Callie stood on the second-floor balcony, watching the scene unfold.
Her phone vibrated tirelessly in her pocket. She answered, “Hello.”
“I’m waiting for you at the foot of the mountain,” Jamir’s voice came through.
Out of respect, Jamir was also dressed in black. He sat in the driver’s seat, watching Callie approach step by step and get into the car.
“Nelson’s grandfather has passed away. I just got the news,” Jamir said calmly, looking at her with some concern. “Don’t cry too long; it’s bad for your health.”
Callie felt too drained to respond. “What do you want?”
They sat in the car, protected by privacy film that prevented anyone outside from seeing in, avoiding attention.
“The Oconnor Group owes much of its success to Nelson’s grandfather. For years, people feared Nelson partly because of this connection. Now that he’s gone, Ylosea’s power dynamics will shift,” Jamir stated plainly.
Callie couldn’t focus on these matters; her mind was a mess. She looked down.
“Haven’t Nelson already partnered with the Ellison family? Charlotte was at the funeral too. Those people won’t act rashly,” she said.
“But what about in the long run?” Jamir’s voice was persuasive and magnetic. “Nelson’s business isn’t built for longevity. Every day he doesn’t marry Charlotte is another day of danger. Of course, he might have other plans.”
He suddenly asked, “I heard that before Nelson’s grandfather passed, only Nelson and you were by his side.”
Callie fiddled with her fingers. “He didn’t know we were divorced. I was there to comfort him.”
“That’s as it should be. It also shows that Nelson trusts you,” Jamir said, taking a pen from the dashboard. “This is the most advanced bug in the world. You can place it in Nelson’s office, study, or even his bedroom. He cares about you so much; he won’t suspect you.”
Callie didn’t take it but looked at Jamir instead. “What are you trying to do?”
Jamir looked back at her, seemingly puzzled. “Isn’t this what you want, Callie? You can’t still be dreaming of getting back together with him.”
His words hit Callie hard. She averted her gaze, memories of Nelson’s vulnerable moments flashing in her mind.
“If you don’t do it, someone else will. We’re not the only ones watching him.”
At that moment, a cool car sped past them, heading up the mountain.
Callie recognized the license plate; it was Jaquan’s Bentley.
Jamir sighed and pressed the bug into her hand. “Go ahead. It’s better to be faster than others.”
Callie glanced at the device and then at Jamir before finally nodding.
That night, they had to keep vigil. Charlotte had been persuaded to leave, and only close members of the Oconnor family stayed, waiting to place the grandfather in the ancestral hall the next morning.
Callie was the only outsider left, but she was different; Bianca had specifically asked her to stay.
In the kitchen, Callie spent a long time making dozens of bowls of noodles for Bianca to distribute.
She personally brought Nelson’s bowl to him. “Eat it. You won’t make it through tomorrow without food.”
He sat on the balcony, staring blankly at the sky, looking exhausted. When he lifted his eyes, he saw a poached egg atop the noodles, garnished with greens.
“I almost forgot you could cook.”
In their later days together, she rarely cooked, so he had naturally forgotten.
Callie placed the bowl in front of him with a tone almost like coaxing a child. “Will you eat?”
“Callie, I didn’t mean not to come that day. At this position, many things are beyond my control.”