Chapter 19
In the study, the tea sitting on the desk had long since gone cold.
The old man paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back, wearing a path into the slate floor.
Finally, McNeil arrived. Normally striking, his face was drawn with exhaustion, deep shadows pooling beneath his eyes.
He hadn’t slept properly in days
A porcelain teacup clattered to the floor near McNeil’s feet, spilling tea everywhere.
“Where is she? The news is all over the place–saying Victoria’s dead. Is that really her in the morgue?”
The old man’s reaction to the news wasn’t shock or grief, but barely contained rage.
McNeil looked as tired as he felt, but there was no sadness in his expression.
“No,” he answered flatly.
He’d gone straight to the police to identify the body. Of course, it wasn’t Victoria.
The Victoria he knew would never be so foolish–stranded in a snowstorm, car out of gas and broken down, just waiting passively for death
“So, where is she? I don’t care what it takes, you find her. Do you realize Victoria holds fifty percent of our family’s shares? If she vanishes and decides to come back swinging, you, me everyone in the Langford family is finished.“”
The old man had spent his life navigating the cutthroat world of business, priding himself on reading people. But Victoria had proven him wrong.
w what
Then again, a woman who’d lost the person she loved most–who knew
she might do?%
McNeil’s eyes burned red. The moment he’d heard the news, all he’d been able to think about was whether Victoria was still alive!
Could fifty percent of the family’s shares ever be worth more than Victoria’s life?
“And that girl, Violet–you should send her away as soon as possible. The Langford family’s done more than enough for her. I’ve played along for your sake, helped save her life, put on a show for long enough. She’s alive now, and that’s enough
But if Victoria’s run off, let me tell you, we’ll all be out on the street,”
McNeil said nothing, quietly slipping out of the study.
No sooner had he stepped into the hallway than his phone buzzed,
It was Gwyneth, calling from her smartwatch.#
“Daddy, did you find Mommy? Is it true–did Mommy really die?”
Gwyneth hadn’t seen her father in days. That morning, she’d woken up cheerful, eaten breakfast, and gone looking for Violet to chat. Instead, she’d found Violet sobbing in her room, skipping breakfast altogether.
Gwyneth had thought maybe Mommy had dragged Daddy away again, and that was why Violot was upset. She’d been about to stand up for Violet when Violet told her the police had found her mommy’s body.
Even though Gwyneth had grown close to Violet lately, Victoria was her real mommy. She’d burst into tears right then and there, and nothing Violet did could comfort her.
With Daddy unreachable these past few days, Gwyneth’s heart was heavy with worry, and she’d lost all interest in playing i
Now, finally getting through to McNeil, the first thing out of her mouth–punctuated by sniffles–was about her mother
“Who told you that?” McNeil’s voice grew cold in an instant
“It was-“She started to say Violet, but heard the edge in her daddy’s tone. Afraid he’d get angry at Violet, she changed her answer.
“It was the ladies who look after Violet. That’s what they said ”
It was the first time Gwyneth had ever lied. Distracted and frustrated over not being able to find Victoria, McNeil didn’t notice anything
amiss.
“That’s not true. Your mom isn’t dead.”
Victoria wasn’t dead, but she was missing
The police wouldn’t file a missing person report until forty–eight hours had passed, and Victoria’s phone was still off. Thinking of his daughter, McNeil’s jumbled thoughts suddenly crystalized into an idea 8
“Daddy’s handling something very important right now. Can you try calling Mommy, and let me know if you reach her?”
