Page 23 of Seek Me Darling

Her determination makes my chest tighten with pride and anxiety in equal measure.Damn, we’re both too stubborn for our own good.“Trust your instincts, Hydessa. You’ve always had a knack for finding the truth. You are so much smarter than me, believe in yourself. Have you even reached out to our parents or Uncle Max to help?”

She hesitates again, and I roll my eyes. Stubborn Darling pride.

"I don't want to involve them," she finally admits quietly. "They're busy, and I want to do this on my own. I feel like I need to get to the bottom of this myself, to prove that I can handle it."

Her reasoning hits too close to home, and I sigh softly, understanding her fierce independence all too well. "I get it. Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?”

"I will," Hydessa assures warmly, sincerity evident in her voice. "And I promise to keep you updated."

I can’t resist shifting the conversation to lighter territory, needing to distract us both from this endless, anxious spiral we tend toward. "Good. I'll be waiting for your updates. Now, back to the island life. You're surrounded by beaches and handsome men—please tell me you're having a little fun at least!"

She scoffs, exactly as expected, and I smile despite myself. Always so damn cautious.

"There are plenty of good-looking men here, but knowing my luck, I'd end up sleeping with the killer and he would stab me before I even climax."

I burst into genuine laughter, her dark humor perfectly matching my own twisted sensibilities. "Hey, you never know. You might have a knife kink and get off on being stabbed," I tease, my voice dripping with mischief. “We both know our parents are deviant as fuck, maybe you inherited some of it.”

Her laughter echoes through the phone, lifting my spirits immediately. "You're terrible," she says through giggles.

"I know, I know," I chuckle warmly, savoring this rare moment of levity between us. "But seriously, Hydessa, take a breather when you can. Don't let this mystery consume you completely. Enjoy the island while you're there."

"You're right," she agrees, finally sounding a bit lighter herself. "I'll try to unwind a bit, too."

"Good. Now, go get some rest or do something fun. You've earned it," I encourage, knowing she needs it more than she'll admit.

"Thanks, love you Seanna," she says gratefully.

"Love you, Hydessa," I reply softly, ending the call with a lingering sense of relief and warmth. Sliding my phone back into my pocket, I return to my desk, feeling just a little steadier, even if just for now.

Sliding back into my chair, I find Jensen, Matteo, and Eli staring at me with varying degrees of curiosity and amusement. I was far enough away that theyshouldn’thave heard the conversation.

"What?" I snap, arching an eyebrow at them pointedly. "Anything useful happen while I was gone, or are you all just hoping I'll magically solve this clusterfuck myself?"

Jensen chuckles softly, shaking his head as he swivels his monitor toward me. "Actually, we might have found something." His voice turns serious, a welcome change from the frustrating lull we've been trapped in.

Interest piqued, I lean forward to study his screen. Jensen points to a series of surveillance images, timestamped from yesterday. "We've been combing through Navarro's known spots again—mostly dead ends, but Matteo noticed something interesting here."

Matteo steps up. "Navarro met someone new last night—unknown face, not on any watch lists. But look at the timing." He taps the timestamps. "Navarro shows up late when no one else is around, waits around almost an hour, then this guy arrives, and they talk for exactly two minutes before splitting."

"Looks like a drop or instructions being passed," Jensen adds quietly. "Whoever this guy is, Navarro clearly trusts him enough for direct contact, which means he could be a valuable weak link."

I study the grainy footage, narrowing my eyes thoughtfully. "Do we have an ID on this mystery guy yet?"

"Working on it," Eli pipes up, spinning his own monitor toward me. "I ran facial recognition—nothing local, but I'm broadening the search. Fingers crossed he pops up on someone else's radar."

"Make it a priority," I instruct sharply. "We’re running out of patience. If Navarro won’t give us an opening, maybe his friend will."

"Already on it, boss," Eli replies confidently, fingers flying over the keyboard. "I'll shake every digital tree until something useful falls out."

"Good," I say, nodding firmly. "And Jensen, Matteo—keep monitoring Navarro closely. If he meets this mystery man again, we need ears on that conversation."

"We'll handle it," Jensen assures, his gaze unwavering.

As they get back to their work my mind races, turning over Ford's stern warning alongside Hydessa’s determination to solve her own mystery. Between Ford’s expectations and my sister’s stubbornness, my drive to close this case burns hotter than ever.

Jensen catches my eye, leaning in slightly. "You alright? Ford looked intense."

"Ford’s always intense," I say dryly, shaking my head. "But he’s right—we need results, and we need them fast."

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