Two Can Play (Celeste and Dominic) novel Chapter 210

Chapter 210

“Seraphine has become a problem,” I told him.

“What do you need me to do?” Sparrow asked, his voice already shifting into the flat, businesslike register he used when he was about to enjoy his work.

“I want her so busy she doesn’t have a spare second to remember Celeste’s name.”

“Anything specific in mind,” he asked, “or should I use my discretion?”

I thought about it for a moment. “Don’t let her die in the process. Let her enjoy the game of a fool’s paradise.”

Sparrow chuckled, a low sound that rumbled through the speaker. “You are the devil, Dominic.”

“Get it done.”

“You can consider it handled, boss.”

A few minutes later, I picked up my phone again. I called the best divorce attorney in the country, a woman named Helena Vance who had never lost a case and who charged more per hour than most people made in a year.

She picked up on the third ring. “Mr. Ford. This is unexpected.”

“I need you to file a divorce petition. For Julian Fisher.”

There was a pause. “On whose behalf?”

“His wife’s. Celeste Fisher.”

“And what grounds?”

“Adultery. Emotional abuse. I will have the evidence delivered to your office within the hour. I want the petition filed within twenty-four hours and I want the divorce finalized in three days.”

“That is an extremely tight timeline, Mr. Ford.”

“I am aware. That is why I am calling you. If anyone can do it, you can.”

She was quiet for a moment, typing in the background. “I will need to speak with Mrs. Fisher directly. I will need her consent and her signature.”

“You will have it. I will make sure she contacts you today.”

“Very well. I will prepare the documents and wait for her call.”

I thanked her and ended the call. With that handled, I finally allowed myself to relax, just slightly, sinking back into my chair. Then Sparrow called again.

“That was fast,” I said.

“You’re going to want to hear this.”

“I’m listening.”

I was out of my office and in my car within minutes, my heart hammering against my ribs as I pushed the speed limit harder than I should have. Whatever I felt about the arrangement my grandmother had made with Imelda’s family, that family had cared for my grandmother faithfully for years. They were good people. And if Imelda died in my home over a decision I had made, that guilt would follow me for the rest of my life, whether the whole thing was staged or not.

The car had barely rolled to a stop in the driveway before I was out of it, moving fast toward the house. The front door stood open, and I noticed it immediately. My grandmother never left the door open. She was paranoid about security in a way that bordered on obsession, and an open door meant something had already gone wrong before I’d even arrived.

I stepped inside. The house was silent, the air still.

“Granny?” I called out. “Granny, where are you?”

No response.

I moved deeper into the house, my footsteps echoing off the floors, scanning every doorway for movement. The living room was empty. The kitchen was empty. The hallway leading to the bedrooms stretched out before me, quiet.

I pulled out my phone to call granny.

And then I felt a sharp, deep pain at the back of my neck, like a needle driven into my spine. I jolted forward, my phone slipping from my fingers and clattering against the floor. I spun around, my hand flying to the source of the pain, my eyes wide with shock as the figure behind me came into focus.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. The edges of my vision blurred, the hallway tilting and smearing into shapeless color.

Then the floor rushed up to meet me, and everything went black.

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