Chapter 2044

Cecilia heard the news and, startled, went in search of Nathaniel. "How did you persuade Nicholas to agree?"

She remembered how every past attempt had met an unmovable wall.

Nathaniel did not mention the way he had bowed his head and begged Nicholas.

"Maybe his conscience woke up," he said lightly. "I only told him how well Meredith treats Dahlia."

Cecilia heaved a sigh. "Let's hope he truly turns over a new leaf."

"Mm." Nathaniel nodded once.

He spoke the hope, yet worry gnawed at him. Nicholas was not a man who shifted easily. Surrounded by shadows and no friends, he had built walls Nathaniel feared might never fall.

Inside Nicholas' private villa, his phone vibrated on and off, rattling against the desk.

He had ignored every call for days, refusing even to glance at the screen.

The name flashing now belonged to Jocelyn-and the device would not stop trembling.

Jocelyn's thumb hovered over the call icon, the bright screen reflecting in her anxious eyes. She had tried more than once, yet every attempt ended in the same blank silence—no answer, just the cold pulse of dial tones.

one answering?" she

from the company,

in recent days, former colleagues had whispered alarming news: Nicholas had vanished-phones dead, emails unanswered-and with him the

and again, her fingertip growing numb against the glass, but the

futile pattern of dialing and waiting. "What's going on with

Jocelyn admitted, the words escaping on a

her attempt at calm, worry flickered unmistakably in Jocelyn's eyes-a storm cloud passing over a summer

her phone face down on the coffee table, she sat in thoughtful silence, chewing at her bottom lip. "Yannick, I want to go look for him," she said,

clear to her: he

been the one to look after Nicholas, but Nicholas had paid her generously, funds that kept her family warm and fed through winters

corporate life, teaching

a boss—he was the mentor who had seen a future in her

a fleeting shadow of unease slipping across his

complicated affection Jocelyn carried for Nicholas, telling himself that time would eventually

right, I'll go with you," Yannick

she breathed, relief threading through her

into a light trench coat, and headed toward the door with purposeful

into step beside her, determined to help trace

sleek downtown headquarters of the company and the villa Nicholas had

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