As soon as Mara ended the chat with Belinda, she left the meeting room and dialed Lizzie’s number.
When she picked up, Lizzie’s voice sounded light, almost playful. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, just get back to work. We’ll grab dinner when you’re done.”
Mara couldn’t help but smile at the sound of her voice. “Lizzie, let’s ring in the New Year together this year,” she said, her tone sincere, yet full of a quiet anticipation.
Without skipping a beat, Lizzie’s reply was warm, unhesitating. “Alright, but you better not be working overtime.”
Mara chuckled. “I won’t. I’ll just bring my work home with me.”
Lizzie snorted, a soft, affectionate sound that made his chest tighten with something he couldn’t quite name. “Alright, get back to your desk then. I’m fine, really,” Lizzie added, as if to reassure her once again.
Back at the office, things were beginning to unravel for Ophelia. The video of Lizzie being attacked by fans had gone viral and now she was the top trending topic. Elaine Coleman, Ophelia’s manager, had come to meet with her to discuss the fallout and Adrienne, who’d been quietly sitting by, looked far from calm.
Elaine, trying to stay composed, addressed the situation first. “I’m so sorry, Ophelia...and Lizzie, for what happened. This isn’t your fault.”
Adrienne’s eyes were glued to his phone, the image of Lizzie—covered in spilled drinks, surrounded by chaos—on his screen. His face went pale as he pressed his lips together, his expression hardening.
“When did this happen?” he asked, his voice tight.
Elaine hesitated, glancing at him nervously before answering, “About an hour ago. Those girls are still at the police station right now.”
Adrienne didn’t waste another second. He immediately dialed Lizzie’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. His jaw clenched and without saying a word, he stood up, grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the office, heading straight for his car.
Ophelia, who’d been sitting silently, watched him leave with a mixture of concern and something darker. She turned to Elaine, her voice low and cautious. “Elaine, this is too risky.”
Elaine sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping under the weight of the situation. “This is the quickest way to get Mr. Lennox to choose between you two. You know, even though he’s with you, he hasn’t divorced Lizzie yet. If this gets out, what do you think will happen? How are you going to clean up this mess?”
Adrienne’s mind was racing as he drove toward the police station. The images of Lizzie, bruised and exhausted, wouldn’t leave his head. She’d come back from Lhasa without a word to him. She hadn’t asked him to pick her up, hadn’t called him, hadn’t said anything. And now, she was avoiding him entirely. Something had shifted and it was eating him up inside.
Before he could even make it to the station, he spotted her walking down the sidewalk, dragging a suitcase behind her. Adrienne’s heart skipped a beat as he quickly turned his car around, pulling up next to her.
“Lizzie,” he called out, his voice soft yet urgent.
Lizzie stopped in her tracks, her gaze flicking over to him. But it was like she didn’t even recognize him anymore. Her eyes were distant, unfocused—empty.
Adrienne felt his heart sink. This wasn’t the woman he knew. Without thinking, he threw the car into park, jumped out and rushed to her side. He grabbed the suitcase from her hand and placed it in the trunk of the car.
“Why didn’t you call me when you got back? I would’ve come to pick you up.” His voice was tight with worry.
But Lizzie didn’t answer. She opened the back door of the car and climbed in without so much as a glance at him, as if he hadn’t even spoken.
Adrienne stood frozen for a moment, then hurried around to the driver’s side. He started the car, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. She stared out the window, her face expressionless, her lips pale and drawn. She looked... empty. Tired. Like she’d been drained of everything.
Something was off. She’d lost weight. Her jawline was sharper than he remembered.
“Lizzie, are you hungry? Let’s grab something to eat,” he suggested, his voice gentle.
But Lizzie didn’t respond. Her voice was flat, barely audible. “Not hungry.” Then she closed her eyes.
Adrienne took a deep breath before asking, “Are you hurt?”
Lizzie slowly opened her eyes, looking sharp into the rearview mirror. He must have had seen the video. That’s why he was here, rushing to to her and acting all concern.
