Page 80 of Sinful Palace

“You know how I met with Q today?”

“Yes,” she murmured, lower lip still quivering. “Was it your dad?”

“I still don’t know. I’m about ninety percent sure it is, though. Same height, same speech patterns,” I replied. “Anyway, he said a bunch of shit about your father. That’s what I was going to tell you on the phone earlier.”

“What was it?”

I leaned closer, lowering my voice. “Q said he found out that your dad was feeling guilty over the whole contract thing, and he was planning on going to the media because he wanted to expose the whole Order,” I said. “He also said he dropped the body and the note as a warning to him.”

Willow’s eyes widened. “Oh my god.”

“So when your dad said he was going to fix everything at the parade, that’s probably what he meant. He was telling you about his plan to destroy the Order and get you home.”

She shook her head slowly. “So… he wasn’t hinting that he wanted to kill himself?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I pressed my lips into a grim line. “Q said the note was just a warning and that he has no idea where your dad went after the parade, but I’m not so sure about that. I didn’t believe half the shit that came out of his mouth today. He’s the slimiest motherfucker I’ve ever met.”

“You think he’s the one who made Dad disappear after the parade?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, it could’ve been suicide like they’re claiming, but I think there’s an equal chance he was murdered. There’s just so much shit here that doesn’t add up.”

Willow stared at the wall again. “Even if someone else killed him, it’s still my fault,” she murmured, tears leaking down her cheeks.

“How the hell is it your fault?”

“If I hadn’t been so awful to him, he wouldn’t have tried to cross the Order to make things right, would he?” she said, chin trembling. “He was only doing it because of me. Because I refused to speak to him or forgive him.”

I frowned and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Willow, you can’t think like that. It’s not your fault at all. You had every right to be furious at your father for what he did. Every fucking right. I can’t imagine a single person in your shoes who’d choose to forgive him.”

“I guess,” she mumbled as I let her go. She drew her arms and legs close to her body, a defeated expression crossing her face. “I just… I don’t know what to do now. I don’t even know what to think. I feel like a zombie. Like nothing is even real.”

“You’re in shock. It’s normal.”

Willow’s eyes shuttered, and she let out a shaky sigh. Her mouth kept opening and closing, like she wanted to say something but had temporarily lost the ability to do so.

“We need to find out what really happened, okay?” I said, leaning in to stroke her hair. “I can’t just let you sit here not knowing the truth.”

“How can we find out anything?” she asked, eyes fluttering open. “If you’re right and Q actually did this, it’ll be covered up. Just like everything else.”

“I can still try. I have ways, remember?”

She didn’t respond.

“Are you okay to sit here for a few minutes by yourself?” I asked, brows knitting with concern.

She nodded silently.

“I need to make a call. I’ll be right in there,” I said, pointing to the walk-in robe.

“Okay,” she said, so softly that I barely heard it.

I patted her arm and got up before quietly slipping into the smaller room. Then I fished my phone out of my pocket and dialed Connor Chang’s number.

He picked up on the second ring this time. “Logan! Twice in one day,” he said. “What’s up?”

“I need another favor.”

“Sure. What is it?”

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