“What made you say that?” Ernest inquired, his tone laced with curiosity.

“Have you managed to glean anything from Chelsey?”

Hadley paused, her voice tinged with reluctance.

“Not quite…”

“Shall I press her again?” Ernest offered, ready to step in.

“No, please,” Hadley interjected swiftly.

“That is not what I meant, Ernest.”

What options did he have? Likely nothing beyond resorting to threats or dangling incentives.

Hadley elaborated, her voice gentle yet firm, “I believe your tactics won’t sway Chelsey. I mean, haven’t you tried them before?”

“Indeed,” Ernest conceded with a nod.

“So, what is your angle?”

“Ernest,” Hadley replied candidly.

“I paid Chelsey a visit today, hoping to connect on a personal level, to learn about her recent days.”

“You mean…” Ernest’s eyes lit up with realization.

“You’re trying to tug at her heartstrings? Will it work?”

“I’m not certain,” Hadley admitted with a soft sigh.

“We won’t know until we try. At least Chelsey isn’t shutting me out. She still talks to me.”

It was better than her remaining silent in front of Ernest or his lawyers.

Ernest nodded thoughtfully.

“Alright, let’s follow your lead. I’ll also track down that middle-aged woman you mentioned.”

He had overlooked this detail before, but now resolved to delve deeper into Chelsey’s social circle, hoping to unearth new insights.

galnσνs?c?m opens doors to new adventures

“Sounds good,” Hadley agreed.

“Let’s leave it there for now.”

After ending the call, Hadley made her way to the garage, keys in hand. Before sliding into her car, a sudden thought struck her. She dialed Elvin.

“Hello, Mr. Webster.”

“Hey, Hadley! What’s up?” Elvin replied warmly.

“Cutting to the chase,” Hadley asked, “I remember you introduced Chelsey to me as my assistant. Did you hire her yourself?”

“Yes,” Elvin admitted, his tone heavy with regret.

“I’m sorry, I dropped the ball on that one…”

“No need to apologize, Mr. Webster,” Hadley reassured him.

“I’m just curious—where exactly did you hire Chelsey? Like directly from the job market or something?”

“No,” Elvin clarified after a brief pause.

“A colleague from the industry mentioned a distant relative of a friend whose child had just graduated and was in a tough spot. I did them a favor.” He sighed, clearly frustrated with himself.

“When I later met Chelsey in person, she seemed genuine, and her hardships were plain to see. Who would have thought she would turn on you? I misread her completely.”

Hadley zeroed in on the key detail.

.

.

.