Chapter 8 Final Goodbye Her face drained of color , and she gasped , her voice trembling .
How … how does he know ? Then she thought about her laptop .
It wasnt just her WhatsApp .
Shed set it to auto login since she was the only one who used it .
Which meant all her chat logs with Callum were right there .
[ Gideon is your biological son , isnt he ? I just dont get it .
If hiding it was such a burden and being with me was so exhausting , whyd you even marry me ? ] [ You made me realize just how pathetic these past five years have been .
Not gonna lie , I cried so hard I ran out of tears .
But none of them were for you .
I cried because I finally saw how little I was worth .
] [ As your husband , I hate you with everything Ive got .
But as a firefighter , I dont regret saving the three of you from that hotel fire .
And now , Im heading back out on another mission .
] [ Just pretend I died out there , okay ? Let this be the last thing .
between us .
Consider this letter my final goodbye .
] Her mind raced back to that day when shed attended Gideons parent teacher conference with Callum .
Chapter 8 Final Goodbye Her mind went blank , her heart a hollow void .
2/6 She realized Julian had seen it all .
She knew he must have seen the messages , and somehow , he must have known about her trip to the parent teacher meeting with Callum .
He mustve seen everything .
Every word in that letter felt like a hammer striking her chest , relentless and heavy .
She struggled to breathe , her thoughts spiraling .
After what felt like an eternity , she snapped back to reality , fumbling for her phone to call Julian .
Its not what you think , she whispered to herself , her voice shaky .

Yes , Callum and I had a past , but I never betrayed you during our marriage … Why do you get to decide the end of our marriage ? Dont I get a say ? Have you ever once considered me ? As the call rang , she muttered defenses under her breath .
Her heart raced with a strange , unfamiliar panic , the kind that came when a secret was laid bare .
But she hadnt betrayed him .
She couldnt let Julian walk away , not like this , not so recklessly .
Chapter 8 Final Goodbye 3/6 He was always so meticulous , always checking in , and discussing every little thing with her .
This sudden , cold decisiveness was unlike him .
Even knowing why hed changed , she couldnt accept it .
And then there was the fire hed mentioned .
Her calls kept going to voicemail , each unanswered ring tightening the knot in her chest .
Even if hes out fighting a fire , its been days .
It should be over by now .
Why is his phone still off ? A chilling thought crept in .
What if … somethings happened to him ? Elizabeth sank onto the edge of the bed , dialing his number over and over , each attempt met with the same dead tone .
Worry flickered in her eyes .
After a moments hesitation , she called Edward .
Despite the late hour , the call was answered instantly .
Ms.
Bennett , what can I do for you ? came the respectful voice on the other end .
I need you to check if thereve been any fires in the city over the past few days , Elizabeth said , her voice tight .
Chapter 8 Final Goodbye 4/6 If there were , find out how serious they were and which fire department responded , specifically if it was Julians team , Team Two .
Her heart pounded as she added , Do it fast .
Report back the second you have something .
Yes , Ms.
Bennett ! The call ended , and Edward , puzzled , stared at his phone .
Why is Ms.

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Bennett suddenly so interested in this ? Sure , he knew Elizabeths husband was a firefighter , but shed never shown the slightest concern for fires or his work before .
Ms.
Bennetts acting different about Mr.
Thornton today , he muttered to himself , already starting the search .
Thirty minutes later , Elizabeths phone buzzed with a message from Edward .
[ Ms.
Bennett , Ive got the details .
No fires in the city recently , but there was a massive wildfire in the western mountains a while back .
] [ It was brutal .
Reports say nearly all the firefighters from nearby towns didnt make it .
Mr.
Thorntons Team Two was deployed to assist a few days ago .
] Elizabeths face drained of color .
She shot to her feet , her body trembling uncontrollably .
Chapter 8 Final Goodbye [ Is the fire under control now ? Any casualties from Julians team ? ] Her fingers shook as she typed the words and hit send .
5/6 At that moment , she couldnt name the storm of emotions churning inside her .
Her chest felt constricted like something was suffocating her from within .
Edward replied : [ The situation on the ground is still unclear .
] [ But the fires been contained over the past few days .
] [ Ms.
Bennett , Mr.
Thorntons always been lucky .
Im sure hes fine .
] Elizabeth closed her eyes , a helpless sigh escaping her lips .
Edward didnt know the full story , but she did .

Julian had vanished days ago , his phone off , unreachable .
And that last line in his letter haunted her .
She knew he was in a dark place , and the thought of him acting recklessly , throwing himself into the fire without care , gnawed at her .
She typed back : [ Alright , I understand .
] [ Find me the exact location of the wildfire .
Im heading there now .
] Her eyes snapped open , resolve hardening within her .
Chapter 8 Final Goodbye 6/6 Whatever issues lay between her and Julian , those were private , theirs to untangle as husband and wife .
For now , he was still her lawful husband .
She needed to know he was safe .
Edward responded : [ Understood , Ms.
Bennett .
] [ Also , Mr.
Harlow reserved a dinner spot for tonight .
He mentioned you havent replied to his messages and asked me to check if youll be attending .
] Elizabeth frowned at the message .
She didnt hesitate long before making her choice .
[ Tell him to cancel .
] [ Im busy tonight .
Well reschedule another time .
] [ Yes , Ms.
Bennett ! ] The conversation ended , and Elizabeth couldnt sit still .
A restless anxiety clawed at her .
She grabbed her keys and sped toward the western mountains .