Welcome To Paris
Rowan sat in his sleek, modern office, the view of the city skyline doing little to calm the rising storm within him. He stared at the message on his phone, his fingers tightening around the device, knuckles white with restrained fury.
Dear Uncle Rich Man,
We have something super important to tell you. You need to come to Paris tomorrow.
It’s a matter of the heart and also business. Mummy will be there, and she needs you.
Don’t let her go alone.
See you soon!
Love, L and L.
The audacity. His jaw clenched, and his brows furrowed as he read the message for the third time, his irritation only growing with each pass. Uncle Rich Man? And this vague nonsense about matters of the heart and business—what the hell did that even mean? And who the hell were L and L?
Callum stood at the door, hovering nervously, sensing the icy tension in the room. “Sir?” he ventured cautiously. “What should we do about the message? It’s... odd, to say the least.”
Rowan’s eyes flicked up from the screen, cold and sharp. “Odd?” he repeated, his voice dangerously low. “It’s ridiculous. Someone is playing games with me, and I’m not in the mood for it.”
Callum swallowed, nodding. “Yes, sir. But... it doesn’t seem to be the usual kind of blackmail. Could be a trap, though.”
Rowan leaned back in his chair, his jaw still clenched. He didn’t like this one bit. First the hack, now this absurd message inviting him to Paris as if he had nothing better to do. But there was something gnawing at him, something in the tone of the message. It wasn’t just the money. There was a personal angle to this.
"Mummy?" Rowan muttered, narrowing his eyes. His mind immediately went to Remi. The only person he could think of connected to him like that would be her. But why? And what did this have to do with her?
Was this someone trying to manipulate him? Drag him back into a part of his past he didn’t want to revisit?
“Get me everything on this message,” Rowan ordered coldly. “Find out who L and L are. I don’t care what it takes.”
Callum hesitated. “Sir, the language… it sounds like—”
“I don’t care how it sounds,” Rowan snapped, cutting him off. “Someone stole from me, and now they’re trying to drag me into some nonsense. I won’t let it slide.”
Callum nodded quickly, not wanting to push any further. “Yes, sir. I’ll look into it immediately.”
Rowan watched as Callum scurried out of the office, his fingers tightening around his phone again. His thoughts circled back to Remi, even though he hated that they did. He hadn't seen her since the surgery. Every time he thought of her, the memories—fragments, flashes—flickered in and out of focus, frustrating him more than he could put into words. And now this?
L and L, he thought again, frowning. The pieces weren’t fitting together, but one way or another, he was going to get answers.
Paris was every bit as enchanting as I remembered. The cobblestone streets, the ornate architecture, the smell of fresh pastries wafting through the air—it was the kind of city that made you forget about the rest of the world, even if just for a little while. The golden hue of the afternoon sun cast a soft glow over the Seine as we walked, and for a brief moment, I let myself relax, soaking in the beauty around me.
The twins, however, were unusually quiet. Normally, they’d be running around, chattering endlessly about the sights or begging for macarons from the nearest bakery. But today? They stuck close to me, exchanging those secretive glances they always shared when they were up to something.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.
“Look, Mummy! The Eiffel Tower!” Larry suddenly pointed, his voice full of fake enthusiasm, as if he was trying to distract me from whatever was really on their minds.
I smiled, ruffling his hair. “Yep, there it is. Pretty cool, huh?”
“Uh-huh,” Laura added, her hand slipping into mine as she looked up at me with those big, innocent eyes. “You like Paris, right, Mummy?”
I raised an eyebrow, glancing down at her. “Of course. It’s beautiful. Why?”
She shrugged, but I could see that look again, the one that told me they were plotting something. “No reason,” she mumbled, but there was a spark of mischief behind her words.
I sighed. Ever since we’d arrived, they’d been acting strange. It started the moment I mentioned the trip back at home. Now, they were sticking to me like glue, avoiding their usual excitement about travel and adventure. It was like they were waiting for something.
“Alright,” I said, stopping to kneel in front of them, my eyes narrowing suspiciously. “What’s going on with you two?”
Larry and Laura exchanged a quick glance—again. My patience was wearing thin.
“Mummy,” Laura began sweetly, “you know how you said you like Paris and it’s pretty?”
I nodded slowly. “Yes…”
“And you said it’s good to meet old friends, like Auntie Claire?” Larry added, his face equally innocent.
I tilted my head, crossing my arms as I stared at them. “Yes, I did say that.”
They both looked up at me, wide-eyed, before Larry blurted out, “So, what if someone else wanted to meet you here too?”
I blinked, completely thrown off by the question. “What do you mean? Who would want to meet me in Paris?”
Larry and Laura exchanged another glance, this time more frantic. “Um, just... someone,” Laura said vaguely, looking anywhere but at me.
“Someone?” I repeated, feeling that familiar sinking sensation in my stomach. “What did you two do?”
They both started fidgeting, not answering me directly, which only made my suspicions grow.
Before I could press them any further, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I stood up, pulling it out absentmindedly, but when I saw the name on the screen, my blood ran cold.
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