Chapter 637 Fulfillment
"Celeste!" he shouted into the empty room, "You think you can hide forever?"
Michael immediately dialed the tech department. "Track this number's location! Now! Hurry up!"
He paced anxiously in his study, his leather shoes leaving deep marks on the carpet. Ten minutes later, the tech supervisor called back, his voice shaking. "Mr. Russell, this number is from a temporary SIM card, and..."
"And what?" Michael's voice was icy cold.
"And the message was scheduled to be sent. According to the cell tower records, it was set up three days ago."
"What?" Michael hurled his phone against the wall, the screen shattering on impact. He paced like a caged beast, then suddenly stopped, his eyes dark and menacing.
"Track her last known location! Pull all the surveillance footage! Turn Lakeside Haven upside down if you have to, but find her!"
Michael stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the city drenched in rain. Celeste's voice echoed in his mind, each word stabbing into his heart like a knife.
"Since you care so much about Emma..." He picked up his backup phone and dialed Emma's number.
The call was answered quickly, Emma's voice still heavy with sleep. "Michael."
Since Emma married George, she hadn't contacted Michael, partly out of awkwardness, partly out of resentment.
Out of sight, out of mind.
"I found Celeste." Michael's voice was eerily calm, "Come to my villa at ten tomorrow morning."
He hung up before she could respond.
Emma gripped her phone, wide awake now. She had been unable to reach Celeste for days, a growing sense of unease gnawing at her. The truth about George being hypnotized had come to light, and her resentment towards Celeste had long been replaced by worry.
"What's wrong?" George wrapped his arms around her from behind, his voice still sleepy.
"Michael says he found Celeste." Emma frowned, "But something feels off."
George was instantly alert. "I'll go with you."
"No," Emma shook her head, "It's better if you don't meet him."
The next morning, Emma arrived at Michael's villa alone. The front door was wide open, as if waiting for her.
"Where's Celeste?" Emma demanded as soon as she stepped inside.
Michael was sitting on the couch, fiddling with a small green object—Celeste's hair tie. He looked up at Emma, his gaze dark and menacing. "What's the rush?"
Emma glanced around, the villa eerily quiet. "You lied to me?"
"Do you care about being lied to?"
"Of course I do."
"Then why could you forgive George and still marry him? You promised me that after understanding the situation at Lakeside Haven, you'd come back to Sunterra with me, to live a peaceful and happy life. You broke your promise."
"Yes, I broke my promise. But Michael, have you ever considered what you did?"
"What I did, was it worse than George? You can forgive him, why can't you forgive me?"
"Because I love him."
"And me?"
"You've helped me the most."
Michael laughed bitterly, "But you're the one I hold dear. Before I left Lakeside Haven, you said on Dreamscape Peak beach that you'd wait for me to come back. But when I returned, you had fallen for someone else."
"Michael, I've thought about it for a long time. Back then, I only gave shells to George at Dreamscape Peak. I really don't know you. I'm sure."
"Really?"
Michael smiled, but it was clear he didn't believe Emma.
"Yes, Michael." Emma couldn't help but think of George's experience of mistaking Anna for her, and she had a bold idea, "Have you ever considered that maybe you mistook someone else for me?"
"How could I be mistaken? You both have dimples when you smile."
"Lots of people have dimples when they smile. Celeste has dimples too. How do you know it wasn't her?"
Michael felt a stir in his heart but didn't know why.
Emma didn't want to continue discussing these absurd topics with Michael. She turned abruptly to leave. Michael suddenly pressed a remote, and the large screen in the living room lit up, showing a live surveillance feed.
In the footage, Seraphine was wearing a pink dress, happily playing with other children at a playground, her face beaming with innocent joy.
Emma froze, her pupils contracting sharply, her hands trembling uncontrollably. "This can't be."
"Surprised?" Michael's voice carried a hint of mockery, "Did you really think I'd harm an innocent child?"
Emma's tears streamed down her face as she rushed forward, grabbing Michael's collar. "You lied to me! You've been lying to me all along! Where is Seraphine? Where is she now?"
Michael coldly pried her fingers off. "Now you're worried? When you chose to marry George, did you think about today?"
Emma's mind flashed with painful memories, the night she saw "Seraphine's" body at the police station, the night she cried herself to sleep clutching "Seraphine's" backpack.
All that despair, all that heartbreak, it was all Michael's meticulous design!
"Michael!" Emma's voice was hoarse and terrifying, "Do you know how much pain I've been in? How could you do this to me?"
Michael's eyes flickered for a moment but quickly returned to cold indifference. "Because I gave you chances. Time and time again, but you always chose George."
Emma wiped her tears, forcing herself to calm down. "Fine, if Seraphine is alive, tell me where she is."
Michael sneered, walking to the liquor cabinet to pour himself a glass of whiskey. "Simple. Break up with George and come back to me. I want to see the divorce papers within three days."
"You're dreaming!" Emma trembled with anger, "Michael, you were once my benefactor. I was grateful you saved me, helped me. But now, you disgust me!"
Michael's glass suddenly shattered on the floor, shards flying everywhere. He grabbed Emma's wrist. "Disgusting? Who took you in when you had nowhere to go? Who helped you out of the darkness and founded ML? Emma, have you lost your conscience?"
Emma struggled to free herself from his grip. "Yes! You helped me, so I've always been grateful, respectful. But that doesn't give you the right to control my life!"
She stepped back, her eyes full of determination. "Michael, from the moment you pretended to kill Seraphine, we were done. I will never forgive you, never."
Michael's face turned terrifyingly dark. "Then you'll never see Seraphine again."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
