Love Jason

Chapter 38

Jason's POV

As I continued to stare at the necklace adorning Emily's neck, a wave of confusion washed over me, clouding my thoughts and leaving me grasping for answers. Why was she wearing my wife's necklace—the one she had been wearing when she died? And then it hit me, the pieces of the puzzle were slowly coming together in my mind, forming a picture I was not sure I was ready to see.

"I hope I'm wrong," I murmured to myself as I pulled away from Emily and gently removed the necklace from her neck. The weight of the pendant felt heavy in my hand, its familiar presence sending shivers down my spine. Clutching it tightly, I walked out of the room, my mind racing with a torrent of unanswered questions.

As soon as I stepped out, Lucas bombarded me with questions. "How is she? Is she awake?" he asked urgently, his concern palpable. But the turmoil swirling within me made it impossible to respond. My mind was consumed by the revelation I had just uncovered, and I couldn't bring myself to face Lucas's inquiries, not when I was grappling with my internal struggle.

Ignoring his urgent queries, I brushed past Lucas, leaving him standing there, his words hanging in the air, unanswered.

I entered my study, the weight of the necklace heavy in my hand, and poured myself a glass of scotch. The amber liquid glimmered in the soft light, casting shadows across the room. My thoughts were a tangled mess, and I struggled to make sense of the revelation I had just uncovered.

"Jason, what's going on? Is Emily okay?" Lucas's voice broke through my reverie, but I couldn't find the words to respond. My mind was elsewhere, lost in a labyrinth of memories and unanswered questions.

"I understand," Lucas said softly, his tone filled with empathy. "Finding Emily like that must have brought back a lot of memories. I'm sorry about that. I'll let you be. I'll check in on you both tomorrow."

He turned to leave, but before he could take another step, I stopped him with a single command.

"Pour yourself a glass," I said, my voice firm.

Lucas hesitated for a moment, then nodded silently, understanding the unspoken invitation. Pouring himself a drink, he settled into a chair opposite me, giving me the space I needed to wrestle with my thoughts in silence.

"We've been going at this all wrong," I declared, and Lucas regarded me with confusion.

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

"Remember when I instructed you to find out everything you could about Emily?" I reminded him, and he nodded in acknowledgement.

"Yes, and I found nothing, Jason. I thought we were past this. Emily is just a simple nanny who happens to look like your late wife and works for you," he replied, his tone tinged with frustration. But my next action left him speechless.

I placed the necklace in front of him and asked, "Do you remember this?"

"Amara's necklace, the one you got for her birthday," Lucas confirmed, his voice heavy with the weight of memories. "I can't forget it, Jason. You made me travel so far away to get it."

I swallowed hard, the flood of emotions threatening to overwhelm me once more. With trembling hands, I downed the contents of my glass and poured myself another one, needing the liquid courage to face what came next.

"How do you have it, Jason?" he asked, his voice strained with emotion. "It never returned with her body."

"I found it on Emily's neck," I confessed, and Lucas's expression shifted from confusion to disbelief.

"That's not possible, Jason. The Marinos killed Amara and took that necklace as some kind of trophy. How did it find its way to Emily's neck?" he questioned, his voice laced with scepticism.

"That's why I said we've been looking at this all wrong," I explained, but Lucas still seemed puzzled.

"Marco Marino killed Amara, and he took this necklace, so..." I trailed off, the implications sinking in.

"No, Jason, I know we suspected her in the past, but you can't be thinking that Emily is working for Marco Marino," Lucas interjected, his tone firm.

"I don't know what to think, Lucas. That's why I need you to find Emily's connection to Marco," I replied, my desperation evident in my voice.

"Come on, Jason. I know you're searching for anything to justify your suspicions of Emily because she resembles Amara, but you can't seriously entertain this idea. She's just a simple girl; she's not part of our world," Lucas argued.

"Maybe Marco kidnapped her and put this necklace on her just to mess with you. Think about it, Jason," Lucas suggested.

"Let me be the judge of that. Just get me what I need, and I need it like yesterday," I insisted.

"As you wish. I'll get my contacts to work on it," Lucas agreed before getting up and walking away.

Driven by a mix of fear, doubt, and an inexplicable longing, I found myself drawn back to Emily's side despite the turmoil raging within me. The desire to be near her, to seek solace in her presence, overpowered any rational thought or apprehension I harboured.

As I gazed upon Emily's sleeping form, her features softened by the gentle light of the room, my heart clenched with a mixture of emotions. While she bore a striking resemblance to Amara, there were subtle differences that set her apart. Her lips, for instance, were a delicate shade of pink, forming a thin, heart-shaped curve that was uniquely hers. It made me wonder what they tasted like, what secrets they held, and what whispered promises they might speak in the quiet of the night. Her hair, a perfect shade of chestnut brown, cascaded in gentle waves around her shoulders, framing her face like a halo. It was different from Amara's, with its unique texture and shine. As I watched her, a tender longing stirred within me, a desire to reach out and run my fingers through those silken strands, to feel their softness against my skin.

The internal struggle waged war within me as I fought to quell the desire stirring in my veins. "Damn it, Jason, get a grip," I muttered through clenched teeth, my voice thick with frustration and self-reproach.

Regaining my composure, I took a deep breath as I took my seat by the side of the bed, reminding myself of the situation at hand. My feelings, though strong, were irrelevant in the face of the current circumstances. I needed to focus on unravelling the mystery surrounding Emily and her connection to Marco Marino.