Chapter 12 - The Woman Behind the Threats
Police found nobody.
A maintenance corridor connected the building to the neighboring storefront.
Someone had entered through it.
But they left something behind.
Nathan's phone.
Too convenient.
Detective Ellis agreed.
Someone wanted us to believe Nathan had been there.
Celeste disappeared the same night.
Roman assumed she'd betrayed us.
I wasn't sure.
The next morning, I received a message.
COME ALONE IF YOU WANT CELESTE ALIVE.
I did not go alone.
Obviously.
I sent it to Detective Ellis.
Roman looked almost offended that I didn't consider secretly walking into danger.
“I'm learning,” I said.
“So am I.”
The location was an abandoned commercial kitchen.
Police entered first.
They found Celeste tied to a chair.
Alive.
Nathan was gone.
She told them everything.
Nathan had become obsessed with completing Elena's project after her death.
When my bakery succeeded in the same building, he saw me as an intruder.
Then Roman began publicly dating me.
That transformed resentment into rage.
In Nathan's mind, Roman had allowed a stranger to take Elena's dream and then fallen in love with her.
The dead rat.
The photographs.
The reviews.
All meant to force me out.
Marco had done the physical work for money.
Nathan had orchestrated it.
“Why expose our fake relationship?” I asked Celeste.
Her face flushed.
“That was me.”
Roman stared.
“I was jealous.”
“At least she's honest,” I muttered.
Celeste looked at me.
“I wanted to embarrass you. I didn't know Nathan was threatening you.”
It wasn't forgiveness.
But truth mattered.
Detective Ellis tracked Nathan through toll cameras.
He was heading toward Providence.
Toward us.
That evening, Lily insisted on staying with Sophia under police protection.
Roman and I sat in my closed bakery.
“I should have kept you away from me,” he said.
“No.”
“Clare.”
“This started before me. Before us.”
“Us?”
I realized what I'd said.
He did too.
I looked down.
“We need to talk about that.”
“Yes.”
“After Nathan.”
Roman nodded.
Then the front window shattered.
I dropped.
Roman covered me.
Police outside moved instantly.
A brick lay on the floor.
Paper was wrapped around it.
Detective Ellis unfolded the note.
Roman read over her shoulder.
His face changed.
“What?”
He handed it to me.
One sentence.
ELENA LEFT ONE LAST THING IN THE BAKERY.
Below it was a time.
Midnight.
May you like
And an instruction.
CHECK THE OLD WALL.
