Chapter 22

‘I—my mother worried,’ Dashiell started. Elodie’s eyes softened at the mention of Miriam. ‘Say hi to your mom for me.’ Dashiell almost blurted, ‘You can do it yourself, when you meet her,’ before the absurdity of his suggestion hit him. Miriam was in hysterics over his unauthorised engagement to Selene. The mere mention of Elodie would send her into a tailspin. He wanted to yell, to demand answers - Where had she been? Why the silence? How did she go from brewing tea to building empires? But the questions clogged his throat, a tangled knot of resentment and longing. As Dashiell struggled to find his voice, Elodie’s gaze darted past him, landing on a man on the other end of the deck. ‘Excuse me,’ she said, her voice cool and professional. ‘Mr Van Der Beek is here. I need to speak with him.’ She nodded politely at Ari. ‘Enjoy yourselves,’ she said, then glided away. Ari leaned closer. ‘So, you two know each other? Talk about a vibe in the air, I could practically smell the sparks.’ Dashi