Page 68 of Blade
“Blade.”
Delilah’s voice echoes shock, and I read the words running at the bottom of the screen.
Gideon Fox is to marry Tallulah Monroe, the heiress daughter of Walter Monroe, the crypto-currency king. Thehappy couple were hosting an intimate evening with their close family and friends prior to the huge event.
Delilah gasps, “I know her.”
I say nothing, waiting for her memories to fall into place. The way her hand is clutching mine reveals how tense this moment is.
She reaches for the glass of water, her hand shaking as she stares transfixed at the screen, and then another image of Gideon with a different woman is played, this time after their wedding.
My breath hitches as I stare at the most beautiful woman in the world. Aspen Costello. Even from here, I sense her pain. Her eyes are dull and heavy, her smile painted in a thin line, her husband gripping her arm rather than her hand, her vulnerability breaking my heart.
I read the words on the screen.
Sadly, Gideon’s first marriage was terminated when the daughter of Senator Costello was admitted to the Swiss sanatorium, Harmony Straits, after a battle with drugs. At the time, Gideon told the world that his heart had broken as he did everything he could to save his wife, who sadly passed just four days ago. Gideon vowed to move ahead with his second wedding, despite his grief, reaffirming his constant love for his first wife but accepting that his heart must be allowed to heal.
“I’m dead!”
The shock in her voice matches the events on the screen because this is an unexpected twist I never saw coming.
“Who’s the woman?”
My words are soft, for her ears only, and she replies, “My best friend.”
“You remember her?”
Maria approaches with the check, and I wave her away because nothing must interrupt Delilah’s memory right now.
“We grew up together. Went to the same schools, parties, and social occasions.”
“It’s good that you remember.”
She shakes her head. “I see it clearly now. She is a sweet girl; she always was, and she definitely doesn’t deserve a man like Gideon Fox in her life. This is a disaster.”
Her fist clenches and anger shakes her vocal cords. “He will destroy her. We must do something.”
My eyes narrow because not doing something isn’t the issue here. Ruining that man’s life is and by the looks of it we don’t have long to do that.
As if she can read my mind, Delilah whispers, “She’s in danger. The moment that ring hit my finger, Gideon changed. I never wanted to marry him, and I always thought it was because of the situation. We never fell in love; it was a business transaction.”
“How do you know?”
I hate the cold edge to my voice because it sounds wrong around her, but she nods as if she understands.
“It was always about power, positioning and utilizing your assets with my family. I always played the perfect daughter and did what I was told. Marrying Gideon was expected, and when I voiced my concerns, I was shut down.”
“By your parents?”
Misery hangs heavy in her eyes.
“My mom mainly. She adored Gideon. He could be very charming, and sometimes I wondered if their relationship was a little deeper than acceptable.”
Her soft sigh is filled with remorse.
“I went through the motions of the wedding, hoping it would be easier. Trusting my parent’s judgment, but that night all my nightmares came to haunt me at once.”
I glance around the diner, noting the couple a few tables away and grip her hand.
