Abigail’s phone vibrated on the table just then, and she saw that the number which texted her before just sent another message with an image attached.
Feeling charged once more, she picked up her phone and tapped on the image!
As the image-a photo, to be precise-opened, James and Stan craned their necks for a look.
“Mr. Althoff?” Stan blurted just then.
However, Abigail remained still.
She and Diarmuid had been together for a while, and having shared a bed, she knew his body best.
While the man in the photo was almost of the same height and body shape, that was all there was to it!
In fact, Abigail was positive that it was not Diarmuid.
Then, another text arrived.
[There, a photo of the man himself. Do you believe me now?]
Abigail replied instantly: [That’s not Diarmuid!]
Stan was perplexed by her reply. “Wait, that’s not Mr. Althoff?”
“No,” Abigail replied assuredly.
“How are you so sure?” Stan exclaimed. “Those clothes and figures are obviously him, and there’s that black cloth on his face. You can’t say it isn’t just because you don’t see it!”
Abigail looked up at him then. “Don’t you get why they’re not showing us his facer
Zachary and James immediately understood.
A little slow on the uptake, Stan asked, “Why?”
“Because it’s not Diarmuid,” Abigail replied. “That’s why he wouldn’t show the face of that man!”
Hector had instead taken a photo of a man of a similar body shape to mislead Abigail into thinking that it was Diarmuid.
With that, Hector could coerce Abigail into giving in to his demands.
However, Hector had underestimated Abigail—she could actually identify her man, and a fake would always be a fake.
In fact, the sender was perplexed by Abigail’s bluntness and was unsure how to keep negotiating right then!
Abigail watched the three men before her then. “If we were uncertain if Hector had Diarmuid before, we are certain now. He doesn’t have Diarmuid because if he did, he would have sent us an actual photo of Diarmuid, face and all.”
Coming to a realization, Stan quickly chimed in. “Yeah, yeah… he wouldn’t need an impostor if he had Mr. Althoff… so where is Mr. Althoff?”
Everyone else was silent at that, because they had no idea.
It was as if he had suddenly disappeared into thin air!
“Well, we can at least be relieved that Hector doesn’t have him,” James said, intent on reassuring Abigail so that she relaxed a little.
That meant Diarmuid was probably not in danger.
Abigail looked up coolly at James, however, and asked, “Is this your way of reassuring me?”
James lowered his head quietly. It probably did not amount to that!
Still, Abigail rose to her feet and said, “James, find an expert who can determine the area where Diarmuid might have landed.”
“Okay,” James said.
However, Abigail suddenly changed her mind. “No, wait. Leave it to Stan-he was with Diarmuid before they jumped out of the plane. He’s the better man for this.”
“Right away!” Stan quickly said.
Abigail nodded. “Be quick. Once you determine a general area, call me right away.”
“Okay,” Stan replied.
With that, Abigail left the conference room with Zachary in tow.
“I’ll drive you back to the castle!” he said.
As Abigail turned toward him, she then remembered that Lulu had given birth to his daughter.
He probably did not even know he was a father!
While she heaved a deep sigh, Zachary told her, “You’ve traveled between three countries in as many days. You must be tired, so get some proper sleep when you get home.”
Abigail suddenly asked, “Do you like children, Zachary?”
Zachary was left baffled by the question for a long while.
Staring at Abigail in confusion, he asked, “Why would you suddenly ask that?”
The timing could not have been poorer, and he was left weirded out!
Still, before Abigail could answer, he gave her a serious look and said, “Of course I love children, Abigail, but do you really think I still have the chance?”
“What chance?” Abigail asked.
“To be a dad,” Zachary replied, really keen on rolling his eyes just then.
Did she just forget what she asked?
“Just remember to cherish any nice girls you meet,’ Abigail told him.
“I know,” Zachary replied-he certainly would.
He then smiled. “That question was weird.”
Abigail looked out into the distance. “It just… came to mind.”
Zachary did not think so, however.
“I heard from James that you were visiting Lulu. Was she in labor?” he asked, pausing for a moment before adding, “Was it a boy or a girl? Does the baby resemble her or Martin?’
“It’s a girl,” Abigail replied. “She takes after Lulu.”
“That’s good,” Zachary said. “She’d look surly if she took after a man.”
Their car arrived just then, and they both got in since Zachary was staying at the castle too-the building was huge enough to accommodate anyone anyway.
As the car drove into the castle grounds and they alighted, they immediately heard Tommy crying.
Abigail tried to hurry, but moving too quickly hurt her ankle which had yet to recover, so she slowed down.
In the distance, Eagle was carrying Tommy and trying to coax him to stop crying.
With his burly tanned build, there was something jarring as he carried Tommy, who was small and fair in comparison.
And yet, there was something indescribably harmonious about the picture.
“What’s wrong?” Abigail asked.
Eagle turned toward her and said, “He fell.”
Abigail held out her hands. “Let me carry him.”
Tommy’s little hands were stretched toward her too.
Eagle handed Tommy over and asked, “Have you recovered yet, ma’am?”
Zachary had been slowly making his way to them and asked when he heard that, “Are you hurt, Abigail?”
“It’s that sprain I had. I’m fine now,’ Abigail told him, and the latter part was for Eagle’s benefit.
After that, she carried Tommy into the castle, wiping his tears while asking where he hit when he fell.
Tommy pointed at his head-Abigail checked it, but he was fine.
As such, she rocked him and said, “You’re a big man now. Everyone would laugh at you if you keep being such a crybaby.”
Tommy sniffled. “It hurts.”
And it certainly did.
“Well, how did you fall down?” Abigail asked.
“I was playing with my ball. I didn’t see the stairs!” Tommy cried indignantly.
“That’s because you weren’t careful.” Abigail chided him. “Daddy and I will love you if you cry at home, but if you’re outside and we’re not around, who’s going to love you?”
Tommy blinked his wet eyelashes and threw his little arms around her neck. “I won’t ever leave you, Mommy. I want you to love me!’
Abigail gave him a small smack on the rump.
Settling down on the couch while still carrying Tommy, she summoned Pierre.
Tommy was old enough to attend kindergarten. Still, there was the language barrier to consider since they were abroad, so they needed a tutor.
They could teach Mrs. Watson and Sheryl too.
Pierre said, ‘Til make the arrangements right away.”
With that, Abigail continued to reason with Tommy, telling him that he would eventually grow up and that she and his daddy would not always be with him.
Tommy had no idea what she was talking about and stubbornly leaned into her chest!
“Eat!”
The woman brought Diarmuid food, but he did not touch it.
“If you’re willing to help me contact my family, I can help you with anything you ask,” he said.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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