Second Chance-In the mist Book 1 novel Chapter 90

"Make yourselves comfortable. I'll go get some lemonade. In this heat, I suppose it's perfect. Emily, will you help me?" I asked her, gesturing to the kitchen. I had to know if the event had gone to her liking.

"Of course. After you, please." 

"I hope your book launch was up to your expectations," I began the conversation as I pulled the pitcher of lemonade out of the fridge.

"It was perfect, Rebecca. Don't worry. And since we're alone, I'd like to thank you not only for an unforgettable day but also for your involvement in getting me found. Olivia and I talked about it a lot." Although we've recognized each other since we met, we haven't brought it up until now. We didn't even have where or how to do it. 

I was pretty sure this topic would open up one way or another.

"You don't have to thank me, Emily. I just did my part to help a friend. Now you're one of my friends, too," I could see his eyes getting slightly moist. It wasn't easy what she went through.

"I don't suppose Dominic knows... who you are, as I haven't seen you discuss such topics in front of him," Emily concluded, arranging the glasses on the tray. I couldn't deny that I didn't wince slightly at the mention of this issue. It wasn't time yet, and I wasn't doing it because I was lying to him. The importance of the mission simply didn't allow me to make mistakes. 

"That's right, Dominic doesn't know yet and I intend to keep it that way. For how long? I haven't decided yet. I know a relationship as serious as ours shouldn't have started out this way, but I have no choice." 

"I understand. Even Olivia went through what you're going through now, and not because she enjoyed lying to me, but because my ex-husband was far too dangerous for me to know she was working undercover." 

"I'm glad, though, that it all ended well and you and Mike are where you should have been all along. As for Olivia, she did the right thing. And not because the orders came from me, but because she is so dedicated to what she does. She puts her heart and soul into every mission. Which is why she got the promotion. But that's another story. Let's get back to them, shall we?" 

"Your secret's safe with me!" she said, winking at me and taking the tray. We walked out onto the terrace where the chatter was in full flow. I caught Dominic and Mike up in what was probably a manly conversation and Olivia was sitting secluded in a corner talking on the phone. Every now and then, she looked at me and frowned. 

"Excuse me a minute, I'm going to go talk to Olivia. I see our men are busy as it is..." 

"Of course, don't let me keep you." 

I moved closer to Olivia, who was already holding my gaze. A wide smile spread across her face as soon as she hung up the phone. 

"I suspected this is what you wanted to thank me for, but you don't have to. You know, I was just doing my job." 

"I know... Rebecca... but at the time I was so angry at Kevin, Emily's ex-husband. Especially since I never liked the guy. There was always something that bothered me about him. He was also the reason I got close to my sister, as her agent, without her suspecting anything. But even now I regret I didn't manage to prevent the wedding and her suffering."

I sensed a regret in Olivia's voice, as if she blamed herself for everything her sister went through. 

"You know it's not your fault for Emily's life, right?"

"I know, Rebecca. I knew the minute she told me she was marrying Kevin. But, as her sister, I could have insisted more." 

"This is the way love is, blind I mean" And even I knew that. My story with Dominic was not without its trials and tribulations, but the love I had for him made me fight for him. But I couldn't compare him to Kevin. He was a deceitful, two-faced man. More like Tom, the man I was on right now. And even if he was dead right now, someone much more dangerous had done the really nasty stuff. He was just following orders. "But let's leave the bad ones behind. At least with you, they are already finished. I'm working on an assignment that's already taking up a lot of my time. And most of all, I hate not being able to tell Dominic."