Chapter 29
Her face drained of color, her hands began to tremble as she tried to process the betrayal that suddenly felt all too real. She could barely find her voice, her shock rendering her speechless. But then, all the pent–up anger and hurt erupted in a single, visceral command, “STOP THE CAR!” she shrieked, her voice slicing through the tension like a knife.
Matt’s head snapped toward het, confusion etched across his face. “What?” he asked, clearly bewildered by her sudden outburst.
“I said STOP THE DAMN CAR!” she screamed again, louder this time, the raw fury in her voice impossible to ignore. Matt, sensing the gravity of the situation, quickly pulled over to the side of the road, cutting the engine. Ilis face was a mixture of concern and confusion as he turned to face her, but
Colette was beyond reason.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice tentative, as if he were afraid of the answer.
Colette’s mind was a whirlwind of emotions–rage, betrayal, despair. She didn’t know whether to storm out of the car and leave him for good or hack him to pieces right then and there. The scent of Iris clung to the air, suffocating her, mocking her. Every fiber of her being wanted to lean in, to take a whiff of his shirt and confirm her worst fears. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was terrified–terrified of what she might find, terrified of what it would mean if he was carrying Iris’s scent on him too. She wasn’t ready for that reality, for the undeniable proof that her worst nightmare had come true.
Colette’s hands clenched into fists as she gritted her teeth, fury simmering beneath the surface. “Iris was in this car! She was in this damn car!” Her voice trembled with a mixture of rage and disbelief. “And you dare to do this to me? Why didn’t you just take her to Queensland with you? Why do you want to keep tormenting me like this?!”
ju dare open.
Her hands shook as she yanked the door handle, throwing the door open. She stumbled out onto the pavement, her steps unsteady but determined as she started marching back toward Zoe’s apartment. The cold air hit her like a slap, but it was nothing compared to the icy realization of betrayal that had
settled in her chest.
“Colette! Colette! Stop! For God’s sake!” Matt’s voice was frantic, echoing down the empty street as he left the car running, the engine humming behind him. He sprinted after her, his footsteps quickening as he saw the distance between them grow. In a matter of moments, he caught up with her, grabbing her arm to stop her from going any further.
“Yes, she was in the car with me–but not today, she was in the car last night,” he blurted out, desperation coloring his words. His grip on her arm was tight, almost pleading, but Colette yanked her arm free, spinning around to face him.
“Please, Matt, stop lying!” she cried, her voice breaking. “I smelled her perfume in there! It smells like freaking giant peonies in that car!” The words poured out of her like a dam bursting, all the pain and frustration she’d held inside finally breaking free. But even as she spoke, the reality of his confession hit her like a freight train. He had admitted it–admitted that Iris had been in the car.
Matt’s shoulders sagged, a look of defeat and embarrassment washing over his face. “You smelled that?” he asked, his voice hollow. “I tried all morning to wash the smell out. I knew you were going to react like this.”
His words hung in the air, a quiet confession that only deepened the wound in Colette’s heart. The sight of him standing there, defeated and pathetic, only fueled her anger further. The betrayal felt like a fresh wound, raw and stinging, as if he had reached inside her chest and ripped her heart out with his bare
hands.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
