RESTLESS HEARTS

CHAPTER 53

•JULIANA•

Shawn and I planned to sort out our wedding outfits the next day. He mentioned that his mom and Jason's mom, (Shay's future mother-in-law) were handling the groomsmen suits. Since Shawn was one of the groomsmen, his mother expected him to attend his suit fitting appointment.

I had a free day and intended to settle into my new place, but Shawn insisted we go together. He promised to help me organize my apartment afterward, so I agreed.

About twenty minutes into the drive, Shawn's phone rang.  

"Yes, Amber?" He answered. "Right now? Sure, I'm on my way." He hung up and turned to me, smiling. 

"Mind if we stop by the office? I need to pick up a file before we go."

I reached for his hand, interlocking our fingers. "No, not at all."

He kissed the back of my hand, and we drove to Falcon Group. We walked hand in hand, drawing a few stares. Shawn's calming presence made me ignore the attention.

In the elevator, Shawn pressed the 20th-floor button. Just before the doors closed, Shelby entered, looking surprised. 

"Well, hello. What brings the two of you here?" she asked, her tone distant.

"Just picking up an important file. How's your morning?" Shawn replied politely.

Their formal exchange made me wonder if they always talked like colleagues instead of siblings.

"Ask me after I've had my morning coffee and survived six meetings," Shelby said dryly.

She turned to me. "And how are you, Juliana? We seem to run into each other often now, huh?"

I managed a tight smile. 

"Yeah, we do. I'm doing great, by the way. Just here to... accompany Shawn."

"Hmm," she replied shortly, eyeing me oddly before looking away.

Standing close to her in the elevator felt uncomfortable. There was something off about her, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. I felt the need to talk to Shawn about it, and especially to confront her.

When we reached the 17th floor, where Shelby got off, I let go of Shawn's hand. Both of them looked puzzled. 

"I'll catch up with you in your office, okay? I need to talk to your sister privately."

He seemed confused but nodded as the doors closed. I took a deep breath, turning to face Shelby, who was smirking at me.

"Step into my office," she said, nodding towards the room with glass walls. 

It was clear as day what her office looked like from the outside.

I followed her in, surprised by the surroundings. She casually took off her blazer, tossed it on the back of her chair, and motioned for me to sit in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

We both took our seats, and an awkward silence hung over us as she fixed her gaze on me without uttering a word.

"I know it was you I spoke to on the phone," I said in a hushed tone.

She didn't reply or ask any questions, maintaining a poker face.

"Last year, I don't know if you remember this-"

"I remember," she cut in abruptly, surprising me.

"So, you knew who I am."

She shrugged and leaned on the table, interlocking her fingers.

"I had to run a background check to make sure. After we met at the hospital, I immediately recognized your voice and knew you were the hitman I called to deal with Shawn."

Her matter-of-fact explanation sent shivers down my spine, and I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Why did you do it? He's your brother."

"I know. I was driven by anger and envy. I was desperate to do anything at that time to remove him from the picture so I could have what I wanted."

Damn. It was hard to believe she could be so heartless.

"But times have changed," she continued. "I've had a taste of it and realized it wasn't worth it. All the plans I had weren't worth losing a brother. It only left a bigger void inside me."

She placed her hand over her chest, diverting my gaze for a moment before locking eyes with me again.

"I love my brother, and I'm happy he's alive and back home. Even if I don't always show it, he's still family. You're going to be a part of the family soon, and you'll see, even if my family is on the verge of falling apart, the only thing that truly matters to me is that my siblings and I have each other's backs."

Her words pushed my doubts further away, and I couldn't help but feel content with her response. I had expected a different reaction and had been prepared to confront her to protect Shawn and our relationship.

But I was glad that time had changed things, making his sisters realize what truly mattered in life rather than dwelling on negativity.

After our conversation, I headed straight to Shawn's office. He was waiting for me, and as I entered, he immediately stood up, concern in his eyes.

"What happened? What did you and Shelby talk about?" he softly asked.

I walked up to him and hugged him, feeling his kiss on my head as I slowly pulled away and smiled up at him.

I had made a promise not to keep any secrets from him, big or small. I'd been down that dark path before, and I wasn't ready to go back there. So, it was best to tell him about Shelby.

"I need to tell you something."