Chapter 124: Where Did She Go?-1
The lobby seemed to shrink the moment Dahlia Blackwood stepped inside.
Even without a word, her presence commanded the space. Every line of her posture radiated elegance and quiet authority, the kind that needed no introduction. Heads would bow, voices would lower-because a woman like her did not simply arrive. She arrived.
Damien held himself tall, shoulders squared, but there was a subtle shift in him-an almost. imperceptible softening in his gaze, the kind reserved only for his mother. For all his ruthlessness, in front of Dahlia, he wasn’t untouchable. He was her son.
“You’ve been keeping yourself too busy,” Dahlia said, her eyes sweeping over him with sharp precision, though her hand lingered for one more heartbeat on his cheek. “Always running, never resting.”
Damien’s lips curved faintly. “Says the woman who flew across the ocean without warning.”
A small smile tugged at her mouth. “Touché.”
Nick chuckled under his breath, earning a sidelong look from Dahlia that was both amused and chiding. “Nicholas Ashcroft,” she said, her tone laced with fondness. “You still can’t resist inserting yourself into other people’s moments.”
He grinned wider. “Guilty as charged, Aunt Dahlia. But you know you love me for it.”
Her laugh, low and genuine, startled the air with warmth before fading just as quickly into
composure.
Behind them, James and Lee stood respectfully, their greetings acknowledged with a firm nod. Dahlia’s gaze lingered on each of them, weighing, assessing, but her tone remained measured, polished. “It’s good to see familiar faces still standing by my son.”
Maya shifted nervously in the background, her fingers tightening on the hem of her dress. Dahlia hadn’t even looked her way yet, but the weight of her presence pressed down like a storm cloud. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be invisible or noticed-and both possibilities terrified her.
Harper, beside her, angled herself slightly behind a column, pretending to admire the lobby’s décor. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears. Don’t look at me, don’t look at me, don’t look at me.
Before the moment grew too formal, Damien asked, his voice gentler than usual, “How was your trip, Mom? And… what brings you here?”
Her smile faltered, poise giving way to something more fragile. “It was… tiring,” she admitted
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softly. For the first time since stepping out of the SUV, the weight she carried showed. ” Another lead. Another road that ended nowhere.”
A pause She drew in a slow breath, her eyes clouding with something heavier than exhaustion. “Seven years, Damien. Seven years, and not a single word from her. I keep telling myself she’s just… busy, living her life somewhere. But the longer the silence stretches…” Her voice trailed, her throat working as though the words themselves were too heavy to carry.
The lobby stilled around her. Even Nick-usually quick with a quip-pressed his lips together, uneasy under the raw ache in her voice.
Damien’s jaw ticked, the hard lines of his face carved deeper, but when he reached for his mother’s arm, his touch was uncharacteristically gentle. “You’ll find her,” he said quietly, with the kind of certainty that didn’t waver. “You always do.”
The faintest smile touched her lips, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “I only hope I’m not too late when I do.”
Behind Damien, Maya’s chest squeezed tight. The way seven years lingered in the air scraped against something inside her, unsettling and sharp. She didn’t know why-but the ache in Dahlia’s voice stirred a strange unease in her bones.
Maya was so wrapped in the weight of Dahlia’s words that she almost missed it-the stiff way Harper stood beside her, the sheen of sweat at her temple, the way her fingers tapped restlessly against her thigh as though counting down invisible seconds.
Then, without warning, Harper’s hand clamped around Maya’s wrist.
“Harper-!” Maya barely had time to yelp before she was tugged toward the elevator. Her steps stumbled to keep up, her heart lurching in confusion. The gilded doors slid shut behind them, sealing the two of them away from the lobby and the commanding presence of Dahlia Blackwood.
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Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.