Chapter 17: Chapter 17

ANNABELLE

I shut the door to my tiny apartment, leaning against it as I slowly slid down to the floor, tears welling up in my eyes. I wrapped my arms around my knees, resting my chin on top of them as sobs shook my body.

~He doesn’t love me.~

Images of Blake walking away flashed before my eyes. It had seemed so easy for him to let me go, like it hadn’t bothered him as much. It had destroyed me.

~And what was that whole thing about never going back to visit him? Does he want me out of his life that badly or is he trying to protect me?~

I sat in the same position for at least an hour until my tears ran dry and exhaustion seeped into my bones. I was both physically and emotionally drained.

~Is this how painful love can be?~

I sniffed and wiped my tears with my sleeve before standing. My chest was heavy as I stashed my rope bag, plugged in my phone, and headed for the shower. My thoughts churned as I waited for it to warm up.

We had made good time coming down the mountain, stopping only to collect my gear. My car had been untouched where I’d left it, a small victory, but my phone had died. Killian had followed me home, ensuring I got there safely. He left after seeing me to my door, telling me to keep my chin up.

I stepped into the steady stream, sighing as the warm water washed away some of the day’s fatigue. Too bad it couldn’t do anything to ease my broken heart.

I’d allow myself tonight to wallow. Tomorrow, I’d get back to work on the Stone Financial story and figure out how to clear Blake’s name.

But first, I needed to call my parents. They were probably worried sick, my mom especially.

I could still feel a physical ache in my chest when I got out of the shower. My hand reached up to rub the spot, but this hurt was deeper. Letting out a tired sigh, I pulled on a pair of comfy, gray leggings and a baggy shirt I’d stolen from my dad.

I made my way to the kitchen and brewed some coffee, the aroma reminding me how much I’d missed it. The scent was soothing, and I took a grateful breath, feeling some of my tension slip away.

My phone was charged by the time it had finished brewing. I ordered a pizza and called my mom while I waited for the delivery guy. She picked up on the first ring.

“Annabelle, are you back home? Are you safe, sweetie?” she asked. “Hang on. Let me see your face.”

“Hi, Mom,” I mumbled. “Yes, I’m at home. I came back today.”

“Why are you not accepting my video request?” she asked.

“Mom,” I whined. “I’m okay, really.”

“Then you have nothing to hide,” she insisted. “I’m your mother. I need to see that you are okay.”

Letting out a sigh, I pried the phone from my ear and accepted her video call. A second later, her face appeared on my screen, her smile disappearing as she saw the look on mine.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” she asked with a frown.

I could feel my bottom lip quivering as I attempted to hold back the tears that threatened to fall again.

“Mom…”

“What’s going on, Annabelle?” she asked gently.

I couldn’t keep myself from sobbing as I explained everything to my mom, from the day I met Blake to him walking away when I asked him to come with me.

“Poor thing,” she said with an understanding smile. “Sounds like he’s going through a lot. I wish that I could meet him. You seem to really like this young man.”

“I do, Mom,” I replied, wiping the remaining tears away with a sniffle. “I think I love him.”

“And I’m guessing that you’d like to help him somehow?” my mom asked with a knowing and encouraging smile.

“I do. I know he wasn’t responsible for the company’s crash, but I just don’t know where to start. I need evidence,” I explained, feeling frustrated.

There was a knock at the door.

“Mom, I’m sorry. I have to go. The pizza guy is here.”

“That’s fine, honey. We can talk later,” she replied. “And Annabelle?”

“Yes?” I replied.

“Don’t give up on him, okay?”

My heart fluttered with determination as I answered, “Never.”

“That’s my girl,” she said with a warm smile.

We hung up as I looked through the peephole. A somewhat familiar woman waited on the other side, her hazel eyes hopeful.

I pulled open the door, standing hesitantly beside it. She tucked her thick, brunette hair behind her ear, a hand clasped firmly around the strap of her purse. I watched her carefully, knowing in my gut that this woman had to be Blake’s sister. The resemblance was clear.

“Yes?”

“Annabelle Clark?” she asked, smoothing a hand down the front of her elegant, white midi dress.

“Yes, that’s me,” I replied. “May I ask who you are?”

“My name is Aleah Stone,” she said, her smile wavering a bit. “I need your help.”

My instincts had never let me down yet.

“Please come in,” I said, moving aside as she stepped into the apartment.

“I’m sorry for arriving unannounced like this,” she said. “Is this a bad time?”

“Not at all,” I replied, showing her to the living room. “Please take a seat.”

“Thank you,” she said with a polite smile, taking a seat on the couch while I sat in a chair opposite her.

“You said you needed help. How can I assist you?” I asked, jumping straight to the point.

“I’m Blake Stone’s older sister,” she said. “I would like your help in clearing my brother’s name.”

My mouth fell open in surprise, even though part of me had been hoping that was why she was here. I cleared my throat as I pulled myself together and nodded for her to continue.

“What happened to Stone Financial was not my brother’s fault,” she said firmly. “I have proof that the embezzling started long before Blake became CEO. He was just the scapegoat.”

Aleah pulled open her handbag and handed me a brown envelope.

“I hired a private investigator as soon as I heard about Stone Financial pinning the blame on Blake. It took a while to find this,” she continued.

I opened the envelope, pulling out a stack of reports and statements, my fingers trembling.

“Blake found a discrepancy when he became CEO and started trying to trace it,” Aleah said. “I believe he knew who the culprit was a long time ago, but didn’t know how to confront it. I can’t say I blame him. It came as a shock to me as well.”

“Is this everything?” I asked.

She nodded. “Yes. Reports, bank statements, transfer requests, account information, and…photos. Everything you need to put the right man behind bars. Blake didn’t deserve this, and I can’t let…” She trailed off, waving whatever she was about to say off with a light smile.

I raised a brow. I knew the answer was in my hands, but she seemed reluctant to say who the culprit was out loud.

“So, Miss Clark, will you help us?” she asked, face hopeful.

I nodded. “Yes, I will. I’ll have to have my team go over everything here, but if it’s legitimate, then I promise, I will do everything I can to help clear Blake’s name.”

“Thank you, Miss Clark,” she said with a teary smile.

“If I may ask, Miss Stone, why did you come to me?”

“I read your articles. You were the only one who seemed to feel like there was more to the story. You hinted that maybe my brother inherited a broken company to begin with, and you were right. I could tell that you were still trying to get to the truth, just like me,” Aleah explained.

“Is your brother aware that you’ve been trying to help him?” I asked, even though I knew the answer.

She shook her head. “No. He disappeared after the collapse. I don’t know where he is. I’m hoping that if I can clear his name, he’ll be able to come out of hiding. I’m so worried about him.”

“He’s lucky to have you,” I said.

“You think so?” Aleah said with a sad chuckle. “We weren’t close growing up. My father was determined to keep Blake isolated. I know why now,” she added bitterly. “But he’s my baby brother and the only family I have. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure he’s okay.”

The fierce look in her eyes made me smile. Knowing Blake had someone else in his corner eased the hurt in my chest a little.

“I’ll get started on this right away, Miss Stone. I might have to call you or your investigator to corroborate this information. And if you’d be willing, an interview would help the story get more visibility. I don’t think a lot of people know Blake has a sister. I could keep you anonymous if you want.”

“That would be fine,” Aleah nodded, a fire burning in her eyes. “And no need to keep it anonymous. I’ve been hidden away long enough.”

I smiled as we stood and headed for the door.

“Thank you for having me today, Miss Clark,” Aleah said. “Call me if you need anything, and here’s my investigator’s card. I’ll be sure to let him know he’ll be hearing from you.”

She passed me two business cards, one with her information and another with the information for Detective Daniel Lawson.

“Thank you,” I said with a nod of gratitude. “If I may ask, Miss Stone, who’s responsible? I know it’s in the information you gave me, but you seem hesitant to say it out loud.”

Aleah froze, her back rigid as she turned to face me. She bit her lip, looking down before meeting my eyes.

“Miles Xavier Stone,” she replied, disgust in her tone at the mention of his name. “The former CEO of the company.”

I gasped as she nodded.

“That’s right,” she said angrily. “My father set up my brother to take the fall.”