“Elara?” I called out, expecting her to appear from the kitchen or the stairs. No answer.
Seraphine followed me in, rocking the baby. “Maybe she’s sleeping?”
“She wouldn’t sleep this early.” I walked toward the living room and stopped dead.
The front door was ajar. On the frame sat an envelope. I set the flowers down on the console and picked it up.
“Throw this away,” I said, holding it out to the maid.
She took it, but her hand froze. Her voice wavered. “Mr. Whitmore… it’s… it’s a divorce paper.”
I turned. “What?”
Seraphine stepped forward, curiosity written all over her face. “Let me see.” She slid the papers from the envelope, flipping through them slowly. Then that soft little smile curved her lips. “It’s real. All it needs is your signature.”
“She’s bluffing,” I said flatly. “Trying to get a rise out of me.”
Seraphine tilted her head, swaying the baby lightly. “Maybe… or maybe she is tired of all this. I mean, she’s been through a lot lately. She’s blind, Julian. Maybe she just wants… peace.”
“She is not going anywhere without my say-so.” I pulled my phone from my pocket and hit her number. Straight to voicemail.
I called again. Same thing. Blocked.
I paced the living room, the marble under my shoes sharp and cold. “She has no right to leave without telling me. Without permission.”
Seraphine lowered herself onto the sofa, bouncing the baby with that fake maternal glow. “Maybe she’s gone for good.”
I shot her a look. “She’ll come back. She is nothing without me.”
Seraphine’s smile was sweet, almost sympathetic. “Of course. I’m sure she will.”
But for some reason, I saw something in her eyes. A glint.
And for the first time, I felt a flicker of unease.
--
The moment I stepped into my study, I pulled out my phone and called my head of security.
“Track Elara’s phone. Now.”
He didn’t waste time with questions. “Sir, her phone’s been off since morning.”
I stopped pacing. “Off?”
“Yes, sir. No signal.”
I rubbed my jaw, already moving to my desk. “Fine. Then check every airport, every train station, every bus terminal within a hundred miles. I want every passenger manifest reviewed. Get me answers.”
“Understood.”
Seraphine walked in, cradling Isolde, her voice soft and sweet like she was some angel sent to bless me. “Julian… maybe we should let her go for a while? She’s probably upset, and she needs to heal.”
I shot her a look. “Heal from what?”