Rebirth Of The Substitute Wife

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Chapter 3 Jump From The Hotel Balcony

An involuntary gasp escaped her lips. Crouched on the ground, her mouth opened in shock, unable to retort, Aurelia was a sorry figure. The man on the couch smirked but didn’t move as if waiting for her next move.

“Uncle Casper,” she whimpered.

Casper threw his head back in laughter, the whiskey sloshing around and dribbling over the back of his hand as he did so. He set it down and retrieved his handkerchief from the pocket.

“That’s the first time someone called me that,” he said nonchalantly as he wiped the back of his hand. After he was done, he threw the handkerchief over his shoulder. It landed in the dustbin precisely.

“I… Mr. Beckett, I’m sorry—”

He raised a finger, stopping her midsentence. “No useless apology needed. What brings you here?”

Aurelia steeled her heart and slowly got to her feet, standing tall. “I walked into a trap and had only this route to escape. Apologies, Mr. Beckett, it won’t happen again.”

Casper cocked a brow and nodded. “That’s a good story. But what kind of plot would it take for Luther’s new wife to crawl into his uncle’s room?”

Of course, Aurelia knew her story sounded fake. How could there be such a coincidence? She was plotted against and couldn’t find an escape route. But she had the guts to access his room, whom she was sure he had informed no one about.

But who would tell Casper that was exactly what had happened? Had he been in the next room over last life as well and listened in on her being attacked? The thought came to her unbidding. It crashed into her, and she stared at him suspiciously.

Maybe this trap with Kevin Conrad and Sarah wasn’t as simple as she had previously presumed. Casper might have a hand in it as well.

Her guard was immediately raised.

She squared her shoulder and crossed her hand over her chest. “Indeed, what a coincidence. Someone lured me to this hotel, saying my husband was here, and then trapped me in a room to be assaulted by another man.” She gritted her teeth. “I wonder who that would benefit.”

Casper finally pushed off the couch and sauntered over to her. She stumbled a step back at his approach, instantly regretting her tone. Was Casper Beckett someone she could be rude to? No, he was Luther’s uncle, who was only six years older than Aurelia. He had surpassed Luther’s father in his influence in the Beckett family.

The Beckett family functioned both in the shadows and the light. While Luther was struggling to take over the legal business side of the Beckett family, Casper had fought bloody battles and taken over the illegal parts of it in his teenage years.

“Neice-in-law,” he bit out. “Your reputation isn’t important enough for me to ruin,” he commented coldly.

“Indeed, Uncle Casper, my reputation means little. Then care to explain why you are in Ashdale, where you have no business being?”

He stopped a few feet away from her. At six feet five inches, he towered uncomfortably over her. He leaned forward, his face inches from hers, his whiskey-covered breath fanning over her pale face.

“Do you own Ashdale?” he asked pointedly.

“Not yet.” She turned her head away slightly, trying to avoid his eyes. Her hand shot up and three thin fingers tapped on his chin, trying their best to turn Casper’s face away.

He grabbed her wrist, catching her off guard. “You’ve grown a spine in the time away,” he hummed, impressed. “But know your place. If you play in the wrong place, you’ll find yourself at the bottom of the river,” he warned.

His tone threw her off. Rather than a threat, it was well-intentional advice. Her head snapped in his direction, and she searched for an emotion she could put a name to. She knew instantly that he indeed didn’t care for her enough to even threaten her. The advice was given offhandedly.

“May I leave now?” she asked in response.

“No,” he responded coolly.

Her heart sank and she opened her mouth to speak, “I am not plotting against you. I simply don’t want to be assaulted by someone while I am unconscious.” She took a shuddering breath. “They drugged my water and I don’t know when it’s going to kick in. So, I need to get out before—”

Before everything went out of her control.

Casper turned his hand around and looked at his wristwatch. “Even more reason for me to keep you,” he announced. “If you walk out of my room and something happens to you, won’t Luther have the perfect opportunity to attack me?” he questioned. “That’s probably what you want, don’t you?”

Aurelia stiffened. She hadn’t thought about it that way.

She hadn’t thought about the escape plan at all. She was so focused on changing her immediate fate that she forgot about the implications of her actions. If she walked out right now, whatever blame Sarah put on her would stick.

They would say she was having an affair with Casper, and Luther would readily believe it. The result would be the same.

She gulped.

“Then what do you want me to do?” she hissed. “Do you want to keep me locked in here? What good would that do?” she questioned.

Casper shrugged. “Stay here until the drug's effect passes, and then go out.”

But she couldn’t go out. “I don’t have the time for it. Once Luther arrives—” She stopped before she could say more.

“Oh? Luther is coming here? To catch the adulterers?” Casper asked cockily, happy to have caught her in the lie. “How would you know that?”

Aurelia shuddered at the darkness in his laughter. “I’m not an idiot! They orchestrated such a plan so that Luther would catch me ‘red-handed’ and I would be done for.”

Casper’s shoulder shook with a silent chuckle. He shoved his hands into his pockets and leaned back, appraising her sorry state. He could sense her panic, but he was not stupid enough to believe her story.

“You’re right,” he said after a while. “You do need to get out of this room. But you can’t go out through the front door,” he informed calmly. He picked up the phone from the table and dialed a number.

Aurelia groaned in desperation. “Then how do you want me to get out?” she asked, her voice raised.

Without answering her, Casper put the phone to his ear. “Call an ambulance. A woman just jumped off the hotel’s balcony,” he spoke bluntly into the phone.

Aurelia’s brow jumped in fright.

Casper took a threatening step towards her.

“You want me to jump down the balcony?” she questioned in disbelief.

He nodded calmly as he hung up. “Go out the way you came in. Don’t involve me in your marital games, Mrs. Beckett.”

She stumbled backwards until her back touched the cool surface of the glass door. Her palm remained flush on it, willing her body to remain unmoved, hoping Casper wasn’t serious, even though she could see he wasn’t joking.

“Don’t waste my time struggling in futility,” he warned. He reached over with his right hand, his skin brushing past her waist as he pressed on the stopper and pulled the sliding door in her direction.

She held on for dear life, a fire raging within her.

The door to the room opened, and a man dressed primly in grey walked inside. His eyes fell on their figures, impossibly close and ambiguous in their movements. He didn’t have to speak; the faint sound of banging in the hallway filtered into the room.

“Open the damn door, Aurelia!” the growl came.

Aurelia stiffened. She heard the undeniable fury in Luther’s voice and knew there was no escaping.

Why should she jump and die? Why should she die alone when all of them could live well without her presence?

“Noisy,” Casper grumbled and looked over his shoulder. “Get out,” he commanded the man in grey.

No sooner had he turned his head than he felt a soft hand reaching into his gaping coat lapel. Her fingers bumped into his unguarded waist. It took a split second for it to happen. The cold barrel of his own gun pressed against his side.

He heard the click of the safety go off, and he whipped his head around and glared at her.

“Mr. Beckett, ready to put on a show?” Aurelia questioned.

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