THE BILLIONAIRE'S GIRLFRIEND

FOURTEEN

The hot chocolate was untouched and long cold by the time Jason Barttel took his leave.

Malora sat, gazing unseeingly out of the front window of the Café, feeling so cold and desolate. There was just no word to describe how she felt. The tears she expected would come gushing at the news of Louis and Lorena weren't forthcoming.

Lorena was nowhere to be found.

Louis was dead.

Everything she ever worked for, sold hereelf for was gone.

Her sacrifice no longer held any meaning, because the one person she wanted to save ended up the way she wanted to prevent.

Dead.

She tore her gaze away from the busy sidewalk, and let them fall on the thin file Jason left for her. The information about Louis' death and his cremation laid beneath the picture of Lorena leaving the hotel, but she couldn't bring herself to open it.

Malora told herself that as long as she didn't, then it wouldn't be true. There was just no way that Louis was dead.

He looked so alive and well by the time Lorena left for the US. So, what happened in the hotel that night?

"Would you like the order something else?"

Malora looked up to see the waitress from earlier staring at her with something akin to concern. She supposed that it was indeed weird for her to be sitting alone staring at nothing.

"No." Malora reached into her purse for the Black Amex card Titan ordered her to use. At least this way, she was fulfilling his wish. One less thing for her to worry about. "I'll be leaving now. Charge what the gentleman bought and mine to it."

"Okay."

After the waitress swiped the card on the pay terminal, she handed the card back to Malora and thanked her for the tip she slipped underneath Jason's muffin plate when she cleared them away.

After shooting a quick text to Henry to meet her out front with the car, Malora grabbed the file and left the Café, feeling as gray as the clouds that were beginning to gather in the sky. A cold breeze swept through the sidewalk, making her rub her palm down her arms. People hurried up and down the sidewalk, black umbrellas going up as the the breeze picked up and more dark clouds began to gather.

Henry pulled the car up to the curb by the time the first fat rain dropped on her chin. Malora opened the car door herself and slipped into back seat.

"Where are we heading to?" Henry asked after she closed the car door.

Malora checked her wristwatch and saw that it was a little past three p.m. "Do you know if Titan is around?"

"He flew to Paris this morning on a business trip, ma'am," Henry said, driving into the London traffic that was beginning to form. "Do you wish to speak with him?"

Does she?

Malora looked out the rolled up window. Rain drummed steadily against the window and the roof now, and the sidewalks was a parade of black umbrellas and people hurrying out of the downpour. The sudden unexpected weather reflected the way she felt.

"Malora, are you okay?"

Henry's sudden question drew Malora's attention from the window to find him watching her in the rear view mirror. There were two deep lines between his brows and his lips were slightly pursed.

"Yes." She simply answered, unable to take any more pity as it is.

Henry did not ask any more question, but she did catch him staring her several times in the rear view mirror. The car crawled slowly through the roads of London, and honks filled the air at intervals.