LOGINChapter 286Bryan's POVPascal had been found, orr at least, there was a lead on his location.The text Cynthia had shown me before I left the restaurant flashed through my mind as I drove through the darkening streets of Missford.Possible sighting near the docks. Moving teams into position now.Normal people—would have felt relief at that news.Hope that finally, after five months of searching, answers were within reach.But I wasn't normal people.And relief was the last thing I felt.How could Pascal be so careless?So sloppy?Five months of successfully staying hidden, and now he was spotted near the docks like some amateur criminal who didn't know how to cover his tracks.It was almost insulting how easy he'd made it for them.I gripped the steering wheel tighter, my jaw clenching.This wasn't supposed to happen.Ethan wasn't supposed to be found.I'd been so careful. So patient. Playing the role of the concerned friend, the supportive presence, the man who just wanted to help C
Chapter 285Cynthia's POVI was reviewing the final menu selections for the restaurant's soft opening when Bryan walked in.Right on schedule, as he had been for the past few weeks. Almost every evening after work, Bryan would stop by, ostensibly to check on the progress of the restaurant, but really — I suspected to check on me."Hey," he said, offering a tired smile as he approached the table where I was working."Hey yourself," I replied, setting down the menu mock-ups. "Long day?""Aren't they all?" Bryan said, pulling out a chair and sitting across from me. "How are you feeling?"The question had become routine between us, but today, for the first time in months, my answer was different."Hopeful," I said, and I couldn't keep the smile from spreading across my face. "Really, genuinely hopeful, Bryan."Bryan's expression shifted slightly, something flickering in his eyes that I couldn't quite read."The DNA results came back," I continued, the words tumbling out in a rush. "From t
Chapter 284Cynthia's POVI was still catching my breath, my heart pounding from the sprint, when Detective Susan appeared beside Kevin's car.Her expression was a mixture of frustration and disapproval."Ms. Cynclair," she said, her tone sharp. "I specifically told you to stay back and let us handle this.""I know," I said, not backing down. "But…""No buts," Detective Susan interrupted. "This is an active investigation. A potentially dangerous situation. You could have compromised the entire operation."Kevin stepped forward, placing himself slightly between me and the detective."With all due respect, Detective," he said, "if Cynthia hadn't been here, you wouldn't have noticed that guy in the hoodie approaching. Her alertness is what alerted your team."Detective Susan's jaw tightened."That may be true," she said. "But it doesn't change the fact that civilians have no business being at an active scene. You both need to leave. Now.""No," I said firmly.Detective Susan's eyebrows s
Chapter 283Third Person POVAnna sat back in her chair, her expression calculating despite the tears still wet on her cheeks."I'll take you to the place," she said quietly. "But I need guarantees."Detective Susan raised an eyebrow. "Guarantees?""A comfortable prison," Anna said, meeting the detective's gaze steadily. "Less restrictive. Protection from Grace and Pascal if they're ever caught. And assurance that Hayden will be cared for properly while I'm serving my sentence."Detective Susan's jaw tightened. "You're in no position to make demands, Ms. Walker.""Then I guess you'll have to find the cabin on your own," Anna replied, her voice hardening slightly. "Good luck with that. It's not on any official records. Jerome bought it under a shell company that doesn't exist anymore."Cynthia leaned forward, her hands flat on the table."Anna," she said quietly. "Please. If you know where Ethan is, just tell us. Don't make this about…""I'm not making this about anything except surviv
Chapter 282Cynthia's POVI didn't even bother grabbing my coat.Didn't tell the contractor I was leaving.Didn't do anything except follow Kevin out of the restaurant and into his car, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.Anna had been found and she should know where Ethan is.Kevin drove like a man possessed, weaving through traffic, running yellow lights, his jaw clenched tight."Where did they find her?" I asked, my voice shaking."Abandoned motel on the east side of the city," Kevin said. "She'd been hiding there for months. The investigators tracked her through a cash withdrawal she made last week. Stupid mistake on her part.""Is she okay?" I asked.Kevin shot me a look. "Why do you care if she's okay?""Because she helped us," I said. "She let us go. She…""She also sabotaged your restaurant and worked with Grace to kidnap you in the first place," Kevin interrupted sharply. "Don't forget that."I fell silent, because he was right.Anna had done terrible things
Chapter 281Cynthia's POVFive months since Ethan had disappeared from that warehouse, leaving behind nothing but blood and unanswered questions.One hundred and fifty-two days of waking up each morning and forcing myself to believe that today might be the day we'd finally get answers, living in a suspended state between hope and despair, between moving forward and standing completely still.But I hadn't given up.I'd promised Kevin I wouldn't, and I'd meant it.So I'd pulled myself together, piece by painful piece. I'd gotten out of bed. I'd started eating regularly again. I'd left Amber at Nathaniel and Helen's visiting as often as possible and promising him that things would get better, even though I wasn't entirely sure I believed it myself.And I'd started building something new.A restaurant here in Missford.Not to replace Maison Cynclair in Paris, but to give myself something to focus on besides the endless waiting. Something concrete and real that I could pour my energy into
Chapter 242Cynthia's POVI stood in the kitchen doorway for a moment, watching the scene unfold in the dining room with a mixture of disbelief and growing concern.Nikolai sat at the head of the table — the seat usually reserved for Nathaniel as the eldest son — looking both honored and slightly o
Chapter 236Cynthia's POVWhen Kevin's car pulled through the gates of the Laurent mansion, I was exhausted — emotionally, physically, mentally drained in ways I hadn't thought possible.All I wanted was to get inside, start cooking Amber's chicken sauce, and lose myself in something simple and fam
Chapter 245Ethan's POVShit.Cynthia had caught me.Caught me eating her food like a starving man who hadn't seen a proper meal in weeks—which, to be fair, I was.But still.The embarrassment burned hot in my chest.I'd been trying so hard to maintain some semblance of dignity, some remnant of pri
Chapter 228 Cynthia's POV The silence that followed Eleanor's slip was deafening.Everyone at the table had gone completely still, forks hovering mid-air, wine glasses frozen halfway to lips, all eyes locked on either my mother or Bryan's mother — waiting for an explanation that felt like it migh







