Chapter 2 - The Pendant That Should Not Exist
Livia returned to work the next afternoon determined to forget everything.
She failed before she even removed her coat.
Her manager, Daniel, intercepted her in the employee corridor.
“Office.”
Livia stopped.
“I haven’t even clocked in.”
“Office.”
“Did somebody complain?”
Daniel gave her a look.
“Just come with me.”
Livia followed him upstairs.
Maison Aurelia’s administrative office was usually chaotic—reservation sheets, wine invoices, staff schedules, half-empty coffee cups.
Today it looked unnaturally clean.
Mr. Bellamy, the owner, sat behind his desk.
Two men in dark suits stood near the window.
Livia recognized them immediately.
They had been at Adrian’s table.
She stopped in the doorway.
“Nope.”
Daniel blinked.
“What?”
“I don’t know what this is, but nope.”
Mr. Bellamy stood quickly.
“Miss Marcel.”
“If I’m fired, can we make it quick?”
“You’re not fired.”
“Then why are there security guards?”
“They are not security guards.”
One of the men looked offended.
Livia raised an eyebrow.
“That makes me feel much better.”
A voice came from behind her.
“They work for me.”
Livia turned.
Adrian stood in the hallway.
For someone who seemed to command entire rooms by entering them, he moved remarkably quietly.
He wore black again.
Not charcoal.
Black.
Orion stood beside him.
The hound immediately walked past Adrian and straight toward Livia.
Daniel stepped backward.
Mr. Bellamy went pale.
Orion stopped in front of her and sat.
Livia stared down.
“You again.”
His tail moved once against the floor.
Livia looked at Adrian.
“Am I in trouble?”
“No.”
“Then why am I upstairs surrounded by men who look like they know six different ways to hide a body?”
One of the guards coughed to disguise a laugh.
Adrian’s mouth twitched.
“I need to ask you something.”
“Couldn’t you have asked me downstairs?”
“I prefer privacy.”
“That sentence is not helping.”
Adrian entered the office.
Orion remained beside Livia.
She noticed Adrian looking at her necklace.
Her hand instinctively rose to the pendant.
His eyes followed the movement.
“Where did you get that?”
Livia frowned.
“My necklace?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I have seen the symbol before.”
“So?”
“So I would like to know where you got it.”
Livia crossed her arms.
“It belonged to my grandmother.”
“What was her name?”
She stared at him.
“I thought this was about your dog.”
“It may be.”
“That makes absolutely no sense.”
“I know.”
For the first time, Adrian sounded genuinely frustrated.
Not angry.
Frustrated because he did not understand something.
Livia glanced at Orion.
The hound watched her with quiet attention.
“My grandmother’s name was Elena.”
Adrian became still.
“Elena what?”
“Marcel.”
“Before marriage?”
Livia hesitated.
“I don’t know.”
“You never asked?”
“She died before I was born.”
Adrian looked toward one of his men.
The man immediately stepped out.
Livia noticed.
“That was creepy.”
“I need information.”
“You always get it this way?”
“Yes.”
“At least you’re honest.”
Adrian moved closer.
“May I see the pendant?”
“No.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
Apparently, people rarely told Adrian Voss no.
Livia almost enjoyed it.
“It’s the only thing I have from my grandmother,” she said. “I’m not handing it to a stranger because his dog likes me.”
Orion made a soft sound.
Livia looked down.
“Sorry. You’re lovely.”
Then back at Adrian.
“He is still strange.”
Adrian surprised her.
He laughed.
It lasted less than a second.
But it was real.
Mr. Bellamy looked as shocked as everyone had the night before.
Livia noticed.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Adrian said.
“No. Everyone keeps doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Acting like you’re not supposed to behave like a normal human being.”
Silence.
The guards looked carefully away.
Adrian’s amusement disappeared.
“Perhaps they know me better than you do.”
“Probably.”
Livia turned toward the door.
“Can I work now?”
Adrian did not stop her.
“Miss Marcel.”
She looked back.
“If anyone asks about that pendant, do not give it to them.”
Her irritation faded.
“Why?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“That is not reassuring.”
“It was not intended to be.”
Livia studied him.
For the first time, she noticed something beneath his calmness.
Concern.
Real concern.
“For me?”
Adrian looked at Orion.
“For everyone.”
That night, the restaurant was quieter.
Adrian did not stay.
Orion left with him.
By ten, Livia almost convinced herself the entire encounter had been absurd and meaningless.
Then a woman arrived.
She was perhaps sixty.
Elegant.
Silver hair.
Dark green coat.
She requested a table for one.
Livia served her tea.
The woman barely looked at the menu.
Instead, she stared at Livia’s necklace.
“Pretty pendant.”
Livia’s fingers tightened around the tray.
“Thank you.”
“Family heirloom?”
Livia remembered Adrian’s warning.
“Gift shop.”
The woman smiled.
“Really?”
“Boston airport.”
“How ordinary.”
Livia smiled politely.
“I’ll give you a few minutes with the menu.”
The woman caught her wrist.
Not hard.
But firmly enough that Livia stopped.
Her eyes were no longer warm.
“You have no idea what you’re wearing.”
Livia pulled free.
“I think you should leave.”
The woman’s smile vanished.
“You should ask your mother what happened in Prague in 1998.”
Livia froze.
Before she could speak, the woman stood.
She walked out.
Daniel approached.
“Everything okay?”
“No.”
“What happened?”
Livia hurried toward the entrance.
The woman was already gone.
“Did you see where she went?”
“Who?”
“The silver-haired woman.”
Daniel looked confused.
“What silver-haired woman?”
Livia stared.
“Table Fourteen.”
Daniel glanced over.
“That table has been empty for an hour.”
Cold ran through Livia’s body.
“That’s not funny.”
“I’m not joking.”
Livia looked toward the host stand.
“Ask Rachel.”
Rachel checked the reservation system.
No guest.
No order.
No tea.
Livia walked slowly back toward Table Fourteen.
The teacup was there.
Still warm.
Her phone was already in her hand.
She called her mother.
No answer.
Again.
No answer.
Again.
Voicemail.
Livia grabbed her coat.
“Daniel, I have to go.”
“What happened?”
“My mom isn’t answering.”
“You can’t just—”
“I know. Fire me tomorrow.”
She ran.
The bus would take forty minutes.
She ordered a rideshare.
Twenty-three minutes later, she reached the small house she shared with her mother.
The front door was open.
Livia stopped on the sidewalk.
Her stomach dropped.
“Mom?”
No answer.
She entered carefully.
The living room lamp was on.
One chair was overturned.
A drawer stood open.
“Mom?”
She ran upstairs.
Bedroom empty.
Bathroom empty.
Kitchen empty.
Then she saw blood.
A single small smear on the edge of the counter.
Her breathing stopped.
She grabbed her phone.
Before she could dial emergency services, the back door opened.
Livia spun around.
Her mother stepped inside.
Alive.
Holding a grocery bag.
She stared at Livia.
“What happened?”
Livia nearly collapsed.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“I thought—”
Livia hugged her.
Her mother dropped the bag.
“Livia?”
“You weren’t answering!”
“My phone died.”
Livia pulled back.
“Why is the front door open?”
Her mother looked past her.
“What?”
“And the chair?”
Confusion shifted to fear.
They moved through the kitchen.
Her mother touched the blood smear.
“That’s mine. I cut my finger this morning.”
Livia exhaled shakily.
Then remembered.
“Mom.”
Her mother looked up.
“What happened in Prague in 1998?”
The grocery bag fell completely from her hand.
An orange rolled across the floor.
Livia’s blood went cold.
“You know.”
Her mother’s face lost all color.
“Who told you that?”
“A woman.”
“What woman?”
“Silver hair. Green coat.”
Celeste grabbed Livia’s shoulders.
“Did she touch you?”
“My wrist.”
“Show me.”
“What?”
“Show me!”
Livia held out her hand.
Celeste turned it over.
There, near the pulse point, was a faint black mark.
Three thin lines crossing a circle.
The same symbol as the necklace.
Celeste whispered, “No.”
“What is it?”
Her mother stepped away.
“No.”
“Mom.”
“We have to leave.”
“Leave where?”
“Now.”
“Why?”
Celeste rushed toward a cabinet.
She pulled out a metal box Livia had never seen before.
Inside were passports.
Cash.
Two old photographs.
And a pistol.
Livia stared.
“Mom.”
Her mother looked at her.
“Call Adrian Voss.”
Livia felt the room tilt.
“You know him?”
Celeste closed her eyes.
“I prayed I would never have to.”
A knock struck the front door.
Three slow blows.
Celeste froze.
Livia did too.
Then came a voice from outside.
Female.
Calm.
Familiar.
The silver-haired woman.
“Celeste.”
Livia’s mother whispered one sentence.
May you like
And suddenly everything Livia thought she knew about her family shattered.
“She found us.”
