Nathaniel did not rush her away. He stayed until every loose thread at Jamieson Group was knotted tight, and only then boarded the ne at her side.

At Tud Airport, Charlotte had been pacing the arrivals hall long before the flightnded.

"Cecilia!" she called, waving both arms the instant she spotted them.

Cecilia slipped her hand free of Nathaniel''s, dashed across the polished floor, and wrapped Charlotte in an embrace fierce enough to chase off the lingering chill of cemeteries and boardrooms alike.

Nathaniel''s hands were suddenly empty. He watched Cecilia and Charlotte lean into each other,ughter and whispered confidences circling them like warm light. Jealousy pricked the back of his throat-sharp, metallic, impossible to swallow.

Cecilia angled toward Charlotte, her voice gentling. "How''ve you been holding thepany together on your owntely?"fn69fb Official source is f?ndnovel/fn69fb

Charlotte lifted her chin in a quick, brave nod. "Pretty good, actually-nothing I couldn''t manage."

Cecilia''s smile eased some hidden tension. "That''s a relief."

Hooking her arm through Cecilia''s, Charlotte sighed. "While you were away, every single day stretched forever."

Time had crawled not only because Cecilia was gone, but because Sven''s absence pressed on her like a weight she could not name.

Once they were inside the car, Cecilia caught the shadow in Charlotte''s eyes. "Sven''s still texting you, right?"

Charlotte''s shoulders dipped. She clenched her fists before speaking.

"At first he did," she managed. "But these past few days-nothing. I''ve sent messages, I''ve called-no answer at all."

"That doesn''t sound like him," Cecilia murmured, worry cutting through her surprise.

A small knot of

tightened in Cecilia''s chest.

"You don''t think something''s happened to him, do you?" Charlotte''s voice trembled despite her efforts to stay calm.

"Don''t jump to dark ces," Cecilia said, forcing confidence she did not feel. "Sven''s too capable to let trouble pin him down."

Charlotte''s palms were damp. "Maybe that''s the problem-someone with skills like his makes too many enemies." Nights had grown long, her sleep thin and fractured.

"Take a breath. I''ll have someone look into it right away."

"Thank you," Charlotte whispered, as though the word might break if spoken louder.

Back at her apartment, Cecilia skipped rest entirely, phoning every contact she trusted to trace Sven''sst known steps.

Hours passed, screens refreshed, calls returned yet no one had a single scrap of information.

Sven had guarded her for years. She''d never doubted him, never pried into his past. The sudden nkness of his file felt surreal.

If his family had been ordinary, records should exist. The silence suggested a life deliberately erased.

She was staring at an empty search field when her phone rang. Calvin''s name glowed across the screen.

Since he''d left for overseas work, months had drifted by without a single call.

Cecilia answered at once. "Calvin."

"I just saw the news about Mdm. Queenie''s passing," Calvin said, his tone familiar and steady. "Are you holding up?"

He had learned of the tragedy from a headline, days after it happened—distance doing nothing to blunt concern.

Grief closed Cecilia''s throat, yet she kept her reply even. "I''m... managing."

"Take your time to grieve," Calvin urged gently. "Don''t shoulder everything at once."

"I know." She hesitated, then asked, "It''s been ages since we talked. How are you settling in?"

Calvin''s answer floated through the line, warm as ate-summer breeze. "I''m good. I''ve finally settled down."

"Good. I''m relieved to hear that." Calvin''s voice came through the speaker-a calm baritone softened by genuine concern.

Cecilia stood with the phone pressed to her ear, lips parting then closing again. Words dried up, leaving only the hush of distant traffic at the window.

She suddenly thought of Sven. The bodyguard had been Calvin''s introduction, yet now he was nowhere to be found.

"Calvin, do you happen to know where Sven lives? Is there any way to reach him?" she asked, tightening her grip on the phone as if it might ship through her fingers,  s

"Did something happen to him?" Calvin sounded mildly rmed, though he kept

his tone measured.

Cecilia exined everything she

knew-how Syen had walked outs

days earlier and since then every call wentto voicemail, every texto dissolved into silence.  s

A long pause followed, heavy enough for her to hear her own heartbeat. Atst Calvin spoke "Sven''s situation is...plicated. Don''t worry. I''ll find him and let you know the moment I do."

belongs to s

Complicated? What kind of life is he living? The question flickered through Cecilia''s mind, but she swallowed it.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." She chose not to push further, afraid her curiosity might corner Calvin into something he couldn''t share.