Chapter 296:

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August frowned. The Willow Creek Center? He knew its reputation, a fortress of privilege for the elite’s most problematic or gifted children. The fees alone would bankrupt a woman like Jewel Gilmore. It didn’t make sense. Unless the child was exhibiting signs of trauma… or unless someone else was footing the bill, someone who needed an airtight, prestigious report to prove, or hide, something essential about the girl.

“August!” Allena whined, poking his arm. “You’re not listening. What are you looking at?”

August quickly locked his phone, sliding it into his pocket. He forced a smile, smoothing a hand over Allena’s hair. “I’m thinking about how to make my girl the biggest star on television.”

Allena beamed, satisfied. She went back to her phone, happily pinning dress ideas.

𝖨𝗇𝘁𝖾𝘯s𝘦 𝗋o𝘮аn𝖼𝗲 о𝗇 𝗀𝘢l𝗻o𝘷e𝗹𝘀.𝖼𝘰m

But August’s mind was far from the television studio. The Willow Creek Center. He had to see it for himself. He had to know why a five-year-old “adoptee” needed a psychological workup from that specific, exclusive facility.

He pulled out his phone again, typing a quick message to Simon.

Set up a meeting with the director of Willow Creek. Use the Chambers Foundation charity as cover. Tomorrow.

The Long Island safe house was quiet, the only sound the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant crash of the ocean. Kayden was asleep, her small body curled under a weighted blanket.

Elisa sat at the dining room table, her laptop open, surrounded by technical specifications for the interview. She was deep in thought when her phone rang. The caller ID showed Jewel’s name.

“Hey,” Elisa answered, keeping her voice low. “I was just going over the—”

“Elisa, stop.” Jewel’s voice was tight, stripped of its usual warmth. “We have a problem. A massive one.”

Elisa’s hand stilled on the mouse. “What happened?”

“August’s PR team just confirmed it,” Jewel said, the words coming out in a rush. “He’s going to be on the show. With Allena.”

The silence in the room seemed to thicken. Elisa’s fingers curled around the edge of the phone, her knuckles pressing white against the plastic. A cold, familiar numbness began to spread through her chest, but she pushed it down, forcing her mind to stay clear.

“Elisa? Are you there?” Jewel’s voice was laced with worry. “We can pull out. Right now. Say you’re sick. We don’t have to do this.”

“No,” Elisa said, her voice surprisingly steady. “I’m not running.”

She stood up from the table and walked to the large window overlooking the dark beach. The moon was hidden behind clouds, leaving the ocean a black, churning void.

“Why is he doing this?” Elisa asked, though she already knew the answer. She wasn’t asking Jewel; she was thinking out loud, dissecting the strategy. “It’s not just about showing off his new toy. August doesn’t do anything without a business reason.”

“Because he’s obsessed with her?” Jewel offered, her tone bitter.

“No,” Elisa said, her mind sharpening with every word. “It’s because she’s vulnerable. Allena’s medical background is a house of cards. The host of Capital Minds is famous for eviscerating guests. He’ll smell the blood in the water the second she opens her mouth about clinical data.”

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