Chapter 38 Dangerous Ties
The night passed slowly. I stayed by the window until my eyes felt too heavy to stay open. Even after I lay on the bed, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept thinking about Carson, Fred, and everything that had changed in just one day.
I finally drifted off a little before dawn.
When I woke up, Carson wasn’t back yet.
I checked my phone, there were no missed calls and no new messages.
I sat up and looked out the window again. The sky was cloudy and unclear.
Just as I stood up, I heard the front door open.
I rushed out of the room.
Carson was coming in, looking tired and slightly rough. His shirt was untucked. His eyes were red.
"You’re back," I said softly.
He looked up at me, nodded slowly, and closed the door behind him.
"Did you find her?" I asked.
Carson dropped his bag on the floor and walked to the kitchen without a word.
I followed.
"Carson?"I called.
He took a glass and filled it with water, then finally looked at me.
"No. She was gone before we got there. The apartment was empty. Cleaned out. No fingerprints, no ID, nothing. Like she was never there."he said.
I sighed and leaned on the counter.
"So what now?"I asked.
"Now… we wait," he said. "But she’s connected to Laura Price, which means she won’t stay hidden for long."he said again.
I nodded slowly, even though I hated waiting.
Then suddenly, Carson’s phone rang.
He looked at the screen and his jaw tightened.
"It’s Victoria," he said.
I blinked. "Your stepmother?"
He nodded and picked up. "Yes?"
I couldn’t hear her side of the conversation, but I could hear the tension in Carson’s voice.
"Now?" he said.
"Why?"he said again.
He paused. Then said, "Fine. But she speaks to Annabel in my presence."he said again.
There was another pause, and then he sighed. "Okay. We’ll come."
He hung up.
"She wants to see you," he said.
"Me?" I asked, surprised.
He nodded again. "She said it’s urgent. And she said it has to be only you. She won’t speak to both of us."he added.
I frowned. "Why would she want to talk to me alone?"
"I don’t know. But if she’s reaching out now, it means she’s nervous about something. And when Victoria gets nervous, that’s when she’s the most dangerous."he explained.
Victoria Claire lived in one of those tall, expensive buildings with big glass windows and gold-plated elevators. Carson drove me there, but stayed in the car.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"I have to know what she wants," I said.
He nodded, but looking unhappy. "Be careful. And if she says anything that sounds like a threat—call me immediately."
I nodded and stepped out.
A butler opened the door when I reached her apartment. The place looked like a hotel—cold, perfect, and lifeless.
Victoria sat in a high-backed chair near the window, dressed in cream silk and wearing a cold smile.
"Annabel," she said smoothly. "Come in."
I stepped inside and sat opposite her.
"You wanted to see me?"
She nodded. "Yes. I figured it was time we had a little… talk."
I waited.
"You’re smarter than I thought," she said. "I expected you to run away by now. But you didn’t. That means you’re either brave… or foolish."
"Maybe both," I said, keeping my voice calm.
She smiled. "Maybe."
She stood up and walked to the window.
"Carson cares about you," she said. "More than he admits. That makes you dangerous."
I frowned. "Dangerous? To whom?"I asked.
She turned and looked at me. "To the plan. To everything we built."she said looking angry.
"So you admit it then," I said. "You helped ruin my father."
She smiled again. "Darling, I didn’t just help. I led it."
I gripped the arms of the chair.
"Why?"I asked, looking furious.
She walked back and leaned close.
"Because your father got too close. He discovered something he wasn’t supposed to. And instead of staying quiet, he decided to act like a hero."she said.
My heart pounded.
"And Carson? Was he involved too?"
She chuckled. "Carson is a man ruled by emotion. He doesn’t always know what’s happening behind his back. He thinks he’s in control—but he isn’t."she said.
"So what do you want from me?" I asked.
"Leave," she said simply. "Walk away. Forget this. Forget him. Take your mother and start over somewhere far away."
I stared at her. "You’re scared."I said.
She blinked.
"You’re scared that we’re close to something. That’s why you’re warning me."I said again.
She leaned closer. "I’m giving you a chance. One that your father never got."she said.
I stood up. "You’re not scaring me, Victoria. Not this time."I said, in a firm tone.
She narrowed her eyes. "You should be scared. Because this time, you’re the target."
I left her apartment with my heart racing.
Carson jumped out of the car as soon as he saw me.
"What happened? Are you okay?"he asked.
"She admitted everything," I said. "She told me to leave,"I added.
Carson’s eyes darkened. "Of course she did. She sees you as a threat now,"he said.
I looked at him. "Then maybe it’s time I became one."I said.
That night, I couldn’t sleep.
I kept replaying everything she said.
She was lying. But she was also telling the truth. And that mix of both was what made her so dangerous.
Then I remembered the name again—Claire Bishop.
"She’s the key," I whispered to myself.
I got up, turned on my laptop, and started digging. It wasn’t easy. Most of the search results were useless. But after a while, I found an address linked to her name. An old mailing record.
Carson came into the room and saw me hunched over the laptop.
"What are you doing?"he asked.
"I’m going to find her," I said.
"Annabel—"he called.
"No," I said firmly. "She tried to scare me today. But I’m done being scared. If Claire Bishop is hiding something, I’m going to find it."I added.
He walked closer and looked at the screen.
"Then we do it together."
I shook my head. "Not this time. She won’t trust you. But she might talk to me."I said.
He sighed. "I hate this."
"I know. But I have to try."
He looked at me for a long time.
Then he nodded. "Okay. But you check in every hour. And the second you feel something’s off, you leave. Promise me."he said.
"I promise," I said.
He leaned forward and kissed my forehead.
I closed the laptop.
Because the game wasn’t over.
It was just getting started.