Please Come Back, My Love novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162

Juhan POV

Adrian’s call came at 2 a.m.

I was already awake. Had been for hours, sitting in the dark living room with a glass of scotch I hadn’t touched, staring at my phone like it might suddenly light up with her name.

It never did.

‘I found something,’ Adrian said. No preamble. He knew better than to waste my time with pleasantries. “Ms. Vance and her mother rented an RV yesterday morning. Left Miami around 10 a.m.”

My chest tightened. “Where are they going?”

‘Unknown. The rental agreement lists a three-month lease with unlimited mileage. They could be heading anywhere.”

Three months.

She’d planned to disappear for three fucking months.

“Track the RV,” I said. My voice came out flat. Dead. ‘GPS, credit card transactions, anything.

“Already on it, sir. The vehicle has a standard GPS tracker-I’ve been monitoring their route. Last ping shows they were in a small Georgia town about an hour ago. They stopped at what appears to be a farmers’ market.”

Georgia. She was moving north through small towns, staying off the main highways. Smart.

“Keep tracking them,” I told Adrian. “Real-time updates. I want to know every stop, every gas station, every fucking rest area.”

‘Understood, sir.”

I hung up and pressed the heels of my palms into my eyes until I saw stars.

Georgia. A farmers’ market.

She was running, but she couldn’t run forever. Not from me.

The mansion felt like a tomb. Every room still smelled like her-that vanilla and jasmine scent that used to drive me insane. Now it just made my chest

ache.

By morning, I was back in the office. Hadn’t slept. Didn’t need to.

Marcus brought coffee I didn’t drink and updates 1 barely registered. Something about a merger. A contract dispute. Shit that used to matter before I realized

the only thing that actually mattered was currently running from me in a goddamn RV.

“Sir?” Marcus’s voice cut through the fog. “Your 9 a.m. is here.”

Chapter 162

Flock up Dancel it.”

the Vanderbilts.”

Fuck.

Id forgotten about that mess.

Catherine’s parents shuffled into my office like condemned prisoners Patricia Vanderbilt’s eyes were red-simmed and swollen. Her husband looked ten years older than the last time I’d seen him-shoulders hunched, suit wrinkled, face gray.

“Julian. Patricia’s voice cracked. “Thank you for seeing us.”

I gestured to the chairs across from my desk. Didn’t stand. Couldn’t muster the energy for pleasantries.

“What do you want?”

Harsh. But I was done pretending I gave a shit about social niceties.

Patricia flinched. “We… we need your help. The company-

“Is gone, her husband finished. His voice was hollow. “The Astors bought us out. Hostile takeover. We couldn’t stop it.”

I leaned back in my chair. “And you’re here because…?”

“Because we don’t understand what happened. He ran a hand through his thinning hair. “After Catherine was arrested, we thought we were finished. The legal fees alone were going to bankrupt us. The company was hemorrhaging money. We were about to lose everything.”

Patricia picked up the thread. “Then Victoria Astor wired us two million dollars.”

I went very still. “What?”

“Two million,” she repeated. “No explanation. Just a bank transfer with a note that said, For the family. We didn’t know what to make of it.”

My jaw tightened. “When?”

“Three days after Catherine’s arrest.” Her husband pulled out his phone, scrolled through something, then turned the screen toward me. Bank statement. Wire transfer from an Astor Holdings account. $2,000,000.00.

“Catherine told us before she was taken away,” Patricia whispered. ‘She said, ‘Victoria will help you. She promised. We thought she was delusional. Grasping

at straws.”

I stared at the bank statement. “Did you ask Catherine why?”

“Of course we did. The father’s face twisted. “I asked if Victoria had something on her. Some kind of leverage. Or if Catherine had done something for her- something that would explain this… generosity.”

“And?”

“She cried, Patricia said softly. “Just cried and shook her head. Said there was nothing. That Victoria was just being kind.”

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Chapter 162

The pey kept us afloat for six months, the father continued. “We restructured. Cut costs. Started to stabilize. We thought maybe- His voice broke We thought maybe wed survive this

Then the Astors catne for you, I finished.

He nodded. “Last week. Hostile takeover, They bought out our creditors, called in our debts, and forced a sale. We had no choice.”

Patricia’s hands twisted in her lap. “It’s like she gave us just enough rope to hang ourselves with. Made us think we were safe, then pulled the rug out.”

I stood up and walked to the window. Stared out at Manhattan without really seeing it.

Victoria gave them money. Right after Catherine was arrested for attacking Elena.

Catherine said Victoria would help them.

Victoria had promised.

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