Royally Bounded

Chapter 51

Hayden

I swirled my wine glass, watching the dark red liquid move around. My eyes glued to the glass, and I heard the footsteps came rushing into the living room. Ivor came along with our security teams. He stood beside me, a glimpse of sweat over his forehead.

"Hayden," he breathed. "We found Clara. She's alive."

I briefly shut my eyes while the weight from my chest instantly lifted as soon as the words came out from his mouth. I tightened my fingers around the stem of the wine glass, and I let out a heavy breath.

I spent weeks looking for Clara. We dug through all the cities then the towns. It was a slow dreadful search that mentally killed me, but I didn't care because I fucking knew she would be alive.

Thomas came back with small good news every now and then. The police told him people spotted Clara, but they weren't exactly sure where she was. I kept on that hope because we never found her body. From all the lake searches, we didn't find her body. I would never fucking believe that she died because I still had to give her back the world.

"Where is she?" I asked Ivor.

"She is in the town that you went two weeks ago," he answered. "It was hard to find because she changed her name to avoid us, but we have people saying that they have a person name Bridget who clearly looks like Clara."

Bridget.

It was her middle name. The thought of her changing her name to fucking avoid me made my chest burned. She did everything to not let me search for her, but I was fucking selfish. I was a selfish man who wanted my wife back in my arms.

"Should I bring the team down to see if she's still there?" Thomas questioned.

I shook my head. "I'm going alone tomorrow."

I dismissed the security teams then sat down back in my office chair. The thought of seeing Clara again excited me, but to picture her reaction was terrifying.

"Hayden," Ivor squeezed my shoulder. "Are you okay?"

My lips twitched, and I stared out at the window, lost in the scene. "Back in the academy, I've never lost once in anything. Academics. Competitions. Nothing."

"You're afraid of losing this time?"

"No," I shook my head slowly. "I'm afraid of losing her." I admitted to Ivor and let out a breath. "I can lose everything but Clara. She's never going to come back to me."

"Don't say that, Hayden. I'm not a love expert, but Clara clearly loves you more than anything. Give her some time. I'm sure both of you will make it to the end."

She used to say that I am arrogant and confident, but when it came to this, I could no longer tell what it would be like. I didn't know if Clara still loves me the same, and I was fucking terrified to hear her say that she didn't love me anymore.

* * *

I went to Tarrin early in the morning. It was a four hour drive, and I parked at the front of the town before walking down. People were staring at me like hawks, almost as if I didn't belong in the place. They clearly knew who I was, but I ignored their gaze and went straight to the house.

The simple two story house was situated near the river. It instantly showed me the dream that Clara always described about. It used to be just her picture, but now, it became mine too. I would move here with her if that was what she wanted.

I reached for the doorbell, reluctant to press on it as my finger stayed in the air. It took me a damn minute until I pulled myself together, hearing the doorbell ring through the house.