Chapter 9 - THE NIGHT MAYA DISAPPEARED
Adrian refused to believe Celeste had tried to kill him.
He believed she had lied.
He believed she knew more than she admitted.
But attempted murder?
“No,” he said.
We were standing in the kitchen at four in the morning.
“You don’t remember her,” I replied.
“Exactly. I can’t condemn someone I don’t remember.”
“That’s reasonable.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I’m learning.”
He leaned against the counter.
“You think she did it.”
“I think Eleanor said Celeste knew your route.”
“That isn’t proof.”
“No.”
He looked exhausted.
Not physically.
Emotionally.
Every memory he recovered seemed to remove another piece of the life he believed he had.
I poured coffee.
“You should sleep.”
“So should you.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’ve been awake almost twenty hours.”
“You were almost murdered.”
“And your answer is insomnia?”
“My answer is caffeine.”
His expression softened.
“Maya.”
I hated the way he said my name when he was worried.
It made boundaries feel temporary.
“What?”
“Why are you still here?”
The question surprised me.
“Because my family is here.”
“That isn’t what I meant.”
I knew.
Before I could answer, Toby entered.
“Mom says both of you need to stop pretending you’re not flirting.”
I nearly dropped my coffee.
Adrian laughed.
Toby opened the refrigerator.
“I’m just reporting.”
“Go back to bed,” I said.
“I’m seventeen.”
“Exactly.”
He disappeared with orange juice.
Adrian looked at me.
“Your mother thinks we’re flirting?”
“Forget you heard that.”
“Amnesia finally useful.”
I smiled.
For a few hours, danger felt farther away.
Then it found us again.
At noon, I drove back to the hospital to collect paperwork.
Marcus wanted someone with me.
I refused.
That was a mistake.
The parking garage was nearly empty.
I reached my car.
Someone spoke behind me.
“Maya Carter?”
I turned.
A woman stood ten feet away.
Red coat.
Silver hair.
Eleanor Price.
“You’re Eleanor.”
“Yes.”
“What are you doing here?”
“I needed to speak to you without Adrian’s people listening.”
“Why me?”
“Because he trusts you.”
She looked terrified.
“I made a mistake calling him.”
“What happened?”
“They found me.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
She handed me a flash drive.
“Give him this.”
“What is it?”
“The records Richard stole from me. Original contracts. Correspondence. Everything.”
“Come with me.”
“No.”
“We can protect you.”
“You can’t.”
“Eleanor—”
A vehicle engine started somewhere behind us.
Her face changed.
“Go.”
“What?”
“Go now.”
The lights went out.
The parking level plunged into darkness.
I heard footsteps.
Then a hand grabbed my arm.
I screamed.
Someone covered my mouth.
The flash drive fell.
I kicked backward.
A man cursed.
Another hand seized my shoulder.
Then Eleanor shouted.
A car horn blared.
I heard running.
A door slammed.
By the time emergency lights flickered on, Eleanor was gone.
So was the flash drive.
My phone lay smashed beside the car.
I ran toward the exit.
Halfway there, someone stepped from behind a concrete column.
I stopped.
Celeste.
Her face was white.
“Maya.”
“What are you doing here?”
“You need to come with me.”
“Where’s Eleanor?”
“I don’t know.”
“You’re lying.”
“If you stay here, you’re going to die.”
I backed away.
Celeste raised both hands.
“I did not cause Adrian’s crash.”
“Then who did?”
“I can’t tell you here.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
At least that sounded honest.
Sirens echoed outside.
Celeste looked toward the ramp.
“They know you met Eleanor.”
“Who?”
“The person who tried to kill Adrian.”
“Who is it?”
She stared at me.
Then said a name.
“Julian.”
My blood went cold.
“No.”
“You think he loves Adrian because he hugged him in a hospital room?”
“Why would Julian pay Toby’s tuition?”
“To get close to you.”
“That makes no sense.”
“It does if he wanted to know what Adrian remembered.”
I shook my head.
“You’re trying to blame him.”
Celeste stepped closer.
“Adrian was going to return forty-two percent of the company to Eleanor.”
“I know.”
“Do you know who loses the most if that happens?”
“Adrian.”
“No.”
Her voice dropped.
“Julian.”
Police lights appeared at the far end of the garage.
Celeste grabbed my wrist.
“He is not Richard Vale’s biological son.”
I froze.
“What?”
“Richard knew.”
She continued.
“Julian’s mother had an affair.”
“Why does that matter?”
“Because Richard’s will contains a bloodline clause covering the family trust.”
I understood slowly.
“If Adrian transfers the company…”
“Julian’s entire financial future collapses.”
Before I could respond, something struck the concrete wall beside us.
Celeste screamed.
We ran.
I did not know who was chasing us.
I did not know whether Celeste was telling the truth.
I only knew that thirty minutes later Adrian received a message from my phone.
A phone lying broken in a hospital parking garage.
It contained five words.
May you like
YOU SAVED HIM. NOW PAY.
And beneath those words was a photograph of me sitting in the passenger seat of a moving car.
