His Precious Love

However, the email was too large to be previewed online.

It took Rayna several minutes to download the audio clip. After reducing the volume, she held the device beside her ear.

The audio clip began with only the sound of footsteps before various other noises joined the cacophony as if somebody was watching television.

Rayna sped the clip up.

After listening for a while, she put the playback speed back to normal when she detected the sound of somebody opening the door to enter the room.

“I bought you some strawberries and cherries, Kristie.” A low male voice sounded from the audio clip, followed by the sound of footsteps. “I’ll rinse them in the kitchen, then watch television with you. How does that sound?”

Kristie hummed her assent.

Having listened to the dialogue, Rayna assumed from Kristie’s state that it was during the interval when Curtis brought her back from Yartran.

Why did Ringo’s people plant a bug in Kristie’s place at that time?

She did not delve into it but instead pressed the phone against her ear and listened intently.

Curtis’ tone was gentle when he spoke to Kristie, but she merely responded with noncommittal grunts no matter what he said.

Rayna could sense how awful Curtis must have felt.

Feeling awful herself, she once again sped up the clip.

After a while, Rayna heard the sound of the doorbell, followed by Jeremy’s and Wyatt’s voices.

The group chatted a little while until Jeremy suddenly said, “Have James come over, Curtis. You saw how much Kristie wanted to see him when I showed her his photograph.”

“That’s unnecessary. I don’t need outsiders to be concerned about my sister.”

Silence befell the group.

“Ms. Garland called me, Curtis. She wants to help Jefferson, but she requires the signatures of the politicians who attended the party. It just so happens I’m on that list too.”

“We have long since severed ties,” Curtis said blandly. “There’s no need to consider my feelings.” A while later, Curtis asked Jeremy, “When is the party?”

“Two months from now.”

James of the time and place,” the

If you send James, we may not be

if there’s nothing

that point. Rayna’s eyes were

have gotten such an accurate inkling of Arnaud’s movements and how he had managed to ambush the latter from his vantage point atop the

out it was Curtis who told

phone vibrated at that

open her new WhatsApp message and felt her head splitting open when she saw the image Ringo

of an

for James. She would

can’t believe

the emerald pendant, Rayna almost collapsed when her limbs gave

into this and send him to exact vengeance on Arnaud

when he thought of

wall and fell limply onto

floor, he leaped off

ordered Kristie, who was passing by,

shining outside the

remembered fainting

her prolonged search. When she pulled open the door to exit the

her arm with a look of panic.

took it for repairs.” Jessica helped her back to the bedroom. “The doctor says you’ve been working too hard lately, Nana. You need proper

many things to do, and

James can’t be dead!

grab her. “Calm down, Nana. This

Baby?

at her belly, and a horrible feeling rose from

to wipe her

and

not ask anymore. She

Jessica pulled her to sit by the bed and poured her a glass of warm

“I just feel horrible at the thought of what happened

“Mr. York is there for them, so don’t worry. Take good care of the babies and