Chapter 10
Celia’s father had known more than anyone realized.
His notebook contained one final note beside my father’s watch.
If A.A. dies before retrieval, release compartment contents only to M.A. or L.A.
L.A.
Lucian Ashford.
Me.
Evan had intended the evidence to reach me.
Marcus removed it first.
Then hid it.
Meaning my father and his watchmaker trusted me more than my surviving family did.
That hurt.
Celia asked:
“Did my father do something wrong?”
“No.”
Then I corrected myself.
“He kept a secret.”
Her face fell.
“For your father?”
“Yes.”
“Was that wrong?”
Hard question.
“Maybe.”
Secrets are not automatically loyalty.
Sometimes necessary.
Sometimes cowardly.
Evan followed Alistair’s request.
Then died before explaining.
I refused to turn him into a villain because the outcome became painful later.
Celia nodded.
Then:
“Can I keep his notebook?”
“Of course.”
She looked surprised.
Interesting.
People around powerful families become accustomed to believing evidence belongs to the boss.
Not everything does.
Her father’s notebook was hers.
I copied only the relevant pages with permission.
That mattered.
Then I asked whether she wanted to remain employed.
She laughed nervously.
“I thought I was fired.”
“Why?”
“For stopping you.”
I looked at her.
“You stopped me from wearing a surveillance device.”
“Still interrupted the engagement.”
“Good.”
She almost smiled.
Then serious.
“Vivienne will hate me.”
Maybe.
“That’s Vivienne’s responsibility.”
Celia stayed.
Not because I needed a brave maid symbolically.
Because she wanted her job.
She later asked to transfer away from private service.
Also fair.
She moved into event management.
No longer responsible for serving people who might control her mother’s housing.
I separated employee housing from household employment after that.
No supervisor should be able to threaten a parent’s home over a work dispute.
May you like
Simple.
Embarrassing that it took this.
