Page 45 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

“She hasn't texted or called since then?” I clarified.

Maddison shook her head, then her eyes narrowed. “What did you do? I can’t think of any other reason she would take off like this. Celia is not an impulsive person.”

Just then, my phone rang. I hurriedly pulled it out of my pocket. The caller ID showed Reeva. I ignored the call and silenced my phone, regretting reactivating her number after she’d told me I was to become a father.

“So, she packed everything?” I asked, peering past Maddison’s shoulder into the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

“She took the most necessary items. Do you want to look for yourself?” I didn’t think that was a genuine invitation, judging by the look on her face. “If I don’t hear from Celia soon, I’ll call the police,” she added.

It was clear I was in the doghouse as far as Maddison was concerned. It would take all my strength not to call the police myself.

“Please let me know if you hear from her.”

“If she asks me not to tell you, then I won’t,” she stated and shut the door before I could voice a protest.

I stood in the hallway, dumfounded. What had sent Celia running? Her disappearance was a very drastic step, especially if even her cousin didn’t know her whereabouts.

Where could she be?

My mind switched into overdrive. I searched for a number in my contact and typed in a quick text to Michael Earl, a private investigator who had worked for the firm a few times. If anyone could find Celia,hecould.

My finger hovered over the “send” button.

Was I going too far?

We were colleagues who had become more than friends. We were dating, even if we hadn’t labeled it. But did that give me the right to hire an investigator to find her when she clearly didn’t want to be found? She had only been gone for a few hours, but not knowing if she was alright was killing me. How could I relax at all when she might be in trouble?

I clicked “send” and descended the stairs of her apartment building out into the streets. As I sat in my car, I got confirmation that Michael was on it. With some relief, I placed my phone down and started the car. Then, it buzzed again.

I automatically picked up the call. It was Reeva.

“Anton, you haven’t gotten back to me. I’ve been calling you.”

I sighed. “Reeva, now is not a good time.”

“When will it be a good time? It never seems to be with you.”

“Reeva—”

“Look, Anton, if this is how you want to play it, then you leave me no choice. Either you find time to talk to me, or you’ll face the consequences.”

This was my year of women. Reeva had just threatened me, Maddison was accusing me of Celia’s disappearance, and Celia had disappeared just when I thought I’d found a connection I’d assumed was unattainable all my life.

Two days.

Forty-eight hours.

Two thousand, eight hundred and eighty minutes without knowing where Celia was and if she was safe.

Every minute of her absence felt like an eternity. I had scouted every place I knew she frequented since arriving in New York, even though I knew deep down she wouldn’t be at any of those locations.

She didn’t want to see me.

The weight of not knowing was crushing.

Despite the futility of my efforts, I couldn’t sit and do nothing while waiting to hear back from the private investigator. I continued visiting those places, hoping she would emerge when she needed something, but fear clung tightly, a relentless companion. I hated feeling so powerless. If I could just find her, maybe I could mend whatever I did wrong.

When the text from my PI finally buzzed through, my first impulse was to punch the air in victory, but I stopped myself on time, aware of the bustling street around me. If Michael had been near me at that moment, I would have hugged him without a second thought.

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