After a long bout of silence, he looked right into my eyes and sighed. “I could not get hold of more information on Elliot as of now. But from what I’ve gathered, he’s not a decent man at all. Look at the way Cameron and Zachary were trying to matchmake the two of you. I’m really worried that something might happen to the Moore family, or worse.”
His car was parked in a dark corner. The dim lights on the ceiling peeked through the car windows, illuminating the grim look on his face right then.
“Mr. Jacobson came back on the pretense of returning to his roots because Elliot has conspired with several conglomerates in M Country to take over the government-linked companies in Fander state. Not only did they fire numerous grassroots employees with no prior notice, they also ruined thousands of families. They’re only moving back here because their reputation was down in the dumps for being unethical and despicable. If the Moore family really backs their development here, the family might be nourishing a viper in their bosoms…”
Not one cent in Elliot’s hands was clean. Although he knew handing his money to Marshall was akin to flushing it down the drain, he did not mind at all.
How could he take others’ hard-earned money blatantly and claimed it as his own wealth? What a terrifying man.
If Anthony could get his hands on this information about Elliot, I suspected Cameron and Zachary’s involvement in this. They couldn’t be this clueless. What exactly were they trying to pull by matchmaking me with that man?
Still, something did not quite add up.
They were indebted to me. It was unlikely for them to stand idly by, let alone set me up on the path of destruction. There was only one viable explanation. They were being threatened.
Then again, what hold did the person had over Cameron and Zachary to incite such fear in them and the Moores?
As I looked at Anthony, a notion popped into my mind. Not only was it necessary for me to know the man’s background, I should also look into my so-called birth parents.
No matter what their reasons might be, the scales were never in my favor from the moment I was born. They always chose themselves over me.
“Alright, I’ll stay away from Elliot.” I nodded and subconsciously brushed against his shoulders. “You really need to take better care of yourself. It doesn’t matter if we have the antidote to my poison. I wouldn’t be able to live by myself should something happen to you.”
We live together or die trying. If you’re not by my side, living would be meaningless.
Anthony cast a gloomy glance at me, as if he could read what was on my mind.
“What do you mean?” His voice was dangerously low.
“I meant exactly what I said.” I avoided his gaze and fixed my eyes on his chest to straighten his shirt.
Sensing something amiss, he was about to probe further when we heard hasty footsteps approaching in the silent car park.
We lifted our heads and saw Thora and Joe step out of the elevator, headed in our direction.
I immediately returned to my senses and opened the door to get off the car. “I should get going.”
“Sienna.” Anthony grabbed my arm suddenly. He was whispering, but there was no mistaking the urgency and fury in his voice. “I don’t care what you used to think. From now on, I want you to live your life to the fullest, whether I live or die. Promise me!”
He stressed the last two words with such emphasis and squeezed both my arm affectionately before letting me go. I hid behind a pillar just in time to avoid Thora and Joe.
Anthony left the two standing as he drove out of the car park. The duo was accustomed to his behavior. They waited for their chauffeur to pick them up and finally disappeared into the distance.
I only emerged from behind the pillar after making sure everyone was gone.
For a few seconds, I stood and stared dazedly at the exit sign. A sudden wave of apprehension hit me as I recalled Anthony’s words.
A voice at the back of my head told me he was leaving me forever.
For a man who had loved me more than he valued his life to lose all hope and arrive at such a distressing decision, only something drastically tragic could cause this. What could have happened that he was willing to die?
I called Millie anxiously and arranged to meet up at the nearest café.
The Jade was located right at the heart of the city center with many famous cafés nearby. Millie arrived in fifteen minutes with a companion.
The man had a trucker hat on. He deliberately kept his head low when he passed by the reception to evade the surveillance cameras.
Millie had mentioned once during one of our casual exchanges that due to the handsome pay that came with the high-risked nature of their jobs, they had to put their life, blood and sweat on the line or die while they were executing their mission. It became their second nature to keep watching over their own shoulders, even when they were sleeping.
For me, I was just striking a deal with the man. I could not care less how much bloodshed he had caused.
As soon as they took their seats, I cut to the chase. “I want the reports on Anthony’s most recent medical records and his whereabouts right now.”
“But you promised to give him three days’ time to investigate,” Millie reminded me.
“No problem.” The man kept his head low. From where I was sitting, I could only see the lower half of his face. His chin was stubbled, and he looked slightly darker than most native K City citizens. His thin lips were oddly protruding, bearing the ruggedness of the desert people.
“The figures on his health records, his schedule, and the list of persons he has been in contact with are all simple numbers. I can send them to your phone right now. However, I cannot provide you with more detailed information,” the man muttered as he fished out his phone.
Soon, I received a WhatsApp notification. It was a message with an attachment.
I clicked on the file, which took mere seconds to pop open.
I scrolled through the document, zooming in and pinching out, and noticed the “In good health” remark at the bottom of his health report. No major health conditions were detected.
I heaved a long sigh of relief at the health report. He’s alright.
Anthony had always been a cautious man. He could lose a tail easily. Although I held little hope on the leads of his whereabouts, the box highlighted in red in the report still stumped me.
J City family home was imprinted on the report.
Anthony would go back and forth from K and J Cities in the evenings, to the family home left behind by George.
Ever since the headquarters of the Featherstone Corporation had been moved to K City, the family home had remained vacant. Even Uncle Charlie hardly went back there. I knew Anthony had been swamped lately. So how, or rather why, did he go back and forth between two cities so frequently?
I furrowed my brows, puzzled. No wonder I could not reach him these days. It must have something to do with this.
The answer was right in the family home.
Noticing that I was deep in silence, the man reminded me, “My pay is only to locate Anthony Featherstone. If you want to know what happens at the family home, there’ll be extra charges.”
“I understand. Please continue to find him; leave the rest to me.” Money was not my concern. Moreover, the family home was not a dangerous place, so it made no sense for an outsider to poke around, especially when there might be some huge secrets in the house.
The man nodded and said nothing else. He cast a sideways glance at Millie before getting up to leave.
I was about to call out after him to ask him for more details, but Millie stopped me. “Ms. Stanhope.”
I sat right down in my seat.
“There are forces shaping K City, ones we cannot afford to cross, especially since we’re not from around here. It’s not safe to put yourself out there.”
She was right. Private investigators were discreet and perfect for this kind of work. I steered the topic in another direction and asked, “I’ve booked two tickets to J City. I want you to follow me.”
“No problem.”
I received a call from a stranger right after I was done talking.
It was a middle-aged man with a hoarse voice. “Are you Ms. Sienna Stanhope?”
“Yes, speaking. How may I help you?” I tried to register his voice to the people I knew, and only Bryson came to mind.
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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