Chapter 8
Quentin’s POV
I slammed my fist on the desk, the sound reverberating through my office.
Everywhere I looked, chaos reigned. My stocks were in freefall, investors were pulling out, and the relentless media was all over my case. No matter how many statements I issued or how expertly I spun the narrative, nothing managed to stem the tide.
It felt like trying to stop a flood with a paper cup.
“Sir,” one of my staff tentatively interrupted from the doorway.
“What now?” I snapped, my patience frayed
Van
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to its thinnest edge.
“We’ve tracked the dummy account,” he stammered, voice shaking. “But-”
“But what?”
“It’s pinging from the middle of the ocean. The location is untraceable.”
I muttered a curse under my breath, sweeping the papers off my desk in
frustration. “Are you telling me you can’t find who’s behind this?”
He avoided my gaze, staring at the floor, “We’re trying, sir. But whoever this is–they’re good.”
I waved him off, my frustration boiling over.
The dummy account was relentless,
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sending damning evidence that dismantled everything I had worked for. My reputation, my company–it was all falling apart.
I leaned back in my chair, gripping the armrests until my knuckles turned white.
None of this made sense.
I had poured over Iris’s letter countless times, scrutinizing every word. She was gone. But deep down, something felt amiss.
What if she wasn’t dead?
The thought seized me, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
“No,” I murmured to myself. “That’s impossible.”
Yet the void within me refused to be ignored.
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I loathed how it gnawed at me, how her absence felt like a weight I couldn’t shake.
I didn’t love Iris. I never did.
So why did my chest feel like it was caving in every time I thought of her?
I slammed my hands on the desk in frustration.
Grabbin Enough of this!”
my phone, I dialed my head
of security. “I want a full investigation. I need to know everything about Iris–her whereabouts, her contacts–everything. Don’t stop until you have answers.”
“Yes, sir,” came the reply.
Delilah barged into my office without knocking, as was her habit.
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“Quentin,” she said, her voice soft and imploring.
Before I could speak, she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me.
I froze, my mind flashing to Iris–her face, her voice, her laughter–they all came rushing back.
I gently pushed Delilah away, my chest tightening.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, shocked.
Running a hand through my hair, I tried to sound calm, “We shouldn’t be seen together right now. Not with everything that’s happening.”
Her expression darkened. “You’re still worried about the media? Quentin, I’ve lost
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everything–my modeling career is over, and Gareth is divorcing me. I don’t have anywhere to go.”
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Go to the hotel. I’ll sort something out later.”
She opened her mouth to protest, but I didn’t give her the chance. Grabbing my coat, I walked out, leaving her behind.
The wake was somber, the air heavy with the scent of lilies and loss. I stood by the casket, gazing down at the woman they said was my wife.
Her face was pale, lifeless, and still.
Yet something felt off about her.
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but the longer I looked, the more uneasy I became.
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Was it really her?
The thought wound through my mind, and before I knew it, tears streamed down my face.
I quickly wiped them away, annoyed at my own vulnerability.
“She’s gone,” I whispered to myself. “That’s all that matters.”
Turning, I left the room, my chest tight with an emotion I couldn’t quite name.
As I headed to my car, I caught a glimpse of someone in the distance.
A woman.
Her hair, her posture–it was all so familiar.
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“Iris?” I whispered, my breath catching.
Taking a step towards her, she vanished into the crowd before I could reach her.
Shaking my head, I forced myself to stay grounded. “You’re being ridiculous,” I muttered. “It’s just a ghost.”
I turned back to my car, trying to brush off the thought.
But before I could open the door, two police officers approached.
“Quentin Brooks?” one of them said.
I straightened, feeling my stomach sink. “Yes?”
“You’re under arrest,” the officer declared,
