Chapter 12

Celeste's lashes fluttered as she read the message. If everything had gone as planned, Annie would most likely have found the lead on Eloise. She quickly dialed Annie's number and pressed the phone to her ear. The call connected, and Annie's voice came through. "I finally got through to you." "Do you have any news about Eloise?" "I've found some basic information about her. Word is, she was sent to an orphanage three years ago, but I'm still trying to figure out which one. The most likely options are Heartstead Orphanage, which is closest to her home, or Rivermoor Orphanage." "Is the information reliable?" Annie's voice sounded hesitant over the phone. "I can't promise anything. This is just preliminary info. But I've got an important meeting tomorrow, so I might not be able to check those orphanages until the day after." "Then I'll visit and ask around tomorrow," Celeste replied firmly. "Sounds good. Let me know if you find anything." "Will do." After hanging up, Celeste set her phone on the nightstand, pressing it down on Adrian's business card. She barely glanced at it before pulling back the covers and crawling into bed. She had planned to visit the orphanage that morning, but when she woke up, she still felt exhausted. She decided to go in the evening instead. The two orphanages were located far from each other. After finishing her inquiries at the first one, where the administrator confirmed they had no record of Eloise, Celeste had no choice but to head to the second location. When she arrived at Rivermoor Orphanage, the director welcomed her. "Eloise was with us for about a year. But her biological father eventually came to claim her. After that, we lost track of her, and her records were removed from our system." The words hit Celeste like a death knell, crushing the last shred of hope she had left. Joyce Barker, the death row inmate, had saved Celeste's life. It was said that Eloise's father was a gambler who had abused Eloise for years. Before her arrest, Joyce had intentionally placed Eloise in an orphanage to give her a better life and protect her from her father. But somehow, Eloise had ended up back with him. After leaving Rivermoor Orphanage, Celeste decided to call Annie and tell her about the situation, hoping she could help track down Eloise's biological father. Finding him was the only way to find Eloise. A deep voice came from behind her as she reached for her phone. "I told you to come home, didn't I?" Celeste quickly spun around at the sound. When she saw who was approaching, her brow furrowed slightly. It was Damien. Her gaze carried a hint of wariness. "How did you know I was here?" "I told you to come home today. Why didn't you listen? What are you doing in a shabby orphanage?" Before Celeste could respond, Damien quickly closed the distance between them, grabbing her wrist and pulling her toward the other side of the street. A familiar Cullinan was parked there. It was his car. Celeste's voice turned cold. "Damien, were you following me?" She planted her feet firmly, refusing to move, and glared at him with a sharp, dangerous look in her eyes. "If you had just come home like you were supposed to, I wouldn't have had to have you watched." Celeste spun around, scanning the area in disbelief. Her eyes moved left and right, but she saw no sign of anyone suspicious. "Why are you going to such extremes to drag me back to Orchidea Villa?" Celeste flung his hand away. "I already asked for a divorce in front of everyone. And you're still forcing me to go back. Are you looking for a fight?" "Grandpa will kick Lucian and me out tomorrow if you don't come back today." Damien stepped forward abruptly, his cold gaze scanning her delicate features. "I won't let you tear this family apart." So, Alaric was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. No wonder Damien had called Celeste in the middle of the night, demanding she return at any cost. He had even made ridiculous threats, saying he wouldn't sign the divorce papers unless she came back. Before Celeste could respond, Damien bent down and tossed her over his shoulder. As the ground vanished beneath her, she instinctively grabbed the back of his suit jacket to steady herself. Once she regained her balance, she pounded her fists against his back. "Damien, put me down!" He ignored her entirely, striding across the street without slowing down. After the car door swung open, he swiftly shoved her into the back seat. He looked up and gave an order to his assistant, Jonathan Glass, who was sitting in the front seat. "Drive." "Yes, Mr. Wrenford." Before the car began to move, Celeste reached for the door handle, ready to get out. But once again, Damien grabbed her wrist, holding her firmly in place beside him. For some reason, she couldn't bring herself to go back to Orchidea Villa, the home she had once shared with Damien and Lucian, where the three of them had lived as a family for so many years. It was also the place where Lucy had shattered everything she held dear. Because of that, Celeste instinctively pulled back at the thought of returning. If she had a choice, she'd never set foot there again. Celeste looked up at him, her gaze cold and unwavering. "Let go." "Stay where you are. I'm not going to do anything to you. We just need to keep Grandpa calm, and everything will be fine." But Damien's grip on her wrist tightened. A flicker of pain crossed her face. Now that she understood why he had come for her, the anger burning inside her only grew stronger. Celeste grabbed Damien's hand and, without thinking, sank her teeth into his wrist. She bit down with everything she had, channeling all her frustration and resentment into it. Damien let out a muffled grunt from the pain, his brow furrowing. When she finally released him, he looked down at his wrist, now marked with deep teeth impressions. It was so deep that his blood nearly broke through the skin. His chest rose and fell with anger. Celeste had always been gentle in all the years he'd known her. She'd never even raised her voice at him, let alone bitten him. "Are you actually feral?" "I am, but only when provoked," Celeste replied with a smirk. "You're so forgetful, Mr. Wrenford. Or maybe you're just too distracted by other women to remember." Damien let out an exasperated laugh. Celeste ignored him and turned back to her seat. Her gaze drifted out the window. The car had already started moving, leaving her no chance to flee. As they headed toward Orchidea Villa, her thoughts swirled. She had traveled this road countless times before, each trip filled with eager anticipation for home. In that house, she had waited every day for Lucian to return from school and for Damien to return from work. She had given up her own passions and dreams just to look after them. But in the end, they had repaid her by sending her to jail. Coming back here after all this time only brought a hollow ache in her chest. "Get out of the car." Damien's deep voice reached Celeste's ears. She didn't bother glancing at him as she slid out of the car. Her heart sank when she looked up at the villa and its courtyard. It had been three years since she last saw this place. At that moment, Damien grabbed her wrist again and pulled her toward the house. "Inside. We're settling this now."