Chapter 26

Since waking up with a dreadful scream, he found it difficult to return to sleep. He had been awake until the break of dawn, just staring at the ceiling, thinking about his wife.

He could not help but wonder what had haunted her to have such a terrible nightmare. It sounded like it had to do with the accident. How long had she had these nightmares?

Why was I not informed about it?

Did his family know about her condition? He doubted that it was an isolated case since he had already witnessed her breakdown twice. But what was she doing about it?

Damn! She is not ok.

He shook his head as his mind replayed the earlier scene. He had sworn to protect her. But how could he save her from her past? How could he help her?

Financially, he knew how he could provide for her. Physically, he had the means to safeguard her. But he was clueless when it came to her other needs.

"Andy! What am I to do with you?" He had avoided complicated situations like this. But it seemed he was stuck with her.

Eventually, he gave up on sleep and decided to do what he did best. He grabbed his laptop and phone and started working.

It was the only way he could stop thinking about her. He needed a distraction that would occupy his mind, away from thoughts of her.

"Run the figures with the Finance Department." He spoke loudly while he checked the files on the screen. "Return to me when you have answers." He rubbed his temples as a headache began to throb inside his brain.

He saw a few discrepancies in the numbers. Initially, it looked fine, but after careful analysis, he saw the inconsistencies.

He believed someone might have painstakingly tried to hide it. However, he needed confirmation that it was not just a technical glitch.

"Yes, Sir Lucas. I will get right on it." Jason responded as his voice echoed on the loudspeaker of his phone.

He would have personally handled the matter, but he still had a few things to wrap up in the island project before they could leave and return home.

Besides, they still had a few more days for their honeymoon. He could not cut it short without making people talk about their marriage.

"Sir, one more thing. There is a fundraiser charity gala in two weeks." His assistant informed him. "Your father insisted that you attend it with your wife."

He usually attended such occasions if his schedule permitted it since it was a good way of building connections. However, it was different this time.

"Let me think about the fundraiser, Jason." He told his assistant, not wanting to commit to it before he discussed it with his wife.

He believed speculations about his marriage would come out if they attended the charity event. The press might eventually wind up with the news.

He was unsure if his wife was ready to reveal their secret to the public, remembering one of her conditions. She wanted their marriage under wrap until she could establish a name for herself.

"Then, your mother also insisted that you fit her into your schedule once you return from your honeymoon." Jason reluctantly told him, sounding like he was avoiding the topic.

He could not blame his assistant, knowing how difficult it was to deal with his mother. She usually did not accept no for an answer.

"Squeeze my mother for dinner." He knew she would not stop until she got her way. "And Jason, cancel all my appointments for today." He ordered on the phone.

Suddenly, a thought came to his mind, deciding he wanted to change his plans for the day. "And cancel Andy's schedule as well." He added before ending the call.

He closed the file he had been working on as he thought of his new plan. At that moment, he had arrived with a different agenda for the day.

"What is going on?" Andy's confused voice echoed behind him. "Why did you cancel my schedule? You know I have plenty of work to finish..."

He did not notice her presence until she spoke up. He surmised she probably heard the last part of his conversation with his assistant.

"Not today." He cut her off before she could finish her statement. "We are doing something different." He told her as he put away his laptop and walked over to the table filled with their breakfast.

"Come on, join me for breakfast. Afterwards, we are going out." He pulled a chair for her. Then, he offered her a hot coffee.

"Where are we going?" She asked, joining him on the table and taking a piece of the delectable assortment of bread spread before them.

"Out." He answered without giving much detail. "I think it is time we explore the island."

After last night, he thought she might need a break from the stress of her work. Somehow, he felt guilty for dumping a tremendous workload on her shoulders.

At the same time, he thought it was time that he spent time with his wife outside of work. He already knew that she was hardworking, but other than that, he did not know anything much about her.

"Oh! But I thought you never liked mixing business with pleasure." She raised her eyebrows in question, seemingly uneasy about his plans.

He guessed she was right, acknowledging it was one of his strict rules. But today was an exception.

"Not today, Andy!" He casually answered as he watched his wife eat like she did not care.

Most women he knew would be conscious of the food they consumed. He suddenly cited Naomie, who carefully monitored what she ate.

But Andy was not like them. She was not picky and ate the food before her with gusto. She never liked a meal to go to waste.

"Today is purely for pleasure and relaxation. No business at all." He declared. Therefore, technically, he was not mixing the two.

He could not help but be amused by her reaction as she gaped at him with her eyes wide and her mouth dropped open.

He supposed she was surprised by his uncharacteristic behavior. But she was not the only one. He, too, could not explain his actions.

"Who are you?" She playfully questioned while her eyes sharpened into a slit. "What have you done to my husband?"

"I just thought that we both needed a break. After all, it is still our honeymoon." He explained to her before drinking his coffee.

"You remember this is not a real honeymoon. Right?" She pointed at the two of them, reminding him of their arrangement.

"Of course! But do you want my father to think we spent our entire honeymoon locked up in our suite?" He painted a picture that he believed would not work well with her.

He also needed something to justify his actions.

"No, definitely not!" She appeared aghast by the thought. "I think going out would do us some good." Agreeing with him.

"I thought so." He smiled, satisfied by her response.

Maybe it was a great idea after all.