Chapter 44
Abigall
My blood was bolling as I stormed out of Marry’s house, the door slamming so hard behind me that I could hear the frame shake. She wasn’t worth my time her lies, her smugness, her refusal to admit the truth. I hoped, with every ounce of anger boiling in my veins, that whatever Susanna had given her to keep her mouth shut was worth
IL
The cool morning air hit my face as 1 stalked toward my car but it did little to cool my temper. I was shaking, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palins. My heels clicked against the uneven pavement, the sound as sharp and angry as I felt. 1 yanked my car door open and slid inside, slamming it shut behind me.
For a moment, I just sat there, gripping the steering wheel, breathing heavily. The entire conversation replayed in my head, each word stinging like a fresh wound. I wanted to scream, to hit something to somehow get rid of the frustration building inside me like a storm. And so I did throwing my head back and letting out a guttural scream that reverberated inside the car.
It didn’t help.
1 slumped forward, pressing my forehead against the cool leather of the steering wheel. What had I been thinking? That I could simply waltz into Marcy’s house and charm or intimidate her into confessing? She was loyal to Susanna, for reasons I couldn’t fully understand, and no amount of money or pleading would change that. I had underestimated her stubbornness, and the fear or whatever emotion it was that made her keep covering for Susanna’s lies.
When I finally sat up, my gaze caught on a car parked some feet away. Although the glass was slightly tinted, the figure of the person in the driver’s seat struck me as familiar, but my anger had dulled my curiosity. I dismissed the thought and instead turned my focus on what I could do next. My thoughts stumbled over one another, but one thing was clear to me now: I couldn’t do this alone.
I had been a fool to think I could handle this by myself. Every step I took felt like walking blindfolded through a minefield. This talk with Marceline might have gone better if the person talking to her had not been me. I needed help, and I needed it from someone who could think clearly and approach this situation without the emotional baggage weighing me down. Someone persuasive.
For a fleeting moment, I thought of Roxy. She was sharp, capable, and always knew how to get what she wanted. But as quickly as the thought came, I dismissed it. Roxy was already burdened with both her work at the and keeping an eye and ear out for me with all that was happening too. Besides, involving her would be too risky.
company Conrad was clever, and if Roxy started poking around and he got to know, it wouldn’t take him long to figure out she was working together with me.
And the absolute last thing I needed right now was Conrad in my business. No, I needed someone who wouldn’t occur to Conrad–or anyone else, for that matter.
I stared aimlessly past my windscreen until the solution hit me: Daniel Woods. Alexander’s assistant.
My hands were already searching for my phone as the idea took hold. Alexander’s assistant had been kind the first time we’d met, but it was more than that. He was observant, and most importantly, sharp–witted. I remembered how he’d wisely avoided mentioning that I was alone in the hospital when we had suddenly met all those months ago. Then through our previous phone calls, I had gotten the sense he was reliable. He struck me as someone who could handle pressure without cracking, and that was a rare trait.
But could he be discreet? I wasn’t sure. And yet, Alexander had kept him as his assistant for years. A man like Alexander wouldn’t tolerate someone who couldn’t be trusted with sensitive matters. That, at least, gave me hope. Taking a deep breath, I unlocked my phone and scrolled through my contacts, searching for his number. But I did,
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it recurred to me that despite all the good qualities I had subconsciously noted about Daniel, there was something peculiar about Daniel. I just couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
Was it the fact he was distant while being polite over the phone? If my interactions with him had only been limited to the phone calls we’d briefly spoken with each other over, I would think he was just like every other secretary I had met over the years. My finger hovered over his name on my phone screen, and for a moment, I simply stared at it. I mentally retraced my interactions with him, trying to pinpoint what had triggered this sudden off feeling
In person, he was as polite and professional as he was over the phone, even warm at times. But even then, he was…. intense. His gaze was the kind that seemed to follow you at all times, even when he wasn’t looking at you. And he carried himself with the sort of self–assurance reserved for more than a mere secretary.
Staring at his contact Information on my phone, I idly wondered if the Daniel I had spoken to over the phone and the Daniel 1 had met were two different individuals…
I thought back to the hospital, to the first time we’d met He’d been kind, yes, but there had been something in his eyes. A flicker of something I couldn’t name. A chill ran down my spine. What if he had his own agenda? I’d been so focused on Susanna, on Conrad, on Marcy, that I hadn’t considered the possibility of another player in the
But then, why would he help me? What would he stand to gain?
I shook my head, trying to force away the paranola creeping in. I was overthinking it. Daniel had been nothing but kind to me. And if I ruled him out, then I was only making this more difficult for myself.
I was running out of options. The longer I sat here and made up imaginary suspicions, the longer I increased my chances of spending more time in that house than I planned or wanted to. And I couldn’t let that happen.
I pressed the call button and lifted the phone to my ear.
It rang once, then twice. I waited patiently with each passing second. And then, just as I was about to hang up, a familiar voice answered.
“Abi – Ah, Mrs. Remington?” Daniel’s tone was calm, though I detected a hint of surprise. “This is unexpected. Is everything alright?”
“Hello, Daniel,” I said, my voice calmer now that I had let off some steam after my fruitless talk with Marcy. “I need to speak with you. Are you free to chat?”
