Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 511

After a long day, Belinda was exhausted. She took a hot shower, checked her phone, and saw a message from Ike saying he'd made it home safely. Satisfied, she peeked into her sister's room to find her deeply asleep, dreaming away. Only then did she retreat to her own bedroom.

Before long, Belinda too drifted into a peaceful slumber.

What she didn't know was that half an hour after her bedroom lights went out, her seemingly delicate and gentle sister, Darlene, quietly got up, opened her laptop, and started reading an email from John.

When she saw Keith's request, Darlene nearly lost it, almost slamming her desk in frustration.

Keith had asked her to investigate the truth behind Lucy's disappearance twenty- three years ago and gather all related evidence.

"Keith, you're asking the impossible!" Darlene fumed, pacing around the room in anger. "If you and your father couldn't gather all the evidence after all this time, and even with Stefan's assistant enlisting help from the Howard family, the best in the business, what do you expect me to find?"

"Is this a compliment to my skills, or are you just messing with me, Keith?"

Sitting back down at her desk, Darlene checked the detective agency's account and saw a hefty sum deposited, much larger than the last retainer Keith had provided a few million this time.

After cursing Keith for a while, Darlene messaged John, instructing him to politely decline Keith's offer. Despite their agency's reputation in Pinehurst, they weren't invincible. The unsolved mystery involving the Blue family from over two decades ago was beyond her capabilities.

Did Keith think she was Sherlock Holmes reincarnated? Even then, solving this case would be a stretch. So much time had passed, and Elisa, who had taken Lucy, had been dead for as long. Stefan had only managed to prove that Elisa's niece was seeking revenge.

Plus, the Blue family was like a fortress. Everything known about them was what they allowed people to know. Discovering anything else would be nearly impossible unless someone from within the family leaked information.

John soon called back.

Darlene picked up and immediately scolded him, "At this hour, a text would do. Why call? This is a massive headache, and you accepted it? You should've turned it down."

The last time Keith hired her to investigate herself, it was a nightmare. She had to rush to Skywatch, pulling out all stops to sneak into Keith's room and make him terminate the agreement, returning the retainer.

That saved her agency's reputation.

happened again, would she have to make another trip to Skywatch

realized that if she went to Skywatch, Keith would likely

is too slow. Talking is quicker. Keith didn't give us a chance to refuse.

ruthless guy. He means what he

leading to this relentless trouble. Otherwise, why would someone with Keith's influence bother with their small agency? They were

got it. I'll

supposed to handle something tonight, but now I'm not in the mood. You take my place on the job, and make sure it's done well. Get the evidence

"Sure thing."

The request was a headache for him too. But, ultimately, the agency was Darlene's, and

time, calculating the travel time to and from Skywatch. It wasn't feasible; she'd have to abandon the idea. Perhaps she could use Lucy as an excuse to

muttered to herself, knowing that knowing

naturally, eyes fluttering open to see her husband's

face. "It's rare to open my eyes and see

was up

out her

even making her a special

sho

enveloped in his love

increasingly happy

s

or attend any meetings now.

giving her a good morning kiss, Stefan sat up, helping her as

rise.

after feeling

running the heater

in Skywatch, the nights and mornings are so cold you don't want

north and south. Even in summer,