Chapter 1098
Heather wanted to know more, but Candace stopped abruptly, making it clear she wasn’t willing to reveal anything else.
“I’ll tell you the rest by phone once I’m abroad. I promise.”
Heather looked at the woman with disgust, but she didn’t argue. She unzipped her handbag and pulled out a card and a ticket from her wallet.
“This is a ticket to Madison. You’ll take the ferry that leaves tomorrow at dawn. There are three hours left. I’ll have someone send you out immediately. The money on this card should be enough for you to live in Madison. But if I find out you lied to me, I’ll have you arrested again. Got it?”
Candace didn’t care about anything else. She had once dreamed of a life in Douburgh with Rupert, but she might not survive staying there anymore. Since things had come to this, why not do Heather a favor?
Besides, she believed Rupert and Annabel would struggle even without her.
Taking the card from Heather, Candace slipped it into her pocket and said, “Don’t worry, Miss Norman. Once I’m safely abroad, I’ll tell you everything. Just wait for my call.”
Two days later, Heather was resting at home when a call came in from an unfamiliar number.
She answered but didn’t speak until she heard Candace’s voice on the other end. “How are you, Miss Norman?”
Heather toyed with a strand of hair, her tone calm. “Looks like you’ve settled down. Can you tell me the rest now?”
She already knew it was Candace. Who else would play games like this?
As promised, Candace told her the rest of the story. Her soft voice drifted through the line while Heather listened in silence. The moment she hung up, a faint, almost imperceptible smile curved Heather’s lips.
“Annabel, just wait and see…”
Meanwhile, Annabel had been enjoying her time with Rupert in Paris, but the design competition was just around the corner, so she couldn’t truly relax.
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One day, she went for a walk with Rupert near Notre Dame when he received a call from Finley.
“What’s wrong?” Rupert’s brows drew together as he asked. Finley—his trusted right-hand man—rarely called at a time like this unless it was serious.
Finley’s voice trembled with anxiety over the phone. “Boss, something’s happened. I sent one of our guys to check on Candace at the prison, and it turns out she’s flown the coop. She escaped.”
“What did you say? How on earth could that happen?” Rupert snapped, frustration rising. He flicked a quick glance at Annabel, then forced himself to steady his tone. “When did she escape?”
Finley was just as shaken, but he answered honestly. “I spoke to the guards. They confirmed Candace has been missing for three days. I have no idea where she could have gone.”
Rupert’s expression hardened, his mood turning cold and severe. He growled into the phone, “Leave no stone unturned. Find Candace and bring her back.”
As Annabel listened, her suspicions grew. The moment Rupert ended the call, she asked, “What happened? Did Candace run off?”
Rupert took a slow breath, his face still grim. “Yes. Finley sent someone to check, and it looks like Candace broke out. She’s been missing for three days.”