital?” Noah asks, handing it over.
The man hesitates. “I’m not sure, sir. We collected everything that belonged to Miss Sierra and brought them here as instructed p>
Noah nods, expression unreadable. “Then it’s hard to tell when it was placed there. But one thing’s clear: it probably happened at the hospital p>
Just as I had thought… but then I still can’t help wondering if it’s Brook who put it in my room. But then again, if it was her, she wouldn’t miss the chance to let me know. To brag. To ask if I received her message.
“Just to be careful,” Noah continues, “I want you to increase security around the property. No one comes in or out without clearance. And hand that card over to the officers. I doubt there’ll be fingerprints, but it doesn’t hurt to check p>
“Yes, Boss,” the guard says before leaving.
When the door shuts, the silence that follows feels unbearable.
Noah stays standing near the door, his gaze locked on the wall instead of me. Every second that passes feels like a quiet rejection.
Lilly watches him, then me, her expression flickering between concern and irritation.
Then she crosses her arms. “Could you at least look at her, Noah? Why are you acting like she isn’t in the room p>
So, I’m not the only one who noticed his aloof behavior.
His jaw flexes, but he says nothing.
“If you didn’t want her in your house, you could have just said so,” Lilly continues. “I don’t expect you to be buddy -buddy with her, but can you at least not ignore her? What’s the point of insisting she come to your house, only for you to treat her like she doesn’t belong?” 1
Finally, his grey eyes fall on me, but there is something in them. Like a war waging and a storm raging. Before I can fully lock down the emotions in those cold eyes, he looks away and without another word, he turns and leaves.
Lilly exhales. “He’s acting strange p>
I stare at the closed door and sigh, “Strange doesn’t even begin to cover it p>
Maybe I should have just gone to Lilly’s place instead. 10