My Enemy's Daughter (Edited)

chapter 24

Samuel's POV

I couldn’t stop thinking about Fiona. The weight of our last conversation, the way she’d hung up on me, how distant she sounded—it gnawed at me. I needed to fix this. Every bone in my body screamed to call her, but something held me back. What if she didn’t want to hear my voice? What if I just made things worse? 

I stared at my phone, the screen bright against the dim light of my apartment. Nine missed calls. Nine wasn’t enough. I should’ve kept calling. But what was I supposed to say? That it really wasn’t what she thought? That Clara didn’t mean anything? Would that even help? 

After pacing for what felt like an eternity, I grabbed my jacket and keys. I had to see her. Words weren’t going to fix this; I needed to be there, to see her face. I glanced at my watch—well past nine. It didn’t matter. If she was angry, she deserved to be. And I wasn’t going to fix anything by staying here, second-guessing myself. 

As I stepped outside, a familiar thought crept into my mind. I should be visiting my wife’s grave. It had been too long—too long since I’d paid my respects to Maggi and our unborn child. But right now, that felt distant, like something I could push to the side. Fiona was here, and for some reason, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was more urgent, more pressing. I told myself I’d go immediately after. After all, I needed to settle things with Fiona first.

The drive to her house felt longer than usual, probably because my mind wouldn’t stop racing. Would she even let me in? What if she wasn’t home? My stomach twisted at the thought of her rejecting me outright. But I couldn’t turn back now.

When I pulled up to her house, her car wasn’t there. I cursed under my breath. Where the hell was she? I checked my phone for any messages, but there was nothing. It was almost 9:30. Why wasn’t she home yet?

I parked the car and walked up to her front steps, deciding to wait. It was better than sitting in the car, stewing over every possible scenario. I paced back and forth, trying to calm the nerves that gnawed at me. I went over a hundred different reasons why she might be out, each one more irrational than the last. A business meeting? Dinner with her father? Or worse, was she with someone else?

No. I shook the thought from my head. That wasn’t Fiona. 

After what felt like forever, headlights cut through the dark. Her car pulled into the driveway, and I felt a mix of relief and anxiety. I watched as she stepped out, the low light not giving me much to go on. She saw me standing there, but I couldn’t read her expression. Silence lingered as she made her way toward the door.

I couldn’t help myself. “Where have you been?” The words came out more demanding than I intended, sharp with the worry I had been bottling up. 

She barely glanced at me, her voice cold. “It’s none of your business, Samuel.”

Her tone set me off. “None of my business? Fiona, you disappear, don’t answer my calls, and you think I’m just supposed to be okay with that?”

Her eyes flared, but instead of fighting back, she sighed, looking worn out. “I’m tired, Samuel. I’m really not in the mood for this.”

Before I could push further, she handed me her bag. I took it without a word, fishing out her house keys. I followed her inside, and when I flipped on the lights, my heart sank. Her eyes were red, puffy from what was obviously hours of crying. The sight of her like that punched me right in the gut.

“What happened?” I asked softly, my anger giving way to concern.

She avoided my gaze, brushing it off. “It’s nothing. Just a rough day.”