Chapter 144 The Silence of Raymond
Paige's gaze fell on the caller ID, recognizing it as Bradley's. It had been some time since their last conversation. Previously, when she had broached the subject of taking Raymond overseas, Bradley had offered no comment. Since her return the previous day, her attention had been wholly consumed by Mrs. Sackler's health, leaving her with no time to touch base with Bradley.Despite this, Bradley had always treated her with the affection of a father-in-law. She realized her oversight in failing to inform him of her return. Paige signaled to Pearl, who understood the unspoken command and promptly exited the room.Upon answering the call, she greeted, "Dad?" Bradley's voice, filled with urgency and concern, echoed from the other end."Paige, you're back. Raymond, that boy, why can't we get a hold of him? Do you know why he remained in Country M?" Bradley questioned.Paige was momentarily taken aback. She realized she hadn't reached out to Raymond since her return either. Quickly regaining her composure, she began, "Dad, about Raymond's leg..." Her words were cut short by Bradley's shocked interruption."You already know? Damn... I knew he couldn't keep it hidden after going on that trip with you. I even suggested he tell you sooner. Paige, about his feigned disability, don't hold it against him. Our family situation is complex, and I should have been more transparent with you from the beginning."Paige felt a pang of guilt at his words. After all, she had been concealing her own secrets from Raymond and the Carnegie family. Even now, she hadn't confessed that she was the CEO of the Universe Group. Given Raymond's sharp intellect, she suspected he had pieced together the truth during their time together."Dad, I'm relieved his leg is fine. There's no need for apologies. If his leg had been truly injured and I couldn't heal him, I would have supported him for the rest of my life. Now that he's on his feet, I'll stand by his side for a lifetime, if he'll have me," Paige quickly responded.She couldn't shake the guilt that lingered from their trip to Country M. In a crucial moment, Raymond had saved her life. Their marriage had been a product of chance, but from that point forward, she had resolved not to mention divorce, as long as Raymond was willing.Upon hearing her heartfelt sentiments, Bradley couldn't contain his elation. "Alright, alright, alright, with those words, Paige, I can finally breathe easy. From now on, I won't have to worry about you two," he gushed.After a brief pause to collect himself, Bradley returned to his initial concern. "But, Paige, I can't seem to reach Raymond. Do you know what he's doing over there?""Have you heard from Charles? What has he said?" Paige asked.Bradley, his anxiety palpable, replied, "I can't get through to Charles either. If I could contact either of them, I wouldn't be this worried."A sense of dread settled in Paige's chest. Could it be that Raymond was once again entangled with the Finnegan siblings?The siblings had previously threatened them, demanding leads on secret funds in exchange for information. Paige had made inquiries, but the siblings seemed to know little about the secret funds, so she hadn't pursued the matter further. She was preoccupied with Mrs. Sackler's situation and didn't want to waste time on the Finnegans.In the past, Paige had overlooked the fact that clues to the secret funds were in Raymond's room, and she hadn't investigated further. She had just returned from Country M, and Raymond had decided to stay behind to resolve some issues. At the time, Paige hadn't thought much of it. but if it was merely business related to the Hawke Corporation, why was Raymond unreachable?Paige harbored her suspicions but chose not to share them with Bradley. Instead, she attempted to reassure him. "He said he'd stay there for a few days to handle company matters. He should be back soon. Don't worry, Dad. I found medicine in Country M, and Mrs. Sackler has awakened. I might not have time to visit you in the next few days, so don't worry too much. Once Raymond is free, he'll definitely contact you."Paige's words seemed to pacify Bradley. However, after the call, while Bradley may have felt a measure of relief, Paige's anxiety only deepened.
Raymond and Charles were both out of reach, leaving Paige to ponder the two most likely scenarios. In her experience, there were only two reasons why someone might be unreachable: they were either intentionally avoiding contact, or they had strayed into an area devoid of cell service. After numerous failed attempts to contact Raymond and Charles, Paige was almost certain that they had ventured into the notorious signal dead zone nestled in the hills.In the midst of her speculation, Paige had little time to fully digest the implications. Instead, she found herself calling out for assistance from her office. "Julian, Julian..." she cried out.Pearl, who had been just outside the door, heard Paige's call and quickly rushed in. "Paige, are you looking for Julian?" she asked."Get Julian for me," Paige commanded, her tone urgent.Pearl nodded in understanding and immediately set off to find Julian.Upon Julian's arrival, Paige's anxiety was palpable. "Do we still have people in Country M who haven't returned yet?" she asked."Yes, what's the problem?" Julian responded, a hint of curiosity in his voice."Charter a plane there as soon as possible. Have them check the same hollow they visited before, see if anyone's returned. Also, can you find out where the Marigold siblings, Finnegan and Marigold, are?" Paige instructed."Weren't they released already? Do you want them apprehended again?" Julian asked, clearly puzzled by the request."No, it's not that. I can't reach Raymond. Check if he has returned to the hollow or if he's still investigating the siblings," Paige clarified.Julian felt a twinge of annoyance. Raymond, Raymond... Paige seemed overly preoccupied with the man who was pretending to be disabled. He scoffed inwardly, but knew better than to openly challenge Paige.Paige continued, "The siblings are after the secret funds. We need to act quickly.""So, it's not about Raymond then?!" Julian thought to himself, his confusion deepening."Secret funds? The siblings know about the secret funds? Paige, we need to investigate this thoroughly," Julian urged."That's why I'm telling you to hurry," Paige retorted.Julian nodded in understanding. There was no time to waste. He immediately set out to locate the siblings and to discover why Raymond had disappeared. Julian was no fool; he knew there must be a link between Raymond and the secret funds. Otherwise, the clue Paige was seeking wouldn't be hidden in Raymond's room.As Julian hurried off to gather information, Paige leaned back in her study chair, releasing a deep sigh. "Why does there always have to be so much to deal with?" she mused aloud. Despite the complexity and multitude of issues, she knew they had to be tackled one at a time. After all, wasn't problem-solving part of her training? Still, she felt a wave of impatience wash over her. Her mentor was right; her experience was still too limited.Pearl, noticing Paige's weary posture, quickly brought her a cup of coffee."Xanthe, are you tired? Would you like me to book a spa or somethingfor you?" she asked.Paige shook her head. "No need, bring all the work over. Once I'm done with these, Mrs. Sackler should be awake, and I'll have to take care of her."Just as Pearl was about to respond, the office cellphone she was holding, which belonged to Xanthe, began to ring.Pearl glanced at the caller ID and immediately looked up at Paige, "Xanthe, it's a call from the Sackler family."
