Forty-Eight Hours Until I Disappear From His Life Chapter 05

Forty-Eight Hours Until I Disappear From His Life Chapter 05

Ethan stared at my signature on the contract for a long time without moving.

Sloane reached for it.

“Enough. Stop staring at it. She’s doing this on purpose.”

Ethan kept one hand on the contract and looked up.

“Doing what on purpose?”

“Flying out. She has a layover. She’s probably sitting in the terminal right now, waiting for you.”

Sloane folded her arms, completely certain.

“She knew you’d panic when you saw the contract. The second you chase after her, she wins. I’ll give her this. It’s a better move than canceling the wedding.”

The people beside her nodded along.

“Sloane’s right.”

“If she were really leaving for three years, she couldn’t just walk away overnight. What about her

family?”

“Stay calm, Ethan. Whoever caves first loses.”

Ethan said nothing.

He checked his phone.

My flight had been in the air for two hours.

The group chat started another betting pool.

Some bet I’d turn around during my layover. Others bet I’d message Ethan as soon as I landed.

Sloane bet $15,000.

“By tonight at the latest, she’ll contact Ethan.”

Ethan sat back down on the couch and placed his phone facedown on the table.

“Then we’ll wait.”

But for the next three hours, no one was in the mood to drink.

Every few minutes, Ethan turned his phone over.

No missed calls.

No new messages.

Alone in the morning, my first flight landed at the airport where I was making my connection.

Sloane checked the flight information and laughed. “Why are you nervous? There’s a flight back to New York in forty minutes. She’s sitting there waiting for you to call.”

Ethan tried my old number.

The automated message told him again that the number had been disconnected.

He called from Noah’s phone instead. Same result.

Forty minutes later, the return flight took off.

I wasn’t on the passenger manifest.

The room slowly went quiet.

Someone forced out a laugh.

“Maybe she couldn’t get a seat.”

Sloane’s expression stiffened for a second, then quickly smoothed out.

“You really think she can last three years overseas? She won’t like the food or the way of life. Give her three days and she’ll come crying home.”

Ethan stood abruptly.

“Ethan, where are you going?”

“The airport.”

“Are you crazy? If you chase her now, you’re doing exactly what she wants.”

Ethan turned to look at her.

“What if she isn’t waiting for me?”

Sloane faltered.

“Then she’s betting that you’ll chase her anyway.”

“So no matter what she does, it’s an act?”

“It is.”

Ethan looked at her for several seconds, grabbed the contract, and walked out.

By the time he reached the airport, my first flight had been on the ground for a while.

After checking the itinerary, an airline employee told him, “The passenger made her connection as scheduled. Her onward flight departed half an hour ago.”

Ethan stood in the terminal and looked up at the departure board.

That plane was carrying me even farther away from him.

Noah hurried over.

“Mr. Whitmore, Daniel Reed from Ms. Bennett’s company called back.”

Ethan turned immediately.

“Where is she?”

“She’s already on the plane. Once she lands, she’s going straight to the project office to check in.”

Noah paused.

“Mr. Reed also said Ms. Bennett signed a three–year international assignment contract. The company has already completed all of her paperwork. This isn’t something she can simply back out

of at the last minute.”

Ethan’s lips parted.

“She didn’t say anything else?”

“She did.”

Noah handed him the phone.

Daniel had sent a screenshot from the project team chat.

Half an hour earlier, I had posted one message.

[Made my connection. I’ll report straight to the site office after I land. I won’t be returning to New

York.]

Ethan stared at the last sentence, his fingers slowly tightening around the phone.