Chapter 318

Nathan

I took a deep breath, my hand hovering over the doorknob. I glanced back at Olivia, who gave me a reassuring nod, but I could see the worry etched on her face.

With a swift motion, I opened the door. To my relief, it was just room service, a hotel staffer holding a silver tray with a bottle of wine and two glasses.

“Good evening, Sir,” the hotel worker said, a warm smile on his face. “I hope I’m not interrupting your night.”

“Erm… No, not at all,” I replied as I ran a hand through my hair. “Just not expecting any visitors.”

With that same pleasant smile plastered across his face, the man held up the bottle of wine and glasses in his hand. “But your wine?”

I furrowed my brow and shook my head. “Um… No…” With a glance at Olivia, she shook her head as well, indicating that she was just as clueless as me. “Sorry, you must have the wrong room. We didn’t order anything.”

The man made a confused face and took a look at the bottle, upon which was taped a small note with our room number and my last name on it. “But I received word that you ordered this—”

I shook my head and interrupted him. “Not us. Sorry,” I said, starting to close the door. Before it could fully close, though, he stuck his hand out. I felt a pang of worry in my chest as he held the door open, but he didn’t attempt to enter the room.

“Well, either way, it’s yours,” he said. “I won’t be able to take it back to the kitchen. Hotel policy.”

“Strange policy,” I thought to myself. But, figuring that it was just a happy little accident, I put on a stiff smile and took the bottle from him.

“Thanks,” I said.

The man smiled. “You’re welcome.” He turned on his heel to leave, but out of curiosity, I called after him.

“Wait—Who did you say called for this, again?”

The man paused, then made a puzzled face. “I thought you made the order. The concierge sent me. You can ask him, if you’d like.”

I shook my head. “No, it’s alright. Thanks again.”

“Have a good night, Sir.”

I shut the door and deadbolted it, then walked over to inspect the bottle. Olivia joined me, her curiosity piqued, but her eyes still shadowed with caution.

“Must have been a mistake,” she suggested, reaching for the card. A chuckle escaped her lips. “Wonder if someone’s missing their bottle of wine right now.”

“Could be,” I mumbled, although something about it didn't sit well with me. I picked up the bottle, turning it in my hands. The seal was intact. Harmless, it appeared, but given what had happened earlier, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this might be yet another unsettling event to deal with.

“What are you thinking?” Olivia asked, sensing my hesitation. “Should we open it?”

“I don’t know, but after today, I don’t know if I trust it.” I set the bottle down on the table. “Let’s not drink this.”

She nodded, clearly relieved that I had said it first, but also a little disappointed. “Good idea. But I must admit, I was looking forward to another glass of wine or two before I have to go back into ‘mom’ mode tomorrow.”

I chuckled, warmed by Olivia’s innocence. Swiftly grabbing my jacket off of the hook, I grinned at her and shot her a mischievous look. “In that case… I’ll be back.”

…

Two hours later, with our bellies full of wine from a nearby liquor store and loads of good food, I found us nestled in the hotel room. Olivia was curled up beneath the blanket, having practically passed out after her third glass of wine. She was snoring softly, her face buried beneath the plush covers. However, I couldn’t sleep.

Despite the movie playing quietly on the TV and the allure of the uneaten room service, I couldn’t focus. I was consumed by thoughts of what had happened at the monument and this mysterious bottle of wine.

Were they connected? Was someone watching us? Or was I just being paranoid?

Eventually, unable to close my eyes, I pulled out my phone and dialed Angela. I needed to hear that everything was okay back at home.

“Angela, it’s Nathan. How are the twins?”

“They’re sound asleep, Nathan,” she said with a yawn. “All is well here. What’s wrong? You sound tense. And it’s late.”

I sighed, passing a hand over my weary face. “I’m alright. Just keep an eye out, okay? Be vigilant.”

Angela paused before speaking. “Will do. You sure you and Olivia are okay?”

“Yeah, we’re fine,” I lied. How could I explain the gnawing sense of dread I felt? “But have the guys do an extra sweep of the villa grounds tonight. You can never be too careful.”

I hung up the phone, reassured but not comforted. My mind raced with potential threats. Could this be some of Ryan'’s followers retaliating? No, they were scattered and disorganized after his downfall. Could it be business-related? Unlikely, given the current peaceable negotiations.

And then it struck me—Jenifer.

I quickly dialed the number for the asylum where she had been institutionalized. Within a few moments, a tired-sounding nurse answered.

“This is Nathan Ford,” I said, “checking on Jenifer Ford’s status.”

The nighttime nurse on the other end paused, and I sensed an all-too-familiar hesitation. “Mr. Ford, there’s still no news on her whereabouts since she escaped.”

My gut tightened at the confirmation. If Jenifer was still at large, there was no telling what she might do. The woman was unstable, capable of anything, and it would be just like her to sabotage me in some twisted way.

I looked over at Olivia, sleeping so peacefully, so unaware of the thoughts racing through my mind. Was she the real target?

I felt a heavy burden descend on me. Maybe I hadn’t taken this situation seriously enough. As the Alpha, it was my job to protect my family, my pack.

And as a husband, it was my job to protect Olivia. Tonight had shown me that danger could come in many forms, from a push on a crowded monument to an anonymous bottle of wine in a hotel room.

I stared at the sealed bottle again, now seeing it as a totem of all the threats, known and unknown, circling my life.

As much as I wanted to put everything aside and lose myself in the comfort of a ‘normal’ evening, it was clear that wouldn’t be possible. Not until I got to the bottom of this. Not until I was sure that Olivia, our twins, and our entire world was safe from whatever menace lurked in the shadows.

I sat there in the dim room, the TV casting a soft, flickering light, my mind alert and my senses heightened. For tonight, at least, I would be the watchdog, the guardian, standing sentinel over the woman I loved, over the life we had built together.

Whatever was coming, whoever was threatening our peace, would find me ready.

And they would regret the day they ever tried to come between me and mine.