Depths of Deceit Read online

  Chapter 27

  Elias dashed through the hospital halls, hoping he wasn’t too late. He bypassed mothers cradling newborn babies and grandparents dragging tired and uninterested children around the ward. Nurses stepped out of his way, confused by his crumpled wedding suit.

  He turned the corner and located Ava’s hospital room at the end of the hall. A ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign hung on the doorknob. He knocked softly and heard muffled voices inside the room. The door opened, and Veronica’s exhausted face lit up at the sight of him.

  “Elias, what a sight for sore eyes.” Her voice was low and hushed. “It’s wonderful to see you. Please come in.” She welcomed him inside the room, pushing aside the curtain that offered privacy to Ava lying upright in bed.

  Elias’s heart was pounding if he’d run a marathon. He stood planted on the spot, his eyes firmly fixed on the little bundle pressed against Ava’s chest, small and unmoving. The stunning smile she bestowed him reaffirmed his feelings. He loved her. She was the one he wanted to be with.

  “Come over and meet your daughter,” Ava said softly.

  He approached the bed slowly and perched on the edge, welcoming the baby into his arms. She felt so delicate and breakable against his chest. “She’s so beautiful. What’s her name?”

  “Lila.”

  Elias kissed the baby’s soft scalp adorned with bright, copper hair. Her skin was pearl white. “Hello, Lila.” He felt the heat of Ava’s gaze drawing up and down his body.

  “Did you get married today?” she asked. “You’re wearing your suit.”

  He glanced up and found sadness behind her emerald eyes. “No. I’ve left Daisy for good.”

  Veronica made a small noise and walked towards the door. “It’s best for me to leave. I’ll be outside if you need me.” She slipped out of the room.

  When the door closed behind her, Ava glared wearily at Elias, breathing sharply through her nose. “What did you do, Elias?”

  “I chose you and Lila. Isn’t that what you wanted?”

  “Yes, I do. But what about Daisy?”

  “She’s not an innocent party,” Elias argued. “She betrayed me. I can’t forgive what she did. Selling her photos of us to the press was the first mistake she made. I can’t trust her anymore.”

  Ava climbed out of bed and stood opposite him. “So you left her at the altar?”

  “No, I told her before the ceremony.”

  “How dignified of you. How did she take the news?”

  “As well as you expect. I didn’t make the decision lightly, Ava. I’ve been thinking of leaving her for months. Abandoning Daisy at the altar wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever done, but it was needed.” With his free hand, he cupped her face, stroking her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I want to be a family. With you and Lila. No more half-assed promises. It’s you I want.” He leaned forward to kiss her, but Ava rebuffed him.

  “I’ve been waiting for you to say those words for months. But forgive me if I’m not jumping with joy. When I was pregnant, it broke my heart seeing you with Daisy, planning a wedding and an impending arrival. How do you think she feels now that the roles are reversed? She’s pregnant with your child. She needs your support more than ever.”

  “I will give her anything she wants.”

  “She wants you, Elias. If you’re with me, then you can’t give her what she truly wants.” She turned and sat back down on the bed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “You need to talk to her. You cannot move on with me when there’s unfinished business with her. I wouldn’t feel right unless it was done. Do you understand? It’s important for our children to grow up in a civilised environment.”

  Elias carefully lowered Lila in her crib and joined Ava on the bed. He kissed her softly, uncaring if she protested. He had missed how she tasted, how she felt under his touch. “I will speak with Daisy. Life’s too short to have two women pissed off at you.”

  Ava smiled, burying her fingers into the depths of his hair. “Stop talking, Elias. I’ve waited too long for this moment.” She bought him in for a passionate kiss.

  ~ ~ ~

  The apartment was quiet when Elias came home on Sunday night. The living room lamp was on as he’d left it, throwing fractured shadows onto the ceiling. There was an eeriness in the air that left goosebumps along his skin. Some of Daisy’s belongings that were never fully unpacked were back in boxes, this time stationed around the unit in a uniform manner. Her clothes were hastily thrown into boxes, topped off with shoes, boots, and unbreakable knickknacks. Seeing her things like that offered some comfort and relief that all this was over. Today would’ve been the start of his honeymoon. A new life that no longer existed.

  Elias wandered into the living room to inspect a box full of crockery when the front door opened. Daisy froze at the sight of him, quickly regained her composure and closed the door behind her.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded. “I asked you not to be here while I packed up my stuff.”

  “I need to talk to you.”

  She rolled her eyes and dumped her keys on the kitchen bench. “I think I’ve given you enough chances to talk.” She approached a box and rummaged through it. “You’ve humiliated me. My poor father was forced to explain your absence to the guests. What you’ve done to me is unforgivable.”

  “I’m sorry our relationship ended the way it did. But I couldn’t keep living the lie. Come on, Daisy. We were fooling each other to think we had a future.”

  “Did you love her this entire time?”

  Elias averted his gaze to the floor. “Yes. I guess I did.”

  “Why did you propose to me if you felt this way?”

  “I don’t know why I proposed. I guess I did it to hide my true feelings. I was so conflicted by my emotions for you and her. I thought marrying you would be the right decision. But something happened to you, Daisy. You’re a completely different woman.”

  “Our lives changed the moment you started working with Ava.” She sneered at him. “I often wonder if we would be in this situation if you never left Manny Magpie.”

  “I was getting shit money and the job had no prospects at all. I did it for us.”

  She laughed. “Really? You were thinking with your other head when you accepted the job at Blue Tail.”

  He went to stroke her belly when Daisy jumped out of the way. “Why don’t you let me touch you?” he asked. “I haven’t bonded with the baby at all. Honestly, when you told me you were pregnant, I thought it would change our relationship. It only made things worse.”

  “There’s no baby, Elias.” The lack of emotion in her voice sent shivers across his skin.

  “What do you mean there’s no baby?” Elias probed. “Did you lose it?”

  She met his gaze and lifted her shirt to reveal a fake pregnant belly. “You wanted to know why I refused you to touch me. This is the reason. I was never pregnant. Ever.” There was nothing on her face to show her remorse, no regret or guilt in her eyes. Dead. Emotionless.

  Elias’s knees weakened and he pulled out a kitchen stool in time. He covered his face in his hands, grieving for a child that never existed. “You lied me for months! I believed I was going to be a father. You showed me a scan of our baby.”

  “You can buy fake scans on the Internet,” Daisy explained. “You’ll be surprised how easy it is.”

  “Why did you do it?” There was so much Elias wanted to say—no, scream—at her, but he was exhausted of her playing games of deceit. She was toxic, not worthy of any redemption.

  “I figured if I was pregnant with your baby, you’ll stay with me. You’re not the type of man to leave a pregnant woman.”

  “That’s entrapment.” Elias got off the stool and peeled the baby scan off the fridge. He ripped it into two pieces, throwing them at her. “You’ve
committed low acts before, but this is the lowest. I came here tonight to discuss our future. Ava wanted our children to grow up in a civilised environment. I can tell her that there’s no need for that now.”

  “It’s always about Ava! Always! From day one, she was the topic of conversation,” Daisy screamed. “I’ve had enough hearing her fucking name. She doesn’t own you, Elias.”

  “Neither do you! I’ve tried my hardest to accommodate you, Daisy. I’ve ignored the piteous jealousy and the need for control. It’s not going to happen anymore. I’m done. We’re done.”

  Daisy shrunk at his outburst and gathered her purse on the kitchen bench. Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. “I’m sorry it didn’t work out between us.” She rested a gentle touch on Elias’s arm and pressed a ghost-like kiss to his cheek. “I’m sorry your feelings for another woman destroyed this relationship. I’m too tired to fight anymore. Good luck with your new family, Elias. Ava is lucky to have you.” Without waiting for a response, she turned, opened the front door and left Elias’s life forever.

  Chapter 28

  The sun’s rays felt warm on Ava’s cheeks as she read the newspaper at her favourite city café. Lila slept in her pram beside her chair, her little heart-shaped lips pressed together in a pout. Ava never envisioned she could produce something so beautiful, so pure. There were days she would wake up fearing it was all a dream and Lila wouldn’t be in her cot. In moments of panic, she would roll over and be comforted by the man sleeping next to her.

  She was so proud of Elias. It wasn’t easy for him to shed his past life, filled with memories of Daisy. They had a family now. He couldn’t afford to be swept up in all the drama. The media interest died down and local newspapers found someone else to write about. Elias kept details of Daisy’s fake pregnancy from the press by keeping his mouth shut and his wallet open to journos who found out. It was his one last act of heroics to a woman he didn’t have a future with.

  Ava couldn’t deny she directed a lot of her hate at Daisy for what she did, sabotaging their relationship and causing trouble. The woman clearly needed help. But it was water under the bridge now. It was time to move on.

  Elias appeared at the table with two glasses of water and a table number hooked underneath his arm. He sat down, tossing a quick glance at Lila sleeping. “It’s wonderful to have a peaceful breakfast without flashing cameras and intrusive public.”

  “We’re yesterday’s news, Elias. It’s back to normal now.”

  He flipped open the newspaper and skimmed a few pages before asking, “Did you hear back about the job with the New York publisher?”

  In a bid to flee the suffocating drama in Sydney, Ava applied for jobs in America, believing a change of scenery and a challenging career working for the top book publishers in the country would be therapeutic. “They emailed me last night.”

  “Come on. Don’t leave me hanging. What did they say?”

  “I passed my Skype interview,” Ava replied. “They want to see me next week for round three. It looks very promising.”

  Elias leaned over the table and kissed her. “Do it, Ava. This is a job of a lifetime. You can’t let this one slip through your fingers. Lila and I will be with you the entire way. We can start a new life in New York.”

  “What would you do about work? I can’t expect you to uproot your life for me.”

  “I already have.” He brushed her hair off her cheek, his touch lingering for a moment. “You were the greatest risk I ever took, Ava. I can take another one.”

  Ava had never believed in second chances before she met Elias. Now, she was certain they existed. There wasn’t much tying her to Australia. Veronica moved into her old mansion and she settled things with Liam before he moved out of state for work. She had her family to look after now.

  Ava sat back in her chair and studied the atmospheric CBD around her. Music spilled out of store fronts, cars created an orchestra in the streets, and the golden sun pierced the skyline. She created and built her entire publishing career in this very city, and it almost destroyed her. Still, New York was calling. It was far from the cameras and journalists who knew too much about her personal life. There was always going to be the risk of a person or corporation kicking the hornet’s nest, desperate to generate public interest again. But this time she would be far away with the man she loved. “Let’s do it,” she said. “I’m ready for a change.”

  Also from Soul Mate Publishing and Kellie Wallace:

  DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN

  In June 1940, Germany bombed the Island of Guernsey, bringing World War II to the Channel Islands. With her home in the midst of war, jazz singer Catherine La Mar must adapt to change. Within days, the island is overrun. Resistance cells start to emerge, hindering the German forces. Catherine's life is inevitably changed when childhood friend Thomas Potter is linked as the ringleader to one of the Island's biggest cells.

  The people she once knew are no longer who they seem to be. But nothing could prepare her for when she meets Nazi officer Captain Max Engel. Her view on the war forever changes when she is given a chance for love and new beginnings. For once in her mundane life she unveils her true self, as Max teaches her how to truly live. Their love puts a strain on Catherine's family, risking the lives her sisters and friends. As the war intensifies and divides the people on Guernsey, Max and Catherine must decide if their love is really worth risking it all.

  Available now on Amazon: DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN

  EDGE OF TOMORROW

  Twenty years after The Great Global Riots and the collapse of humanity, Alex Locke struggles to save his family, and his home colony of Pena, from starvation. When a letter from the corrupt Govern arrives dictating a game of survival penning local colonies against each other, Alex must trust a childhood friend, and seven others, on a certain death march to win the bounty or lose the only hope left in a war-ravaged world.

  Available now on Amazon: EDGE OF TOMORROW

  EARTHWALKER

  Noah is an angel whose job relies on collecting human souls who aren’t ready to leave their vessels. To his brothers, Michael and Gabriel, he’s just another rookie, earning his arch angel wings. When Noah catches an Earthbound demon in his form stealing a soul, he’s sent back to Heaven to plead his case. But no one believes him. Banished from Heaven for a crime he didn’t commit, Noah is given one year on Earth to find the demon responsible for his framing. If he fails to do so, he will be dragged to Hell for eternity.

  On his first day on Earth, he meets Fern Holliday who helps him get back on his feet. She’s reluctant to get close to him, but agrees to help Noah find the demon. By following signs Michael sends him, Noah and Fern travel the world in search of the demon. They grow closer every day until Fern is struck down by a mystery illness. Noah is at loss at what to do as her condition worsens. Before the year is up and he returns to Heaven empty-handed, the demon agrees to be taken back, only if Noah takes Fern’s soul to Lucifer. Will he follow the strict rules of Heaven, or succumb to his heart?

  Available now on Amazon: EARTHWALKER

  TO LEAN ON FALLING MEN

  Wall Street stockbroker John Forrest thought he had it all. Beautiful wife, booming business, fast lifestyle. But when he wakes up in an open grave in the middle of the desert he begins to question his life. He has no recollection of how he got there or who wants him dead. Found by an Iraqi rebel cell, John is taken hostage and forced to broadcast his plea across Western television.

  When Amber Joseph sees her boss’s scratchy image on the Internet she vows to bring him home. John arrives in New York and becomes an instant celebrity. The spotlight and the unwanted attention unearth the demons of his past, including his wife’s recent suicide. But one question remains. Who left him to die in the middle of the desert, and why?

  Available now on Amazon: TO LEAN ON FALLING MEN

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  Kellie Wallace, Depths of Deceit