Read The Millionaire Claims His Wife for Free Online Page A

phone rang. She reached out and picked it up. “Hello?”
    â€œAnnie?”
    â€œChase.” Annie’s mouth narrowed. “What do you want? I thought we said all we needed to say to each other this afternoon.”
    Across town, in his hotel room, Chase looked at the boy standing at the window. The boy’s shoulders were slumped and his head was bowed in classic despair.
    Chase cleared his throat.
    â€œAnnie... Nick is here.”
    Annie’s brows knotted together. “Nick? There? Where do you mean, there?”
    â€œI mean he’s here, in my room at the Hilton.”
    â€œNo. That’s impossible. Nick is on a plane to Hawaii, with Dawn...” The blood drained from Annie’s face. “Oh God,” she whispered. “Has there been an accident? Is Dawn—”
    â€œNo,” Chase said quickly. “Dawn’s fine. Nothing’s happened to her, or to Nick.”
    â€œThen why—”
    â€œShe left him.”
    Annie sank down into a chair at the kitchen table. “She left him?” she repeated stupidly. Deb stared at her in disbelief. “Dawn left Nick?”
    â€œYeah.” Chase rubbed the back of his neck, where the muscles felt as if somebody were tightening them on a rack. “They, uh, they got to the airport and checked in their luggage. Then they went to the VIP lounge. I upgraded their tickets, Annie, and bought them a membership in the lounge. I knew you wouldn’t approve, but—”
    â€œDammit, Chase, tell me what happened!”
    Chase sighed. “Nick said he’d get them some coffee. Dawn said that was fine. But when he came back with the coffee, she was gone.”
    â€œShe didn’t leave him,” Annie said, her hand at her heart, “she’s been kidnapped!”
    â€œKidnapped?” Deb snapped. “Dawn?”
    â€œDid you call the police? Did you—”
    â€œShe left a note,” Chase said wearily. Annie heard the rustle of paper. “She says it’s not that she doesn’t care for him.”
    â€œCare for him?” Annie’s voice rose. “People care for—for flowers. Or parakeets. She said she loved Nick. That she was crazy about him.”
    â€œ...not that she doesn’t care for him,” Chase continued, “but that loving him isn’t enough.”
    â€œIsn‘t—?”
    â€œIsn’t enough. She says she has no choice but to end this marriage before it begins.”
    Annie put her hand over her eyes. “Oh God,” she whispered. “That sounds so ominous.”
    Chase nodded, as if Annie could see him.
    â€œNick’s beside himself, and so am I.” His voice roughened with emotion. “He’s looked for her everywhere, but he can’t find her. Dear God, If anything’s happened to our little girl...”
    Annie’s head lifted. As soft as a whisper, the front door opened, then closed. Footsteps came slowly down the hall.
    â€œMom?”
    Dawn stood in the doorway, dressed in the going-away suit they’d bought together, the corsage of baby orchids Annie had pinned on the jacket’s lapel sadly drooping. Dawn’s eyes were red and swollen.
    â€œBaby?” Annie whispered.
    Dawn gave Annie a smile that trembled, and then a sob burst from her throat.
    â€œOh, Mommy,” she wailed, and Annie dropped the phone and opened her arms. Her daughter flew across the room and buried her face in her mother’s lap.
    Deb picked the phone up from the floor.
    â€œChase?”
    â€œDammit to hell,” Chase roared, “who is this? What’s going on there?”
    â€œI’m a friend of Annie’s,” Deb said. “You and Nick can stop worrying. Dawn’s here. She just came in.”
    Chase flashed an okay sign to Nick, who hurried to his side.
    â€œIs my daughter okay?”
    â€œYes. She seems to—”
    Chase slammed down the phone, and he and Nick ran out the