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Hunger pangs interrupted my working session late in the afternoon. It made sense since my body was still operating on NZ time, and I hadn’t eaten lunch apart from the snacks provided at the shareholder meeting. I thought about checking out the nearby eateries, but Neil’s warning replayed in my mind. It was enough to put me off going exploring on my own. The hotel restaurant wasn’t open yet, so I ordered room service instead. I returned to my work while I waited for my meal.
Even though I expected the knock at the door, it still made me jump. I gathered myself and rose to answer it. The promise of hot noodle soup to satiate my hunger had me grasping the handle without checking the peephole, and I flung open the door. I gasped as I came face to face with the person on the other side.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
At first, I didn’t recognise the woman standing in front of me. She looked so different compared to the last time I had seen her, with her face bare and hair loose, wearing black sneakers and a simple long shirt dress which skimmed over a baby bump I hadn’t noticed last time. Her identity didn’t reveal itself to me until she smiled, dimples forming in her cheeks. The same dimples I had seen in pictures online. The longer I stared at her, the more certain I became. She was Ruby—Veronica Ling—and she was even more beautiful like this than she had been on the night I saw her with Neil. I was in awe.
“You must be Amelia Cross,” she said. Her voice was warm and serene.
I nodded, still dumbfounded by her surprise appearance.
“I’m a friend of Neil’s.” Her eyes flicked to the room behind me. “Is he here?”
So, she was here to see Neil. A risky move given Neil thought Daniel might be having us watched. Even her talking to me was dangerous enough. I took a cursory glance both ways down the corridor. “Sorry,” I said, after confirming we were alone. “He’s still working. I’m not sure when he’ll be back, and this is my room, not his.”
Veronica’s radiant smile did not dull. “I see. Then sorry to bother you.”
“I can let him know you came by.”
“Thank you. I’ll just—agh!” She brought a hand to her belly, her face twisted in discomfort.
A surge of panic coursed through me as I relived the moment I found Christine in the bathroom stall, keeled over in pain. “Are you okay?”
“I’m—” She sucked in a gasp of air. “I think I need to sit down for a minute.”
Without hesitation, I cast aside my lingering worries to offer my aid. “Please, come in and take a seat. I’ll get you a glass of water.”
“So kind. Thank you.”
I ushered Veronica into my room and to the desk chair. As she settled, I poured her a glass of water, my mind racing with concern both for Veronica and the potential consequences of her unexpected visit. But in that moment, all that mattered was tending to her needs. I handed her the glass of water, and she took a sip. I perched on the edge of the bed, watching her closely, ready to offer my support at any moment.
“Thank you, Amelia,” she said, her voice filled with genuine appreciation. “I didn’t expect to run into you, but I’m glad I did.”
“I wasn’t expecting you, either.”
She studied me. “You know who I am, don’t you?”
“Yes. Neil told me… well, only because I worked it out on my own.”
I noticed her eyes flit to Neil’s shirt lying on my bed, and I blushed, knowing what she was thinking.
“You must be getting along well with him,” she said, a smile returning to her lips.
“That’s, uh, it’s not like that, I swear. It’s a long story.”
“Don’t worry. I believe you. Neil is a good man. Whatever happens, I just want him to be happy.”
The fact that Veronica and Neil used to be engaged sprang to the forefront of my mind, and I felt a twinge of jealousy. I could never measure up to Veronica’s level of success, wealth, and beauty. If those were the standards required to attract Neil’s attention, I felt foolish for my silly little crush on him. But despite my insecurities, I felt no animosity towards Veronica. She was too lovely.
“He told me you used to be a couple,” I said, testing the waters, wondering how much information I could glean about their relationship.
“Yes.” She had a wistful look in her eyes. “That was ages ago.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why did you break up? Sorry, I know that’s a personal question. You don’t have to answer.”
“My brother didn’t like the idea of us getting married, for one thing, but that’s not the main reason. We weren’t compatible. It’s as simple as that.”
I looked at her baby bump, then at her hand, which was bereft of a wedding or engagement ring. “Did you meet someone else?”
