Married to my suspect

JONATHAN'S POV

I glanced at Danielle, who looked lost in thought as she leaned against the seat, watching the road pass. I couldn't place my hand on it, but something had definitely changed after she had gone to the bathroom. Since she hadn't been with her phone, I couldn't imagine what the problem was. The fact that it had been so obvious she had cried was also bothering me.

"Talking about Michelle. She texted me a few days ago." I said, and Danielle turned to me.

"About what?" She asked, sounding bothered.

"She wants to quit and stop working for me."

She frowned. "Why?"

That was the question I had asked when I had seen her message as well. "Her children thinks she should. She actually was going to quit the year I moved out, but she decided to follow me since she knew how busy I was and how difficult it would be to manage the house myself when I barely have time to eat."

She nodded for me to continue, and I could tell she hadn't made the connection yet. I wasn't sure how she was going to take her main reason for choosing to quit, but I needed to tell her. It also involved her.

"She thinks she's no longer needed since I have you." I explained to her and her eyebrows rose up.

"But this isn't going to last. We have just a few months left. Can't you try to convince her to stay. You said she chose to go with you."

I didn't respond because I'd thought of doing that but after thinking it over, I'd realized it wouldn't be fair to her. She had worked for the family and now me for over twelve years as a housekeeper. It wasn't fair to keep her as a casual worker when her children could well provide for her, and I knew they didn't like the fact that she worked for me after everything she had gone through.

"Is there something else you're not saying?" Danielle asked, getting worked up from her voice.

I shook my head as I pulled into our hotel's parking lot. "No. I'm not going to bring it up to her. If she has had enough of working for someone else, it's not right to try to convince her to stay."

Danielle shrugged. "Then I guess you'll have to look for someone else to assist you."

I nodded and shut the engine, enveloping us in silence. "I guess."

Danielle opened her door and took the box, leaving me in the car, and I shook my head. Coming for this party had cost me some time I would have invested in my business, but I had promised Danielle a tour of the city and I had no choice but to do that tomorrow. Maybe that would lift her spirit, I really hoped so.

My phone started ringing, and I picked it, frowning when I saw Scott's name. "Hello."

"Hi. I heard you went home and took your wife along with you, and that reminded me of our bet. I know it was made a few years ago, but it's still valid. Hope you've not forgotten?"

"Which bet?" I asked confused. Looking back, we had made lots of bets. It had been Scott, I and Ethan. Three pods in a pea, even though one third had grown up in a completely different world and left faster than the others. Half of the bets had consisted of Scott stealing money from Ethan and me since he had often won the bets, but we'd been completely alright giving it to him. Those days were long gone, unfortunately.

Scott tsked in disappointment. "I can't believe you. Remember when you were so convinced you weren't ever going to get married, and you bet me a few thousand dollars, I would take my wife home first? Guess who just lost that bet and owes me money?" He teased, and I could picture his gloating expression from his voice.

"Well, I didn't think this was going to happen either. You know what they say about counting your chickens before they're hatched."

Scott laughed. That used to be a running joke between us since Scott always had the tendency to jump into conclusions, however irrational they were, but now I was the one in that scenario. "I know right." The line was silent for a few seconds. "I heard from Mom that you are joining the dinner tomorrow evening with your wife. I was also told to join." He stated.

"Okay." I replied and he cleared his throat.

"I just wanted to let you know. I know you're still uncomfortable with me being in the same space with your wife."

Was I? While it was true that men bonded and forgave easier than women, the relationship I had with Scott had been broken completely, and I didn't think we could go back to how we were before. Plus, I'd done a bit of growing up and matured mentally and emotionally so I didn't particularly want to be oversensitive and childish about him, so I simply replied. "It doesn't matter. Besides, it's not like you can say No when Mom knows you're here."

Scott laughed. "Right. How did the girls react to your going home. Mom already told me she had thought of using her knife on you, but it was the presence of your wife that had saved you."

I rolled my eyes. "She's kidding. The girls were upset of course, but at least I was able to escape without being chewed out for my disappearance over the last few years."

Scott laughed. "You can't count the number of times I'd been called just because they wanted to know where you are. They seemed to think that because we were in the same country, there was no way I couldn't have been running into you in the streets or something. You also know about the rule Mom placed, right?"

I shook my head, even though he couldn't see it. "What rule?"

"As soon as news of you and what you were doing began to hit the internet, Mom banned everyone from searching about you. Same thing goes for everyone that has been with Mom for any time, even a week. She insisted that the best way to get information about either of us was to send a text across or pick up the phone and call. I could tell from Steph's voice how scary it had been. I think it was about the time Ethan… They were really worried about you, especially since they couldn't get a hold of you."

I took in a deep breath. "I didn't know that. I'll make sure to thank her for that."

"Right." Scott said. "I'd better let you go. I'll see you again tomorrow."

"Same." I said, and Scott dropped the call.

I stared at my blank cell phone for a while. Not receiving any calls from my family to find out what had happened had been one of the best things that had happened. All these while, I'd assumed they had kept tabs on me through the articles that had surrounded me, and had felt a little uncomfortable about it. It was also one of the few reasons I'd stayed away. It was so relieving that it wasn't true.

I unbuckled my seat belt and left the car. Hopefully, the few minutes I'd been occupied in the car had given Danielle some breathing space and helped regulate whatever was going on. For some reason, I couldn't shake the fact that I was the cause for her sudden depression.

I unlocked our room and entered the room silently when I realized Danielle had fallen asleep on the couch, still in her dress. Her phone was in her hand, and it was evident she had fallen asleep after calling her mother. That was what it was saved as, but with a bunch of love emojis that suggested that her relationship with her mother was worlds away from mine. Not Camille but the other woman I called Mom which made me feel bad about my comment during the game again. We each had what we could ignore in the characters of family, but I supposed it depended on whether they were blood or not.

I tapped Danielle, but she was out cold, she did little more than flinch and continue sleeping. I removed her heels then mine and put on the hotel slipper, then lifted her from the couch to the bed. I placed her at the side she'd slept earlier and took off my coat. I took a quick shower and came out in the pajamas the hotel provided. I looked down at Danielle as I considered waking her up to shower or letting her sleep since she looked like she needed her rest. I didn't think she was going to be comfortable in her outfit.

I concluded and slowly turned her, so her back was facing me, and lowered her zip a little. She most likely wasn't going to feel comfortable when she realized what I'd done, but the fact I had turned her, and she had not woken up meant that was my best bet. When she looked more comfortable sleeping, I covered her with the duvet and laid down beside her, staring at her peaceful face as she slept.