BE MY OBSESSION

CHAPTER 43

~1 WEEK LATER~
•SHELBY•

I parked next to the fountain in front of the house and glanced out the window. The front doors were shut, but I could see the gardeners and some of the house staff busy with their usual chores.

It's already past five-eleven, so he's likely home by now. I called James to confirm if William had any other plans this afternoon. I was relieved when James assured me that William had no appointments or meetings for the rest of the day.

I had a hunch he might head straight home after work today. If I'm wrong, this should be the first place I check.

Exiting the car, I closed the door behind me, catching the gardeners trimming hedges casting glances my way.

Although it was just five in the afternoon, the sun had already set, and darkness was settling in. The evening breeze picked up, and I pulled my jacket tighter.

I ascended the steps to the front door and entered. Surprisingly, the house was dim, with the only light coming from the kitchen hallway.

"Hello?" My voice echoed in the empty space without a response.

A sudden sound of glass breaking followed by some cursing emanated from the kitchen area. I hurried to investigate, but I barely entered when I was met with chaos—broken dishes, glasses, and flower vases strewn across the floor. 

"What the hell," I exclaimed in disbelief.

Shards of plates and glasses littered the floor. The sliding door was partially open, leading to the debris extending to the outdoor area by the pool.

William was crouched by the table, gathering broken glass in a dustpan. As I entered, the crunching of glass under my sandals caught his attention.

He straightened, his eyes flashing with panic upon seeing me.

"No, don't come any closer. Stay where you are. You might get hurt," he warned, rushing back into the kitchen.

I halted and surveyed the mess around me.

"What happened here?" I questioned, but he seemed to ignore me. Instead, he gently took my arm and guided me around the side.

Outdoors, I stood next to him, taking in the scene near the pool. Food and wine glasses remained on the table, indicating someone had been there before the chaos.

"What's going on?" I asked again, and he met my gaze, his face expressionless.

"Just a little accident."

"An accident? Are you serious?" This seemed more than just an accident.

The entire place looks like a mess, as if there was a big fight that broke out and things got smashed.

"Just stay put here, there are broken glasses all around. I'll take care of cleaning up."

He instructed me before turning back to the table.

"Where's Petro and the others? Can't you just call them to clean up?"

"I'd rather not. This was my mistake, and I'll handle it myself," he replied with a hint of firmness.

His mistake? What did he mean by that?

I walked over to him, and he frowned when he noticed I had left the spot I was told to stay in.

"I'll help." Before he could object, I began gathering the glasses and plates from the table and took them into the kitchen to tidy up.

Surprisingly, he didn't argue much and allowed me to do as I pleased. He started sweeping up the broken glasses and tossing them into a trash bag, while I tackled the kitchen.