Page 85 of The Substitute Fiancée

“Call me as soon as you have news, okay?”

“I promise.”

I hang up, grab my keys, and rush for the door.

As I take the stairs two at a time, a terrible thought forces itself into my mind.

What if something serious happened? What if she’d had an accident? What if she needed me and I was too busy with my meetings, too concerned with my image and my business to answer my damn phone?

I suddenly realize I may have made a terrible error in judgment.

That I compared Sam to Kristel when they have nothing in common.

That I should have answered this morning. That I failed her.

Traffic is heavy. Every red light feels like it lasts forever. My hands clench around the steering wheel.

Please, let everything be okay. Please.

When I finally arrive in front of Sam’s building, I park carelessly—half on the sidewalk, I don’t care—and run up the stairs, heart pounding violently.

On the fifth floor, I stop dead.

The entrance to their apartment is sealed by judicial orders. White and blue tape blocks the door, bearing the seal of the national police.

Crime scene — Do not enter

My blood runs cold.

“No,” I whisper. “No, no, no.”

My legs give out. I lean against the hallway wall, unable to breathe. This isn’t real.

Crime scene. What does that mean? That something serious happened. Something violent.

Where is Sam? Is she okay? Is she…?

I can’t even finish the thought. The image of Sam hurt, Sam unconscious—Sam… no. No.

My hand shakes so badly I struggle to pull out my phone. I dial emergency services. Someone has to tell me what happened. Now.

One ring. Two. Three.

“Emergency services, how can I help you?”

“I… I’m standing in front of an apartment that’s been sealed,” I say in a voice I barely recognize. “My fiancée… she hasn’t answered her phone since this morning. She was supposed to come here. I’m worried. Very worried.”

“One moment, sir. I’m checking the file.”

The wait is unbearable. Every second stretches endlessly. I hear the tapping of a keyboard on the other end of the line. My heart is beating so hard it feels like it’s going to explode.

“Sir?” the operator finally says. “What is your fiancée’s name?”

“Samantha Chevalier. Sam Chevalier.”

“One moment.”

Another silence. More typing.