Chapter 14

"It supposedly happened three summers ago," Joshua replied, glancing at Adrian in the backseat through the rearview mirror. Adrian's eyes narrowed slightly. "Start with Shelley's last client. That might be the fastest way to find her." "Understood, Mr. Wrenford." When Celeste returned to Aviso Tower, she sent Alaric a message, making it clear she was the one who wanted the divorce, and that he shouldn't take it out on Damien and Lucian. She wasn't defending them. She just wanted Damien to sign the divorce papers quickly so she could leave them behind for good. Half an hour later, Alaric replied with a single sentence. "I only have one wish now—that you all will live well together." Celeste stared at the message, her eyes fixed on the screen as her thoughts drifted. There had been a time when she, too, had hoped to live peacefully with Damien and Lucian. But after they had worked together to send her to prison, any chance of that had disappeared. The soft yellow light above her cast a warm glow across the room, making the words on her phone screen appear especially glaring. A knock at the door snapped her out of it. She got up and opened it to find Annie standing outside. "Eloise has been really hard to track down, probably because of her messy background." Annie handed Celeste a file and walked inside. Celeste followed her in, opening the file as she went. Inside were nothing but records of debt linked to Eloise's biological father—gambling debts, unpaid tabs at convenience stores, and overdue restaurant bills. "So, you're telling me her father owed a ton of money and has been dragging her around all these years?" "Exactly. Eloise's father is a real piece of work. Not only did he rack up debts everywhere, but I heard he used to beat her, too. That's why we need to find her as soon as possible." Annie poured herself a glass of water and looked at Celeste solemnly. "But I have a feeling Eloise might not even be with her father anymore. Do you think he could've dumped her at an orphanage again after taking her back?" "That's definitely possible. A gambler wouldn't bother taking care of a kid. Dragging a kid around like dead weight just isn't practical." Celeste's expression grew serious. "What was their last known address?" "Hold on." Annie pulled out her phone, swiped through it quickly, and looked back at Celeste. "Bexford Street." "Have you checked the nearest orphanage to that location?" "You said Eloise was taken by her father earlier this afternoon, so I focused on tracking him. I didn't look into orphanages." Celeste gave a slight nod. "I'll check tonight. If there's an orphanage nearby, I'll go there tomorrow." "Sounds good." After a brief silence, Annie glanced up at her. "When are you planning to go back to work?" Celeste asked flatly, "You mean emerald crafting?" "Yes." Annie smiled. "Many people have been coming to me recently, asking if I can fix their broken emeralds. I've already had to turn down six commissions." "Emerald crafting is expensive to keep up. I don't have the money for it right now, so I'm planning to open a clinic first. I'll reopen the emerald workshop once that's stable. After the clinic is up and running, I might take on a few emerald crafting orders on the side." "That's wonderful. You're finally getting back to work. Seeing you so motivated again makes me really happy. This is the Celeste I remember." Celeste looked at her, her smile growing warmer. … The next evening, Celeste looked up the address Annie had given her and found an orphanage nearby. When her cab pulled up, she noticed several identical black luxury cars parked at the entrance. After explaining the reason for her visit to the security staff, they let her in without hesitation. Celeste sat in the director's office, waiting. The person who had brought her in explained that the CEO of Grotto Corporation was visiting the orphanage that day, primarily to oversee improvements to the remaining construction and living facilities. The director, Irene Gardner, was in charge of managing everything and would meet with Celeste after the CEO had left. She kept waiting, but Irene still hadn't shown up even after nearly half an hour. Just as she was about to get up and stretch her legs, a sharp, acrid smell suddenly hit her. It smelled like burning wood. Then, she heard two urgent voices just outside the door. "Ms. Carter, the warehouse on the second floor is on fire. It might be an electrical short. Three kids are trapped inside, and the flames are spreading fast." "Cut the power and call emergency services right away. I'll get security to help contain it." Celeste, a mother herself, felt a jolt of fierce protectiveness at the thought of children trapped in the burning warehouse. She noticed that most orphans were only five or six when she arrived earlier. They were far too young to escape a fire on their own. Without hesitation, she pulled open the door and stepped out. Thick smoke had already reached her side of the hallway. She followed the smell, moving down the hall toward the orphanage. She looked toward the far end and saw the staircase already filled with dense smoke. Without wasting any time, Celeste headed straight for the stairs. Meanwhile, Irene stood at the orphanage's main entrance. "Mr. Wrenford, thank you for stopping by today. I'd love to treat you to a meal sometime." She gazed softly at Adrian and extended her hand to him. Just as he was about to reach for it, a sharp voice rang out behind them. "Fire! The second-floor warehouse is on fire! Somebody help! Hurry!" Adrian turned at the sound, his eyes locking onto the orphanage building. Thick, rolling smoke poured out from the right side of the second floor. Then, a figure racing down the hallway caught his attention. A woman in a white dress sprinted forward, her hair flying behind her as she dashed past one white pillar after another, heading straight for the second floor like a gust of wind. Adrian never forgot a face, even from a distance. Not to mention, he had been close to this woman. But what was she doing here? By the time Celeste arrived, the fire had gotten out of control. Several female staff members huddled near the entrance, too terrified to enter. "Help! Please, someone help us!" "The fire's too big! I'm really scared!" The children's desperate, panicked cries echoed from inside, their voices thick with despair. Celeste gritted her teeth and rushed in without hesitation. Two children were trapped under a large table, right near the entrance. She rushed over and helped them get to safety. But she heard another child crying from inside just as they reached the door. "Miss, there's still one more friend in there..." The child she had rescued pointed toward the raging fire in the warehouse, the sobs growing louder. "You can't go back in. You'll die in there!" "Exactly! It's too dangerous!" "But who'll save the child then?" The panicked voices of the female staff swirled around her, adding to the chaos of the scene. Celeste turned and ran back into the inferno. She held her breath as long as she could to avoid the toxic fumes. It wasn't until her face began to redden from the effort that she finally gasped for air, but all she breathed in was thick, choking smoke. The child was probably deep inside the warehouse, the voice muffled and distant. Celeste followed the sound, carefully navigating through the thick, swirling smoke. Suddenly, a deafening crash echoed from above. She froze on instinct, her eyes snapping upward. The massive round pendant lamp, its supports weakened by the fire, had broken free from the wooden ceiling and was plunging straight toward her. Her eyes burned, stinging and bloodshot from the smoke. A rush of defiance surged through her. Was this really how it would end? Would she die here before she had her revenge? Before she made the ones who hurt her pay? No. She refused to let that happen! She wasn't ready to die yet!