Page 66 of So Close to You
“I can’t stop now,” she replies, without taking her eyes off the columns of numbers filling the screen. “Time is against us.”
Maeve is sitting on the living room floor, surrounded by folders and handwritten notes spread out like a chaotic map. Her fingers tap relentlessly on the corporate tablet that Seraphina managed to save from the progressive credential lockdown ordered by Adrian. Callum, Nerissa’s brother, is leaning against the wall by the large window, checking his phone with a frown and holding a low-voiced conversation with a contact in the financial district. His presence adds a more grounded note to the group, a practical and direct energy that complements the others’ tension.
“They’re going to shut down all remote access before dawn,” Maeve tells them after checking the information she requested. “The IT team is wiping the servers fast. If we want to download more material, it has to be now. We won’t get another chance.”
Callum ends his call and slips his phone into the back pocket of his jeans.
“I have three companies registered in different parts of Europe,” he explains. “They all converge at the same brokerage firm. Something doesn’t add up here.”
Seraphina looks up and glances at them all.
“I’m sure it all leads back to Adrian. He must be hiding something huge that both I and the merger audit team missed.”
Nerissa sets her coffee cup down next to the computer and places a hand on Seraphina’s shoulder. Just a week ago, the woman sitting beside her was trapped in an immaculate mansion, surrounded by a perfect lawn and empty social obligations. Now she’s hiding in a borrowed apartment, wearing someone else’s clothes, chasing evidence that could save her—or destroy her even further.
“Eat something, please,” Nerissa insists, kneeling beside her so they’re at eye level. “Even if it’s just a little fruit or a piece of toast. We’re making progress together.”
Seraphina closes her eyes for a second and shakes her head.
“Later,” she replies.
“You’ve been saying ‘later’ since yesterday afternoon, Seph,” Nerissa says, stroking the back of her neck with slow, comforting motions. “You can’t keep punishing yourself like this. At some point, your body is going to say enough is enough.”
Seraphina runs a hand over her face and exhales heavily.
“I promise I’ll do it in a little while.”
“All right,” Nerissa whispers. “But remember, we’re all here for you.”
Seraphina glances around, still unable to believe that both Maeve and Callum have forgiven her and are willing to help.
“I’ve dragged all of you too far into this,” Seraphina says, almost ashamed. “And you shouldn’t even be involved.”
Callum pushes away from the wall and approaches her with a serious but determined expression.
“I’m here because I want to be. Because I hate injustice,” he says without a trace of drama. “And because that bastard has ruined your career. I’m not going to stand by and watch him destroy your lives too.”
Maeve looks up and nods in agreement.
For the first time in many hours, a small smile almost crosses Seraphina’s face, though it never quite materializes. But Nerissa senses the momentary relief in her breathing, as if, for an instant, the ice surrounding her had cracked.
Seraphina’s phone suddenly vibrates on the table. The change in her expression is immediate and visceral. She grabs the phone so quickly she nearly knocks a folder onto the floor. Elliot’s mother’s number appears on the screen.
She answers on the first ring, rising nervously to her feet.
“Listen to me… please,” she begs, walking toward the hallway in search of some privacy. “I just want to talk to them for five minutes. I won’t argue with you, I promise. Just… let me hear their voices.”
The silence on the other end seems to last forever. Nerissa looks away and bites her lower lip.
“No, I’m not going to tell them anything that might confuse them,” Seraphina continues, her voice broken with grief. “I’m begging you. They’re my children.”
When she returns to the living room several minutes later, Seraphina is still holding the phone in her hand, her jaw completely rigid. She’s on the verge of breaking down.
“What happened?” Maeve asks.
It takes Seraphina several seconds to answer as she slowly sinks into the chair.
“They won’t let me talk to the kids,” Seraphina replies, covering her face with her hands. “Oliver keeps asking if what’s on the internet is true. They’re picking on them at school too. And their grandmother thinks the best thing is to ‘give them stability’ until Elliot decides what to do.” She sobs. “I’ve ruined their lives…”
