AT THE HALE MANSION
MARCUS POV
I woke up very early that morning ,picked up my car keys and I could swear I have searched the whole town ,but there were no traces of her nor her daughter. I feel so stupid for letting my wife treat her like that.Though the revelation was painful,but Liana was someone I had taken care of right from when her mother brought her in but now her mother is dead.
"Dad" a voice caught through my thoughts .I glanced up and saw Callum . Cecelia's son.Now my step son since I'm married to her. I have no child of my own as it I now
"Callum,Good morning" I said fixing my gaze at him and he scoffed
"Oh yeah ,good morning Dad,sorry for not greeting first" he apologized and I nodded, giving him a stare to speak
He leaned forward and his face went from curiosity to concern. "I…I…"
" Can you speak" I cut in my voice cold but low
"I..I…I just wanted to say I searched everywhere but no traces of her" he said bowing his head not even daring to look at my face
I nodded frantically and I didn't say a word. He glanced up to look at me and then he turned to leave. I stood up and poured myself a shot of a very strong alcohol .
Ceicila had woken up that morning, saying she needed to keep the company running. She was right though, someone has to stay wrong while the other is devastated. I'm so disappointed in Liana's mom ,I loved her all my life before she passed on and all I deserve was a bastard child.
I hissed through the pain and poured myself another shot "if Liana is a bastard,let the bastard remain in the street" with that i stood up and went to my room.
***
AT THE HALE'S ENTERPRISE
CECILIA POV
I stood in the middle of Liana's office or should I say my office now,my heart pounding in my chest like a war drum. The place was annoyingly perfect,every pen, paperclip, and file precisely where it belonged. It was so Liana. Always polished, always perfect. But I wasn't here to admire her obsessive organization skills.
I was here to destroy them.
I aggressively open drawers, flipped through files, and tossed books onto the floor. "Where are you hiding it, Liana?" I muttered under my breath, my fingers shaking.
The desk was a dead end, nothing but financial reports and meeting minutes. I scattered with a growl and turned to the bookshelves. My hands moved on autopilot mode , throwing books out and ripping pages out .
But still nothing.
"This can't be it," I said to myself, my voice rising with panic. "There's no way she's clean."
I pulled open the cabinet doors beneath the shelves, scattering binders and folders across the floor in my frenzy. Papers fluttered everywhere, and my pulse quickened with every second. She had to have something just anythingI could use.
The sound of the door creaking open behind me made me freeze.
I turned, clutching a random file like it was a weapon. A woman in a pale blue uniform stood in the doorway, holding a mop and a bucket. Her eyes widened as she took in the chaos I had created.
"Uh… ma'am?" she said hesitantly.
I took a deep breath, trying to reign in the fire that was threatening to explode out of me. "What do you want?" I snapped, my voice sharper than intended.
She blinked. "I was assigned to clean this floor."
"Well, congratulations," I said, gesturing to the mess I had made. "You can start with this disaster."
"But, ma'am…"
"Don't 'but ma'am' me!" I cut her off, my frustration spilling over. "Do your job and clean this up. Now."
She hesitated, her gaze darting between me and the pile of mess I had created on the floor. For a moment, it looked like she wanted to argue, but then she nodded.
"Fine," she said quietly, stepping into the room.
"Good," I said, adjusting my blazer. "And while you're at it, if you find anything unusual like a file, a photograph, anything, bring it to me immediately. Understood?"
"Yes, ma'am," she mumbled, avoiding my eyes.
I stood there for a moment, watching her begin to clean. A strange pang of guilt hit me,I wasn't usually like this. But today wasn't about being nice. It was about finding answers.
Without another word, I turned on my heel and marched out of the room, my heels echoing down the hallway.
I just need her photograph, I can't believe I don't have a single picture of her "I'm such a terrible step mom" I know right . A grin tugged at my lips.
The sound of my heels clicking against the polished marble floors echoed down the corridor. I had barely taken ten steps when a timid voice called out behind me.
"Ma'am! Wait!"
I stopped in my tracks, annoyance bubbling up again. I turned around to see the cleaner standing at the doorway, holding something small and rectangular in her gloved hand.
"I think you should see this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I raised an eyebrow, walking back to her with deliberate slowness. I mean I'm the boss here"Where is it?" I demanded, extending my hand.
She hesitated, looking like she might shrink into herself, but she eventually handed it over. It was a photograph, tucked into a file.
I pulled it out and flipped it over.
My stomach twisted.
Mia,what was I supposed to do with the poor girl's picture
Then, with a sharp hiss, I snapped out of it.
"What is this supposed to prove?" I hissed, my voice sharper than I intended. I tossed the picture onto the floor, like it was nothing more than trash. The cleaner flinched as it landed face down.
"Is there anything else?" I asked, my tone cold.
She shook her head quickly. "No, ma'am. That was all I found."
I sighed heavily, running a hand through my hair. "Useless," I muttered under my breath.
I didn't have time for this.
Mia wasn't my weakness.
She couldn't be.
MARCUS POV
BACK AT THE HALE'S MANSION
I was in my room scrolling through my phone when I heard the front door slam. I didn't even need to look; it was my wife, Cecilia. She always made her presence known like that, storming in with some kind of dramatic energy.
This time, though, it was different. When I glanced up, she wasn't stomping around or throwing orders. She just stood there in the hallway, looking... off. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red, like she was about to cry. Cecilia never cried. Ever.
I sat up, genuinely curious now. "What's wrong?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.
She blinked a few times and sniffed, avoiding my gaze. "I couldn't find it," she said, her voice all shaky.
I frowned, confused. "Find what?"
"A picture of Liana," she muttered, looking like saying it out loud hurt her.
Okay, now I am really confused. "A picture? Why?"
"I need it for the police," she snapped, like I was supposed to already know. "They can use it to help find her."
I raised my eyebrows, leaning back in my chair. "Oh, now you care?" I asked, my tone sharper than I meant. "You couldn't wait to kick her out of this house, and now you're suddenly worried?"
The words hit her like a brick wall. She froze, her lip trembling, and for a second, I thought she might actually yell at me. But instead, her face just crumpled, and tears started streaming down her cheeks.
"Some of us in this world have human feelings am we care" she said as the tears streamed down her face
Whoa.
I didn't know what to do. Cecilia crying? That was like seeing a solar eclipse or something,it never happened. She is always so cold and calculating and it's rare to me to see her cry. The last time she cried was when I married her.I stood up, awkwardly walking toward her. "Hey... don't cry," I said, my voice softer now.
She wiped at her face, her hands shaking. "I didn't mean for things to get this bad," she whispered, like she was talking to herself more than me.
I hesitated for a second, then put a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," I said, even though it definitely wasn't. "We'll figure it out."
She sniffed, nodding, but the guilt on her face didn't budge. " But can you help get a pic of her,Marcus"
" Uhm..I don't have Liana's pic also but…"
" You know what you are also has useless as your son" she cut in . She didn't even give me chance to tell her where she can find it and with that ,she stood up and left me alone.
And honestly? I didn't get it. Why now? Why was she suddenly acting like she cared about Liana after everything she had done to push her out? Something about this whole thing didn't sit r
ight with me. But for now, I just let her cry it out. I saw the look on her face at the hospital when it was announced—Liana isn't my daughter .