Chapter €
Liam stood frozen, utterly stunned. The secretary’s words took a moment to sink in. “The document? What on earth are you talking about? That’s been locked up in the police station for three years. How could she have accessed it now?”
The secretary, drenched in sweat and voice faltering, cast a nervous glance at the hospital bed before leaning in closer. “I don’t know either, but your wife mailed a copy. I tried calling her for an explanation, but she didn’t answer. I suspect she’s aware of the events from back then. I rushed over here to inform you before heading to the police station.”
“What are we supposed to do now? If she presses charges or exposes it, the
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company’s hard–earned reputation will be destroyed!”
On the hospital bed, Seraphina’sseyess gleamed briefly with satisfaction, beforce she quickly masked it with concern.“Liam, what’s going on? Did something happemat the company? Maybe you should go cheakk on things. I’ll be fine here. Cassian will arrivee soon, so you should handle your work shee suggested softly.
Liam’s expression darkened. After a pause, he finally admitted, “I’m sorry, Mireille has gone missing. I’m worried something might’ve happened to her, so I need to search for her.”
Seraphina chuckled, covering her mouth with a delicate hand. “Oh, so that’s it. Mireille, huh? You know how she is–it’s not like you met her yesterday. She’s probably still
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upset about what happened at the banquet. Don’t stress about it too much. She’ll come around in a couple of days. Focus on work for now and don’t let this affect you. She’ll understand.”
Relieved by her words, Liam started to leave but was halted by Seraphina’s sudden violent coughing. He had no choice but to stay, quickly instructing his secretary to search for Mireille. For now, he remained at the hospital to tend to Seraphina.
After the secretary departed, Seraphina’s demeanor changed entirely. She reclined on the bed as if nothing had happened, casually reminiscing about the past.
Her words were subtle, yet piercing–either blaming Mireille for being unreasonable or accusing her of being overly dramatic. Each remark carried an insinuation that reached
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Liam’s ears, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t reconcile these references with the Mireille he knew.
Lost in thought, he suddenly realized Seraphina was still talking incessantly. His face hardened. “That’s enough. Mireille isn’t like that–I know her better than anyone” he declared firmly.
Instantly, tears welled up in Seraphina’s eyes. She anxiously climbed out of bed, attempting to apologize. “I’m sorry, that’s not what I meant. I know Mireille is good, and you’re a good person too. I don’t know how I would’ve gotten through these past three years without you. I was just worried she might upset you and make you feel disheartened.”
“Liam, you know me–I didn’t mean it that way. That car accident involving Aunt
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Celestine years ago, I swear it wasn’t intentional. I had no idea the brakes would fail. I only wanted to pick Mireille up from the airport and take her home. Who could’ve foreseen that…”
Every mention of that car accident felt like a dagger twisting in Liam’s chest, the pain rendering him speechless. He knew Seraphina wasn’t entirely to blame, but the evidence painted a more complex picture of her involvement. Even the police had concluded it wasn’t just an accident.
Recalling his panic and helplessness at their wedding, a wave of disgust toward Seraphina washed over him for the first time. “Stop bringing it up. What’s done is done. I’ve got things to handle. I’ll call Cassian and ask him to take care of you. I’m leaving” he said bluntly.
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Despite Seraphina’s attempts to stop him, Liam didn’t look back as he walked out of the hospital room.
Once outside, the secretary’s call interrupted his thoughts. “Mr. Thorne, I spoke to the police. Mrs. Calder visited them yesterday about that old case. She didn’t say much but did leave with a copy of the letter of understanding. Since the statute of limitations isn’t up yet, the police refused to reopen the case. She must have realized something is wrong. You should return and check!”
Liam froze mid–step. “Yesterday?”
A realization struck him, filling his heart with dread. He sprinted to his car, slammed the gas pedal, and sped home, disregarding several red lights along the way.
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While driving he repeatedly tried calling or messaging her, but his screen only displayed a red exclamation mark–her phone was still off.
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