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Chapter
Chapter 9
A week later, Damien Sterling and Isolde Langley returned to the villa,
The house was eerily quiet, and Damien frowned.
Something felt off.
It didn’t take him long to realize what was missing–Celeste Monroe’s usual greeting.
Every time he returned from a trip, Celeste would rush to the door, throwing herself into his arms with childlike enthusiasm.
“Uncle Damien, why did it take you so long? I missed you!” she’d exclaim.
But this time, there was no one waiting.
A flicker of irritation crossed his face, but he quickly suppressed it.
e’d stood her up on her birthday, after all.
Perhaps she was upset.
“Celeste?”
A
Damien called out, his voice echoing through the empty halls.
He had brought her a gift to make up for missing her birthday, hoping it would smooth things over.
Still, there was no answer.
“She’s probably still sulking,” Isolde said with a sweet smile.
“After all, you did leave so suddenly. The wedding wasn’t even over before you flew off to Europe for work.‘
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She walked closer, her voice dripping with feigned concern.
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His Wedding Day My Frozen Fate
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“I even tried explaining things to her myself, but she…”
Isolde left the sentence hanging, giving Damien room to fill in the blanks.
Sure enough, his frustration flared.
“I’ve spoiled her rotten!” he snapped.
“Now, now,” Isolde soothed, her voice soft.
“It was her birthday. She’s allowed to be a little upset. Let me call her and ask her to come back. No need to stay angry–family should stick together.”
Her words sounded gracious, but they were calculated.
She wanted Damien to compare her calm demeanor to Celeste’s supposed tantrum.
After all, she had endured being left alone on her wedding day without a single complaint. Meanwhile, Celeste had caused a fuss over a missed birthday.
Isolde dialed Celeste’s number but frowned when she heard the automated message.
“That’s strange,” she said.
“Did I dial the wrong number? It says the number is no longer in service.”
Her brow furrowed, and she added, “I’ve called her before, and it always worked. Why would it suddenly be disconnected?”
A sinking feeling settled in Damien’s chest.
He pulled out his own phone and dialed Celeste’s number.
The same robotic voice answered: “The number you have dialed is no longer in service.”
Celeste had always used just one phone number.
If it was disconnected, something was wrong.
“Damien,” Isolde said, her voice tinged with worry.
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My Frozen Pato
Chapter 9
“You don’t think she left, do you? Could she really be so upset that she ran away?”
Damien’s expression darkened, and he strode toward Celeste’s room.
Without hesitation, he kicked the door open.
The once cozy and vibrant space was now barren.
Every trace of her was gone–the gifts he had given her, the stuffed rabbit she always slept
ith, even her collection of cotton dolls.
The bed was stripped bare, leaving only the wooden frame behind.
“Oh my goodness!” Isolde gasped, clutching her chest theatrically. “Where are all her things? Did she really leave?”
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Chapter 10
Chapter 10
