Filed to story: Watch Out, I’m The Lady Boss (Eleanor & Sebastian) Book PDF Free
But troubles wouldn’t go away just because you ignored them.
The next afternoon, I received another call from Daniel.
“Hello,” I answered, already frowning.
“Was returning the dress your idea, or his?”
“It was mine,” I said, surprised Sebastian had actually followed through.
“Why?”
“Because my husband doesn’t like me accepting gifts from other men.”Daniel sighed, then said, “You kept your end of the bargain by coming to the event with me, so I should honour mine. I have the recording for you. Let’s have dinner tonight. I’ll fill you in on what I’ve found.”
“You can tell me over the phone.”
“It’s not something I can explain quickly, and I have some things to show you. I’ll wait outside your studio tonight,” he said, then hung up before I could refuse.
I cursed him.
My phone rang again.
“I’m taking you somewhere tonight,” Sebastian said after I’d answered.
“Where?”
“Somewhere nice.”
“I can’t tonight. I’ve already made plans.”
“Another time, then.” I could hear the disappointment in his voice.
“Since when did you start planning spontaneous nights out?” I asked. It wasn’t like him.
“Naomi suggested it. She said with everything that’s been going on, we could all use a relaxed evening. Ryan’s coming, and Cassian too. But if you’re busy, it can wait.”
“Tell you what, I’ll join you after I’m done. It might be late, though.”
“That works. I’ll pick you up afterwards.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make my own way.”That evening after work, I reluctantly went to meet Daniel.
“Well? Are you going to tell me what you found, or not?” I asked as soon as I sat down.
Truth was, I knew Sebastian’s resources and connections were far better than Daniel’s. If I asked him about Frank, he’d probably uncover more, and faster.
But until he was ready to be honest with me about Genevieve, I didn’t want to bring it to him.
A marriage should be built on mutual trust, not one-sided openness.
“Are you in that much of a hurry to leave?” Daniel asked, looking hurt.
I ignored his expression.
“If you’re not going to talk, I’m leaving.”He picked up the menu. I stopped him.
“Talk first. No ordering until you do, or I walk.”Daniel gave in.
“Fine.”He handed me a small flash drive.
“This is the recording you heard before, but I had it cleaned up. The audio is clearer now. I’ve listened to it myself.”
“And?”
“Frank mentioned an address. I looked into it-it was a hotel. But when I called, they said he’d already checked out.”
“Did they say where he went after?”Daniel shook his head.
“Client confidentiality. Even if they knew, they wouldn’t tell me.”I was disappointed. So he didn’t know where Frank was. What was the point of this meeting, then?
“But I did find out something else,” Daniel added.
“What?”
“He wasn’t alone. The hotel front desk mentioned he’d booked a single room, but he was often seen coming and going with another man during his stay.”
“Who was it?”
“No idea. The hotel wouldn’t provide a photo-same privacy excuse. I thought if we could access their security footage, we might see for ourselves.”
“Do you know how to do that?” I asked, thinking he meant hacking, which reminded me uncomfortably of what had been done to my studio’s database.
“No, not really. It was just a thought,” he admitted.
I considered it.
“There might be another way.” A legal way that wouldn’t land me in prison.
“What?”
“Give me the name.”Daniel told me. I looked it up. The hotel was owned by a hospitality group, which was in turn owned by several companies and investors. It didn’t surprise me to find that one of those parent companies eventually traced back to LGH.
If I asked Sebastian, as CEO, he could request that the subsidiary company ask the hotel management to hand over the surveillance footage. They could even provide Frank’s room number, transaction records, length of stay- everything they had on him.
But…
“What are you thinking?” Daniel asked.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. I didn’t have to share my plans with him. I took the flash drive.
“Thanks for this.”I stood to leave.
Daniel hurried to his feet.
“Wait. Don’t go.”
“I don’t think we have anything else to discuss.”
“At least have a meal with me. We’re already here.”
“I have somewhere else to be.”
“You should be careful,” Daniel blurted out.
“What?”
“Watch your back. I’m worried about your safety.”
“Why?”
“I know why you’re trying to find Frank, and I know about the attempts on your life. After I pulled you from the lake, you asked if I saw who pushed you. I didn’t… but you must have some idea who it was.”
“I do,” I said.
“Are you thinking it was that woman we saw at the party? Genevieve, was it?”
“Yes. What of it?”
“What if it wasn’t her?”
“Why would you say that? Do you have proof?”
“No, but think about it. I moved pretty fast, but by the time I reached the lake, there was no one else on the shore -just you in the water. If it was Genevieve, how could she have moved so fast?”I frowned.
“Maybe you just didn’t see her.”
“Maybe. But what if it was Frank?”I shook my head.
“Why would he push me into a lake? How would he even know I was there?”
“He could’ve been following you.”
“Unlikely.” If Frank knew where I was, he’d have jumped out, accused me of being a terrible daughter, and demanded money outright.
“But not impossible, right? He probably blames you for his prison sentence. I wouldn’t put it past him to want revenge.”That was harder to dismiss. Frank never had much fatherly feeling toward me, and prison had probably only made him more bitter.
“I’m worried about you,” Daniel said softly.
“Come back to me. Let me protect you.”
“No, thank you. I have-“
“Sebastian? Are you serious? He can’t even protect you from a jealous woman like Genevieve.”
“That’s my business.”Daniel sighed.
“I feel useless. I want to help you, but I can’t even find Frank.”I softened my tone.
“It’s not your fault. You’ve helped enough. It’s time you moved on with your life.”
“You are my life,” he said.
Two years ago, those words might have made me cry. But not anymore.
I straightened my shoulders.
“Daniel, thank you. But it’s better if we don’t see each other again.”He grabbed my hand.
“No. I don’t want to be cut out of your life. Will you at least let me help you with this Frank situation? To keep you safe?”I pulled my hand away firmly.
“No.”At that exact moment, I heard the distinct sound of a camera shutter.
“You shameless hussy!” snapped a woman’s voice.
She looked to be in her fifties, dressed elegantly, but her words were anything but refined.