There was a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Doesn’t seem like you can handle it.”
He suddenly let go.
Celeste’s hand froze awkwardly in midair for a moment before she pulled it back, clearing her throat to cover her embarrassment. “Thanks for bringing me home.”
“Sure. Go on up.”
The front door clicked shut behind her.
All warmth vanished from Alfred’s gaze. In less than a minute, Mack returned, dragging a man clutching a camera.
“Mr. Alfred, this is the guy who’s been following and taking pictures. I checked–he was hired by Silvercrest Nova International…”
“Let him go.”
At the mention of Nova International, Alfred’s clenched knuckles relaxed. He waved Mack off.
Philip deserved to know a few things.
Nova International.
Chase set down a stack of blurry photographs on the desk.
“Our people found traces of Miss Duncan in Asterwynn.”
“But it looks like she’s gotten pretty close to some man.”
Philip picked up the photos.
The images weren’t high quality, but clear enough: there she was, getting out of a
man’s car.
A man’s hand–wearing a watch–reached out from the driver’s seat to help her down.
No.
Celly would never do something like that.
Philip swept the photos off the desk. “Impossible! Celly’s just mad at me, that’s all. She would never go running to some other guy. Chase, who the hell did you hire?”
1/3
Chapter 24
Chase fell silent.
That was the best private investigator Nova International could dig up.
The silence only made Philip more uneasy.
He tried calling Celeste again, scoured every place she’d ever been.
The result was always the same: he was on her blocklist, completely shut out of her world.
Something was wrong.
Celly had never stayed angry like this before.
Philip’s panic grew as he glanced again at the background in the photos.
Moonwater Grove.
He no longer cared whether the photos were real or fake, or whether Celeste had found someone else.
He had to get to Asterwynn right now, see the truth for himself, prove she hadn’t really left him.
“Book me the earliest flight to Asterwynn.”
Philip headed straight for the airport.
Chase hurried after him, calling out, “But there’s a storm warning in Silvercrest tonight–it’s dangerous, Mr. Robertson, you-”
“Shut up. I’m going to find her.”
Philip strode into the light rain, letting the water blur his vision.
Just before he got into the car, his phone rang with Viola’s custom ringtone.
“Philip, it’s raining outside. There’s supposed to be a thunderstorm soon, and I’m all alone at home. Can you come back and stay with me?”
Viola’s delicate, plaintive voice floated through the line.
Normally, Philip would have dropped everything and rushed home.
But this time, he hesitated.
“Viola, sweetheart, I have something I need to take care of.”
“Don’t be scared, okay? I’ll have Chase come look after you, and a doctor will be
there soon. You’re safe.”
212
15:12
“But
Viola sat up in bed, stunned that Philip would actually say no to her,
The first flash of lightning lit up the window, followed by a crash of thunder.
All she heard after that was the busy signal on the other end.
“Philip, why won’t you come?”
Lightning illuminated her pale face.
Viola hurled her phone across the room, clutching her head as she broke down, screaming, “Whenever Celeste was scared of storms, you always went back to her! Why can’t I ever have the kind of love she gets?”
Thunder rolled on and on, drowning out her cries.
15:12
