Chapter 10
With Isolde’s not–so–subtle nudging, Damien quickly jumped to the conclusion that Celeste
had run away in a fit of anger.
“She left over something so trivial?”
Damien’s voice was sharp with irritation.
“Has she completely lost her mind?”
Though inwardly pleased, Isolde maintained her facade of concern.
She furrowed her brow, wringing her hands.
“Oh, Celeste, why would you act so impulsively? Damien, you should send someone to find her. It’s dangerous for her to be out there alone!”
“She’s eighteen, not a child,” Damien said curtly.
In this country, eighteen was the age of adulthood.
Adults, he thought bitterly, should take responsibility for their actions.
But Celeste was still acting like the same spoiled, reckless girl she’d always been.
The thought stoked his anger further.
“If she doesn’t want to come back, then let her stay out there!” he declared.
“Pass the word–no one is to go looking for her!”
Isolde’s heart leapt with joy at his words, though she quickly masked it.
Finally, she thought, that nuisance is gone.
But Damien’s resolve didn’t last.
That night, the guilt crept in.
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Chapter 10
He had raised Celeste himself, nurturing her like a delicate rose.
No matter how much trouble she caused, he couldn’t abandon her completely.
What if something terrible happened to her?
He’d never forgive himself.
By
the next morning, Damien had secretly ordered his staff to search for her.
Day’s passed, and the search turned up nothing.
The more they looked, the more her absence became an agonizing weight.
“Boss,” one of his staff reported, “I’ve contacted everyone Celeste knew–classmates, old friends–but no one has seen her or heard from her all summer.”
Another added, “I checked all her usual spots, but there’s no sign of her anywhere.”
A third said hesitantly, “I did find something. A week ago, Celeste donated all her belonging to the Sunshine Orphanage. Her dolls, clothes, even her bags… Should I bring them back?”
Damien’s frustration deepened.
Nothing they found brought him closer to her.
Finally, his assistant arrived with startling news.
“Boss,” he said hesitantly, “I hired a private investigator. He discovered that Celeste’s records… have been erased.”
Damien froze.
“What do you mean erased?”
“She’s been officially removed from the system. Her identity is no longer active.”
Within hours, Damien was at the local government office, demanding answers.
“Why was Celeste Monroe’s record erased?” he shouted at the clerk.
Chapter 10
D
“Who authorized this? She’s alive–what gives you the right to declare otherwise?”
The clerk paled under Damien’s fury but managed to stay composed.
“Sir, please calm down. If you have questions, I’ll do my best to answer.”
Damien’s assistant quickly explained.
“We’re her family. We were notified her records had been erased, but she’s still alive, Can
où explain how this happened?”
Recognition dawned on the clerk’s face.
“Celeste Monroe… yes, I remember her. A very sweet girl–so polite and soft–spoken. She came in about ten days ago, asking to have her record removed.”
“Removed? Why?”
Damien demanded.
“She said she had terminal cancer and didn’t have long to live,” the clerk replied.
Normally, we only process record removals for the deceased, so I couldn’t approve her request. I told her it wasn’t possible.”
“Then why was it done?” the assistant asked, incredulous.
The clerk hesitated before continuing.
“A few days later, someone from a cryonics research institute came in. They handle cases where terminally ill individuals are frozen in hopes of being revived in the future.”
“They provided the necessary documentation, and we processed her record as temporarily inactive. If she’s ever revived, her records can be reinstated.”
Damien’s breath caught.
The thought of Celeste lying frozen somewhere, cold and alone, was unbearable.
