Heiress in Distress

•Chapter 39: Part 1•

I hold her face between my hands and press a smacking kiss to her cheek, to which she responds to with a laugh, "Anything you want," I tell her before hugging her again, the feeling of her arms around me brings a fresh round of tears.

After wiping my eyes, I text Armin to let him know I won't be there and that he has to do the digging without me.

~ Armin: I'll let you know when I find something ~

Later that day, I take the girls to the zoo. If Clara is leaving soon, we might as well make every second count.

Élise enjoys her time there and she makes it very observable, through her squeals of joy, her clapping hands, and her incoherent, yet sloppy babbles.

I have prepared a rich list of places to visit and made lavish plans for outings. I say lavish, because I have serious intentions of over-spending.

We're walking down the pavement, Élise proudly holding her helium balloons and parading ahead of us as Clara and I are laughing.

Clara licks ice-cream off her spoon before holding the tip to her chin, as if in thought, "How about an aquarium?"

I cast a glance at Élise before looking back at Clara, "Perfect. Next trip is the aquarium,"

She narrows her eyes at me, "Do you really appreciate the idea? Or are you merely conceding just because I'm leaving?"

At the mention of her departure, a bitterness settles into my mouth. I shake my head, "Of course not. Élise has yet to uncover the life underwater,"

She laughs, nudging me, "I know. I'm just messing with you," she moves forward, ahead of me, catching Élise just before she stumbles onto a puddle of spilled ice-cream.

I go to throw my empty ice-cream cup on the trash can. When I lift my head, I find myself staring at something unusual. I blink my eyes a few times. It's impossible.

My mother stands just across the street. When I go to cross over, a car passes by and she disappears. Just like that. As if she was never there.

Because she was never really there.

"Everything okay?" I hear Clara ask. I nod without looking at her. I'm too busy staring at the spot my mother stood in, moments before.

Now I know I'm just imagining things.

My phone buzzes inside my pocket. It's a text from Armin.

~Armin: I have found the whereabouts of Damien McCoy. But you might re-consider the idea of visiting~

~Try me~

~Armin: He owns a chain of bureau across Europe. But the first one was based in Zürich, Switzerland~

I immediately pocket my phone and jog to catch up with Clara and Élise.

"Ladies, who is ready to go Switzerland?" I ask, raising my head high, as if answering myself.

Clara's jaw drops and Élise claps her hands, squealing. As if she knows what I'm talking about.

●●●

Clara has slept throughout most of the journey. Élise spent the entirety of the trip sticking her face on the window, watching in awe as the figures whizzed by. Her eyes are wide and glistening. Even her mouth is open wide, occasionally drooling. This was her first time on a train, which explains her exceptional enthusiasm.

I, however, managed to kill the time by planning everything with Armin, who makes a prodigious virtual tour guide. Of course, we've planned our moves on McCoy first, before moving onto leisure.