Chapter 7 - THE BRACELET
Celeste recovered quickly.
“Eliza gave it to me.”
Damian laughed.
“She hated you.”
Anna’s head turned.
Celeste ignored her.
“We weren’t enemies.”
“You told me you barely knew each other.”
“We became closer near the end.”
“The end?”
Celeste realized the mistake.
Damian stepped closer.
“You mean before the crash.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then what did you mean?”
She looked toward Victoria.
No help came.
Damian held out his hand.
“Give me the bracelet.”
“No.”
“Celeste.”
“It was a gift.”
“Then you won’t mind giving it back until we know who it belongs to.”
Her mouth tightened.
Finally, she removed it.
Damian turned the clasp over.
There.
Tiny initials.
E.H.
Anna touched them.
Her fingers began to shake.
A flash hit her.
A dressing room.
Bright light.
Celeste’s voice.
You don’t deserve him.
Anna staggered.
Damian caught her.
“What happened?”
She grabbed his jacket.
“I remember her.”
Celeste went white.
Anna pointed.
“You were in my bedroom.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Eliza—”
“My name is not Eliza!”
The force of Anna’s scream stunned everyone.
She pressed both hands to her head.
“I don’t know who I am! Stop telling me who I am!”
Oliver started crying.
Anna immediately dropped down.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry.”
She hugged him.
The change was instant.
Damian watched.
No actress could fake that kind of reflex.
A security officer entered.
“Mr. Harlow?”
Damian turned.
“The DNA technician is here.”
The room went still.
Celeste looked toward the exit.
Damian noticed again.
Thirty minutes later, the technician collected a cheek swab from Anna and another from Oliver.
“How fast?”
“Standard testing takes longer.”
“Not standard.”
The technician understood.
“We can run an expedited comparison.”
“Do it.”
Anna sat beside the fireplace after the samples left.
Damian stayed near the door.
Celeste had been moved to another room under security watch after Marcus discovered that the number texting her had pinged near the mansion.
Someone nearby was helping her.
Or controlling her.
Neither possibility was good.
Anna looked at Damian.
“You really loved her?”
He didn’t answer immediately.
“Yes.”
“Then why were you going to marry Celeste?”
His jaw tightened.
“Because loving a dead person gets lonely.”
Anna looked down.
“That sounds terrible.”
“It was.”
“Did you love Celeste?”
Damian stared at the fire.
“I thought I could.”
Anna nodded slowly.
Then she asked, “Why did Eliza leave that night?”
Damian took a breath.
“She found messages between Celeste and me.”
Anna’s eyes hardened.
“What kind of messages?”
“Nothing physical had happened.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
He looked at her.
“Celeste wanted more.”
“And you?”
“I liked the attention.”
Anna laughed bitterly.
“Of course you did.”
The words sounded exactly like Eliza.
Damian almost smiled from pain.
“I told Celeste it had to stop. Eliza saw the messages before I deleted them.”
“So you fought.”
“Yes.”
“What did Eliza say?”
Damian looked away.
“She said if I wanted Celeste, I could have her.”
“And what did you say?”
His face tightened.
“I said maybe I would.”
Anna stared at him.
Damian’s voice broke.
“She walked out ten minutes later.”
Silence.
Then Marcus entered without knocking.
He held a tablet.
“We found Dr. Mercer.”
Damian stood.
“Where?”
Marcus looked grim.
“He died six months ago.”
Anna’s face fell.
Damian swore.
Marcus didn’t move.
“There’s more.”
“What?”
“Before he died, he left a video.”
“For who?”
May you like
Marcus looked directly at Anna.
“For Eliza Harlow.”
