Page 37 of Chandelier Sin
“I’m sorry it’s not better news, Eve.”
I shivered. “Don’t say it like that. There’s still hope.”
“Give me more time.” He hesitated as though trying to find the words to comfort me.
“I need a current photo.” I feared losing out on her childhood.
“I’ll do everything I can.”
“Be careful.” I reached out to reassure him.
If anything happened to Ben, the thread between me and my daughter would snap.
I’d lose her forever.
Ben walked away, and I wanted to call him back to ask more questions. This man was my only tenuous link to my daughter.
I glanced toward the fountain and then beyond toward the back door of the main house.
Viktor, Aemon’s butler, stood on the steps staring in my direction. Then he looked away, seemingly uninterested.
Damn it.
Even the housekeepers were told to report anything out of the ordinary. One of them had admitted she’d been ordered to spy on me.
These invisible walls were closing in.
Soon, it would be lunch time and I’d be expected to sit at that long table in the dining room while Aemon sat at the other end. Holding a conversation with him could be a challenge.
His intellect used to inspire me. Now, I saw it as a threat.
Entering the house, it was easy to guess Aemon was home. The staff scurried around nervously ready to serve him—ready to answer his every whim, to press his suits, to cook him the finest meals, to bring him his favorite beverage at the right time of day. And on and on and on—years of pampering having evolved into its own kind of monstrous ordeal.
I paused by the sitting room door and pressed a hand to my chest, going over my conversation with Ben.
We had a location now to begin searching for her. A child of seven might be enrolled in school. She’d need a doctor at some point. She’d make friends. Perhaps she’d participate in a school play, have favorite teachers. The possibilities of finding her were becoming reality.
I’d been waiting for this news for months.
I felt terrible for putting Ben at risk, but I’d do anything to protect her. All I wanted was to give her a better life.
Hands trembling, I entered the sitting room and made my way over to the bar, pouring myself a gin in hopes of taking the edge off my nerves. The emotions welling up inside me felt like a panic attack.
I’m coming for you, sweetheart.
I’ll do anything it takes.
Lifting the glass to my mouth, I took a sip, gin scorching my throat. I gulped the rest to drown out this agony. Heartache held me in its wake—and would until I held her in my arms again.
I squeezed back the tears because I’d learned they were useless.
“Eve.” Aemon’s voice startled me.
I pivoted to face him, glass still in my hand.
“What are you doing?” His tone sounded harsh.
“Nothing.”
