Half an hourter, Finn was back upstairs, holding a small, clean kitten.


    It hadn''t been vinated, so a proper bath was out of the question. He had to make do with wiping it down a dozen times with wet tissues until it was passably clean. Still feeling a bit disgusted, he wrapped it in a towel.


    When he had tried to leave the stall, the kitten hadtched onto his leg with its tiny ws, meowing so pitifully that he hadn''t had the heart to leave it behind. Now, it gazed up at him with wide, luminous eyes.


    Finn looked away. "Don''t look at me like that. It won''t work."


    After a few seconds of silence, he added, "Wait until your mother gets here. You can try your charms on her."


    Whether by coincidence or because it actually understood him, the kitten let out a sweet, soft meow. Finn''s mood lifted, and he found the little stray a bit more endearing.


    Returning to the private dining room, he saw that Evangeline still hadn''t arrived. He checked the time. It had been half an hour since theirst text exchange. His was thest message, and she still hadn''t replied.


    That wasn''t right. She had already been on her way when he''d contacted her. Even if she had walked, she should have been here by now.


    He tried calling her several times, but each call went unanswered. On his next attempt, the call went straight to a message saying the phone had been turned off.


    Finn''s eyelid twitched. A deep sense of unease washed over him.


    Just then, his phone rang. It was Arabe.


    "That Poppy woman you asked me to keep an eye on," Arabe said as she settled into her driver''s seat and put on her Bluetooth earpiece, "she''s been in frequent contact with someone overseas. We also learned she''s been asking about Evangeline''s whereabouts thest couple of days and has been seen with some local thugs."


    She started the car. "You should have Evangeline be careful. It''s strange. With her engagement so close, she should be busy with preparations, not meddling in this sort of thing."


    "Her behavior is erratic and secretive," Arabe continued. "She could be nning something against Evangeline."


    The pieces clicked into ce. Finn''s voice was grim. "I think you''re toote. She may have already made her move."


    "What?" Arabe hit the brakes. "So soon?"


    "Evangeline''s missing," Finn said tly.


    Arabe sounded puzzled. "That doesn''t make sense. The people Poppy hired weren''t professionals. And you''ve been training Evangeline, teaching her how to handle herself against Victor. She shouldn''t have been taken down so easily."


    Finn''s mind was racing. He agreed-it shouldn''t have been this easy. He reyed every scenario, wondering if he had overlooked something, if the other side had used a particrly devious tactic, of if his initial assessment had been wrong.


    He didn''t have time to exin everything to Arabe. "Just find her," he said urgently.


    Then another thought struck him. "And put a watch on all ferries, buses, and private cars leaving Serenity City. Tight."


    There might be another party involved that he hadn''t considered. Soren had made many enemies in Serenity City recently. It was possible someone couldn''t get to Soren and had decided to target Evangeline instead.


    He couldn''t afford to take any chances. As long as Evangeline was in the city, he had a chance to keep her safe. If she was taken out of Serenity City, or worse out of the country, the situation would be infinitely more difficult.


    Arabe knew her brother well. He was usually the picture of calm calction. Hearing the raw anxiety in his voice, she understood the


    gravity of the situatie.ne


    needing the full picture: Knowing that any move made through the Lockridge family''s officiabchannels would be monitored by Victor, she bypassed them and activated her own privatework to begin the search for Evangeline.