Chapter Twenty Seven

KEAGAN'S POV ~

"Fuck! Fuck!" I quickly ducked and leaned on the steering wheel, my heart in my throat.

Sylvia's two bodyguards were highly alert, as was Sylvia herself, who had gone rigid and was staring in the direction of my car.

Slowly realizing my car was an SUV with tinted windows, a derisive chuckle left my lips and I sat upright once again to observe them.

The guards whispered something to Sylvia and tension in her shoulder heightened even more.

Fuck.

What if they saw me? I was sure I wouldn't be able to learn more about her. She seemed to be hiding something, and my blood pumped with an intense desire to uncover it—but now my plans were about to be ruined.

One of the guards started making his way toward my car while the other pulled Sylvia closer to him, his hand on his back pocket, likely to withdraw a gun at the slightest provocation. Fuck! Should I just drive off? If I do, they would note my plate number and possibly revert to Sylvia that her new employer had been stalking her.

Just as the guard reached my car, an alarm began blaring, and his eyes snapped to the vehicle parked a short distance from mine.

Through the rearview mirror, I watched the guard survey the car.  After severally knocking on the car's windows, he signaled to the other guard, who turned and began leading Sylvia into the building. It took a few minutes for the second guard to join them.

As soon as they closed the huge doors behind them, I sped off.

"Honey, you're back!" Wilhelmina exclaimed from the top of the stairs before rushing down. Her excitement pulled me from my daze as I entered the house, a small smile spreading across my lips.

My arms opened wide for a hug, and as I embraced her, she giggled, planting kisses on both my cheeks. "Honey, I missed you! I waited for you so long," she pouted, and I chuckled.

It always tickled me when she called me that, and it couldn't help but make a grown man's heart flutter.

"I'm back now. Where's your brother?" I steadied her in my arms as I began carrying her upstairs.

"Williams is making a beautiful drawing of you and a beautiful woman, Daddy," Mina said, stroking my beard.

"Oh!" My brows raised. "Your mother?" I asked, knowing Mina was unpredictable around Emma.

My little girl shook her head and leaned in to whisper in my ear. "You'll see, Daddy. She's beautiful."

"Oh!" I smiled, leading us toward William's room.

I knocked on the door before Mina slid down from my arms and pushed it open without bothering to wait for a response.

"Hey! Get out! I told you not to come in until I was done--- Ahh!" William stopped mid-sentence before screaming in surprise upon seeing me in his room. He quickly rushed to cover the image he was painting with his small frame, but it was hilarious how his attempt did little to stop me from seeing it entirely.

"Who are you painting?" I asked William, noticing his flushed face. I placed the bag of treats on his bed, while Mina stuck out her tongue at him and giggled, climbing onto my lap.

"Nobody!" he blurted out quickly, and my lips twitched.

"But I see two people on your board," I said, and my little boy groaned.

"Oh, Dad! I hate Wilhelmina!" Williams glared at Mina, who made a face back at him. "She's annoying!"

"That's okay. You don't need to hate your sister. She's as excited as I am to see your art. Show me." I tipped my chin to the direction of the drawing and saw my boy's eyes light up. 

He reluctantly moved away, revealing the painting of two caricature of adults holding hands. Although it wasn't well-painted, I could see it depicted a man and a woman.

"Mmh!" I hummed in approval. "This is the most beautiful piece of art I've ever seen. Here." I reached into my pocket, took out some cash, and offered it to Williams. He eagerly took it from me. "That's a tip for such wonderful art. Once you agree on a selling price, I'll send you more money and buy this." Williams grinned, and I smirked.

"So, tell me buddy, who did you draw?" I asked, tilting my head.

Bubbling with excitement, he pointed at the male figure. "Father, this is you—the CEO of Halls' Enterprises—and this is..." He paused, and my brows rose.

William cleared his throat and blushed. "This is my crush."

I chuckled, thoroughly amused, and Mina's jaw dropped in shock.

"Honey! Williams has a crush!" My daughter placed her little hands on her mouth as she stared at her brother, further amusing me.

"Shh! Let your brother speak." I turned to Williams and urged, "What's her name, and where can we find her?"

"Father, her name is Sylvia Reynolds. She's a famous model. When I grow up, I'm going to marry her or someone as beautiful as her," Williams declared. The smile on my lips vanished.

William's face fell when he noticed my changed expression. I gulped and slowly stood from my son's bed, then strode toward the drawing. William panicked.

"Please don't destroy it," he pleaded. I couldn't even breathe properly to reassure him that I wouldn't.

My teeth gnashed as my hands moved to touch the painting but stopped midway. I dropped my hand to my side and turned to my son, whose eyes had turned red. I had no idea where he had seen Sylvia. My kids didn't particularly enjoy fashion shows, so where on earth could he have found out about her?

"Where did you see her?!" My voice was hoarse, and my tone sounded harsh, although I didn't mean for it to come out that way. William flinched, and Mina quickly ran to her brother's side, either to comfort or protect him.

"I... I've seen her countless times on television in Emma's room, and my classmates have shown her to me as well," my son's voice cracked, and I realized he was about to cry because I must have looked frightening right now.

Before I could speak, my phone buzzed and then began to ring. I signaled for my kids to be quiet while I stood up to answer the call, putting some distance between us.

"We've found her, Alpha. However, this woman, Sylvia Reynolds is dead. She returned home to BrownsVille eight years ago after her career ended and committed suicide. Her body was found by the hotel managers and claimed by her parents. I'd sent you images of her autopsy reports which had actually been deleted from the police database." my private investigator informed me. "Although no one really knows where she was buried."

A ringing noise filled my ears.

My heart must have stopped beating as I clutched the phone tightly to my ear, as though holding onto the last shred of my sanity. How on earth was it possible when Sylvia was alive and breathing—someone I had seen in the flesh just hours ago? My head was a complete mess.

"However, sir...Currently, there's a very popular model making the news recently that looks exactly like Sylvia Reynolds. In fact, all past records shows that they are the same people. I think you would know that since you released a statement to the press announcing your partnership with her." the investigator continued in a low matter-of-factly tone. "Anyway, a few hours ago, my men who had been tailing her discovered that she visited your mother-in-law's grave, where she placed fresh flowers and was seen weeping heavily. We have no further information about this..."

The voice trailed off as my phone slowly slipped to the ground. My feet were rooted to the spot..