Page 132 of Empire of Ash
Celeste glances at her husband and then back to me, rolling her eyes.
“Boys and their secrets,” she sighs, grinning. “Oops.”
Adrian sighs, shaking his head, but smiling as his wife sits beside him on the couch. She reaches for his glass, taking a sip as his eyes swivel to mine.
“You weren’t supposed to hear that,” he says quietly.
I swallow. “Noel—”
“Took care of it.”
I shiver.
“Is Leo…”
“Leo caught what predatory pieces of shit like him have coming to them,” Adrian grunts. “But no, Ella. Noel didn’t kill him. That isn’t…” he frowns. “He isn’t that kind of man.”
“Are you sure?”
Adrian’s brow furrows. He leans forward a little, eyeing me curiously.
“Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here, Ella. What’s that one big question you wanted to ask me?”
I swallow, shivering a little as my eyes dart between them both.
“You can ask anything, sweetheart,” Celeste says gently.
I draw in a slow breath as I reach into my bag at my feet and let my fingers touch the crumpled pieces of paper inside.
“I need to know about this.”
I pull them out, haphazardly smoothing the creased pages across my knee before I pass them to Arian. He frowns, scanning the pages before he stiffens.
“I need to know if I’m crazy or not,” I choke. “Please. I need to know if I’m in danger.”
Celeste takes the report from her husband’s hands, her eyes widening as well. She looks up at me sharply.
“Honey, you really don’t know?” she whispers incredulously.
“Of course she doesn’t,” Adrian grunts. “It’s fucking Ransom we’re talking about.”
“He wasn’t there,” I choke, fear clenching my throat as tears bead in my eyes.
“That night, he was at the office. Hewasn’t there,” I blurt. “Except, now there’s a doctor’s exam listing burns, smoke inhalation—”
“Christ, Noel,” Adrian growls quietly, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shakes his head.
“Ella, honey…”
Celeste’s brow caves as she holds my gaze.
“Noel might be a prickly bastard, but he isnotwhat you think he is. He’s not what the media has claimed he is, or what Oliver Prince—”
“Your sister—”
Celeste winces, and it feels like a stab to the heart.
“I’m sorry,” I choke. “I—”