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Novel Catalog
Chapter 54
Anson closed the door behind him, wiping his forehead as he stepped further into the room. His exhaustion was evident, his usual sharp composure gone as the weight of the day seemed to drag on him. He didn’t say a word immediately, as if he was still processing everything that had happened during his investigation. Finally, after a long pause, he looked up at Victor, his eyes heavy.
“Victor…” he began, his voice lower than usual. “I found something. It’s not what we expected, but it’s significant.”
Victor straightened immediately, his earlier irritation now replaced by sharp focus. His deep eyes narrowed as he studied Anson’s face, looking for any sign of the information’s significance. “What do you mean? What did you find?” His voice was edged with impatience, a layer of worry creeping in despite his attempts to keep control.
Anson let out a tired sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. “The trail was colder than I thought. Eden’s past… it’s not just the man she was with that night. There’s more to her history, something that she’s been hiding. I’ll need to dig deeper. But there are pieces, Victor. Pieces that point to something bigger. She’s tied to people in high places—people you wouldn’t want to mess with.”
Victor’s jaw clenched, a deep frustration building inside him. “What do you mean, high places?” His voice was barely a whisper, filled with tension. “Are you telling me that Eden—my Eden—is somehow involved in something… dangerous?”
Anson met Victor’s gaze, his tired eyes giving away more than he was willing to admit. “I’m not saying she’s directly involved, but there are ties. To people you’ve crossed, to people who are well-connected. She might not even know all the details herself. It’s a web, Victor. A web that goes deeper than I anticipated.”
Victor paced the room, his thoughts racing. The idea that Eden could be unknowingly involved in something dangerous, something beyond her control, cut through him like a blade. He had always seen her as gentle, unassuming—a woman with a past she had worked so hard to bury.
The last thing he wanted was for her to be caught up in something she couldn’t escape from.
“Then what do we do? What’s the next step?” Victor’s voice was low, a sense of urgency now coloring every word.
Anson hesitated, clearly struggling with how much to reveal. “We need more information. I’ll keep digging, but you need to be careful, Victor. If there’s anything you want to do with Eden, anything at all, it might not be as simple as just taking her back.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “There are forces at play here that neither of us fully understand yet.”
Victor’s chest tightened, his mind already a storm of conflicting thoughts. He had to protect Eden, no matter the cost. But the deeper this situation went, the more complicated it seemed to become. Was he just chasing a shadow of his own past? Was it really her he was trying to save… or his own guilt?
His voice hardened as he turned back to Anson. “Do what you have to do. I want answers, and I want them quickly.”
Anson nodded, stepping back toward the door, his movements slow and deliberate. “I’ll update you when I have more. Just… be careful with Eden. If she is in any way connected to this mess, she’ll need you more than ever.”
Victor didn’t answer immediately, his thoughts still swirling with the implications of Anson’s words. As the door clicked shut behind Anson, the silence in the room felt heavier than before. He stared out of the large windows of his villa, the city lights gleaming beneath him.
Eden.
No matter what had happened, no matter what truths came to light, he couldn’t afford to lose her. Not now, not ever.
Victor’s gaze hardened, determination flashing in his eyes. If Eden was truly in danger, he would protect her at any cost. He would unravel whatever mystery lay hidden in her past, even if it meant confronting things he wasn’t ready to face.