CHAPTER 38: Grip of Unseen

Sarah

I'm not to blame for how the gathering mirrored the darkness of my blouse. Auntie Marietta felt embarrassed in front of her friends, and Philip's family appeared perplexed, their frustration seemingly aimed at me.

I excused myself from Philip, stating, "I'll be right back; I just need to step away for a comfort room."

He glanced at me, perhaps assuming I needed the restroom after indulging in so much food.

"Hmm..." he murmured, nodding in understanding.

Assistant Alex coincidentally messaged him, diverting my ex-husband's attention to urgent office matters.

Jane's absence raised questions. Where could she be? Perhaps her flight was delayed, causing her to arrive late to the gathering.

In the restroom, I checked Jakob's message.

"Ten minutes, doll!" it read.

I quickly shot a message to Jane, firm in my decision not to depart the gathering without catching sight of her. As I typed, my attention was drawn to my ex-mother-in-law's deliberate retreat from Auntie Mari