I Plan My Death While He Bangs the Nanny

Chapter 14: Witness Protection Program

After burying the remains, Ethan Foster rushed to the club and drowned himself in bottle after bottle of liquor.

He tried to numb the pain in his heart with alcohol.

Only when he was drunk did the agony fade, just enough to keep him from breaking down.

In his drunken haze, he saw a shadow that resembled Sophia.

"Sophia? Is that you?"

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her into his arms.

"Mr. Foster." A woman's saccharine voice purred against his ear, soft and seductive, yet it snapped Ethan back to reality in an instant.

"Get out!"

The woman fled at the sight of his furious expression.

Ethan stormed into the restroom and scrubbed his hands raw, washing every inch of skin she had touched until it burned red.

Sophia, I'm not dirty.

Not at all.

When he returned to the private room, his friends had gathered.

They took one look at his hollow expression and dismissed it as temporary. After all, Ethan had cheated on his wife long ago, his devoted facade was just that, a facade.

"Come on, don't mope. There are plenty of women out there. Even if Sophia's gone, there'll be another, Emily, Grace, whoever. No big deal."

"Didn't Emily Johnson get pregnant? Perfect timing, she can take Sophia's place, and the kid gets a proper name."

"Yeah! Emily's way more understanding than Sophia ever was. With her as our sister-in-law, we can party wherever we want."

Their laughter filled the room.

Ethan snatched a liquor bottle and smashed it over the loudest one's head.

The violent crash silenced everyone.

Ethan's voice was ice. "One more word against Sophia, and I'll make sure you regret it."

The group scattered, leaving only a few exchanging uneasy glances as they urged Ethan to calm down.

For the first time, they realized he was dead serious.

One man, trying to lighten the mood, joked, "Relax, Ethan. Who says she's even dead? They never found a body, right? I heard there's this Witness Protection Program, maybe she faked her death to test you. Once she's sure you love her, she'll come back."

It was meant as a throwaway comment, but Ethan's pupils dilated. He seized the man by his collar.

"What Witness Protection Program?"

The man stammered, "J-Just some underground service that helps people disappear. I don't know if it's real, a friend mentioned it, "

"Give me the address!"

Meanwhile, in Switzerland, Sophia had begun adjusting to her new life.

The scenery was breathtaking, so much so that she could lose herself in it from dawn till dusk, enough to forget the past entirely.

Except...

"Going out, Ms. Williams?"

Her neighbor appeared beside her, dressed in athletic wear.

Sophia glanced at him.

Lucas Harrison had sharp, refined features and a model's build. When they first met, he'd taken her luggage so naturally she'd mistaken him for staff.

Later, she learned he was also in the Witness Protection Program, having arrived in Switzerland six months before her.

He was easygoing, aware of her unfamiliarity with the language and surroundings, and had offered her the house next to his for convenience.

Neither pried into the other's past. In the two weeks they'd known each other, she only knew his name, Lucas.

"Just grabbing some groceries. You?"

"Running."

"Oh." She nodded. "Be careful."

Lucas tipped his cap, revealing only a sharp jawline before disappearing into the landscape.

Sophia bought two large bags of groceries at the nearby supermarket.

As usual, Lucas waited at the entrance to carry them for her.

They spoke little, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.

Like how Sophia's cooking was average, yet every dish inexplicably suited Lucas' taste, he cleaned his plate every time.

"What's for dinner?" Lucas asked.

Sophia studied him, testing, "Beef stew?"

A flicker of anticipation crossed his face before he schooled it back to neutrality. She grinned.

"Beef stew it is. With sides and soup."

Lucas nodded a little too quickly, clearly eager despite his polite protest.

"Don't overwork yourself."

"It's nothing." Sophia sighed. "If you hadn't helped me when I first got here, I'd probably have slunk back home by now."

Lucas shook his head, about to reply, when a rustle in the bushes caught his attention.