When Her Death Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel) novel Chapter 2040

Nathaniel did not rush her away. He stayed until every loose thread at Jamieson Group was knotted tight, and only then boarded the plane at her side.

At Tudela Airport, Charlotte had been pacing the arrivals hall long before the flight landed.

"Cecilia!" she called, waving both arms the instant she spotted them.

Cecilia slipped her hand free of Nathaniel's, dashed across the polished floor, and wrapped Charlotte in an embrace fierce enough to chase off the lingering chill of cemeteries and boardrooms alike.

Nathaniel's hands were suddenly empty. He watched Cecilia and Charlotte lean into each other, laughter and whispered confidences circling them like warm light. Jealousy pricked the back of his throat—sharp, metallic, impossible to swallow.

Cecilia angled toward Charlotte, her voice gentling. "How've you been holding the company together on your own lately?"

Charlotte lifted her chin in a quick, brave nod. "Pretty good, actually—nothing I couldn't manage."

Cecilia's smile eased some hidden tension. "That's a relief."

Hooking her arm through Cecilia's, Charlotte sighed. "While you were away, every single day stretched forever."

Time had crawled not only because Cecilia was gone, but because Sven's absence pressed on her like a weight she could not name.

Once they were inside the car, Cecilia caught the shadow in Charlotte's eyes. "Sven's still texting you, right?"

Charlotte's shoulders dipped. She clenched her fists before speaking.

"At first he did," she managed. "But these past few days—nothing. I've sent messages, I've called—no answer at all."

"That doesn't sound like him," Cecilia murmured, worry cutting through her surprise.

A small knot of anxiety tightened in Cecilia's chest.

"You don't think something's happened to him, do you?" Charlotte's voice trembled despite her efforts to stay calm.

"Don't jump to dark places," Cecilia said, forcing confidence she did not feel. "Sven's too capable to let trouble pin him down."

Charlotte's palms were damp. "Maybe that's the problem—someone with skills like his makes too many enemies." Nights had grown long, her sleep thin and fractured.

"Take a breath. I'll have someone look into it right away."

"Thank you," Charlotte whispered, as though the word might break if spoken louder.

Back at her apartment, Cecilia skipped rest entirely, phoning every contact she trusted to trace Sven's last known steps.

Calvin's answer floated through the line, warm as a late-summer breeze. "I'm good. I've finally settled down."

"Good. I'm relieved to hear that." Calvin's voice came through the speaker—a calm baritone softened by genuine concern.

Cecilia stood with the phone pressed to her ear, lips parting then closing again. Words dried up, leaving only the hush of distant traffic at the window.

She suddenly thought of Sven. The bodyguard had been Calvin's introduction, yet now he was nowhere to be found.

"Did something happen to him?" Calvin sounded mildly alarmed, though he kept his tone measured.

Complicated? What kind of life is he living? The question flickered through Cecilia's mind, but she swallowed it.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." She chose not to push further, afraid her curiosity might corner Calvin into something he couldn't share.