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“I met him earlier, with Brent. We went to his home.”

“Let me make a quick phone call, and we'll go there now.”

They got into Luke's car and he drove them away from the Palace of Fine Arts.

A short time later they arrived at Salvador's home, unannounced. The sight of the house impressed Jessie for the second time. The sunset set a copper glare on the place and deepened the green of the grass. She wasn't sure about this, but she let Luke lead the way to the front door. He seemed confident about knocking on Salvador's door without an invitation.

The door opened before Luke knocked. Salvador stood there in his black suit and tie. “Mr. Harrison,” Salvador said wearing a grin and giving a hearty handshake.

Salvador turned to Jessie. The smile on his face switched to a frown. He said something harsh and fast in what she presumed to be in Spanish. “Miss Cahill, your face. What happened? Who did this to you?”

She assumed he knew what happened at Whitaker's, since he owned the place, but he seemed genuinely surprised, so she didn't say anything. “I'd rather not go into the details,” she said. “I'll be okay.”

“I was so worried about you after the last time we met. You ran out of my home. I hated to think I offended you. Please come inside.”

The coldness she felt from her other visit crept through her again. The white on white made her think of clinical cleanliness.

“Take a seat, might I get you something to drink? Champagne or bottled water perhaps.”

“Nothing for me,” Jessie said, realizing he'd been looking at her.

“I'll have a scotch,” Luke said.

Salvador's smile faded to a straight line. “My deepest sympathies on the loss of your wife.”

Luke said nothing. The forced acknowledgement of Melanie shut him down. He might as well have the sign
Fresh Pain
flashing on his forehead.

“Where is Brent?” Salvador said, pouring the amber liquid into two glasses.

“He's busy,” Luke said.

“I apologize for not being of more use to him earlier. Or you, Jessie.”

She kept the response simple. She didn't want to invite any questions about Jefferies or his crew.

Salvador brought around the drinks and handed one to Luke. “I assume Miss Cahill told you about the Elizabeth diamond.”

“She did,” he said, “on the way over here.”

Salvador took a seat across from Luke. “What can I do for you? Elizabeth tells me you have an urgent request.”

Jessie caught Luke's eye. “Elizabeth?”

“Elizabeth Downey is Salvador's sister-in-law,” Luke said.

“The lawyer?”

Luke sipped his drink and answered, “Yes.”

“Elizabeth is helping Luke expand Trace Elements. She called on behalf of Luke and said you'd be coming over.”

“We're not here to discuss my business.” Luke leaned back on the couch and shot straight. “Sal, you know what's happened to the Abbott Tiara.”

Salvador mumbled something and said, “What a waste. Brent told me this morning about Victoria and what she did to the tiara. I still can't get over it.”

“The green diamond for the tiara will never be found,” Jessie said. “It's gone forever.”

“That diamond was one-of-a-kind.”

“Not anymore.” Jessie held her ground. She wouldn't run from him this time. “We're here to find a replacement.”

“Impossible. Not even I can help find a diamond with the exact shape and size for the tiara.”

“The diamond isn't for the tiara. I don't want to try and put that back together. I need something bigger and better.”

“Ah, I see,” he said, and understanding dawned on his face.

“Yes,” Jessie answered.

“Why would I help you?”

“The request is not for me. Our visit today is for Brent. You can help him get back his son.”

Luke's finger rubbed over the glass. “Jessie told me Brent came here earlier and told you about Victoria and his child.”

“Jefferies has Brent's son,” Jessie said, taking over for Luke. “He's holding him in exchange for the tiara. Except there'll be no tiara.”

Salvador stood up and he began to pace in front of them. “You've come to buy a bigger diamond, in order to buy back Brent's son.”

“Pretty much,” Jessie said.

Salvador leaned forward. “You've come a long way for nothing.”

Luke tossed the rest of his drink back. “You must have something.”

“I have no other diamonds comparable in size or value. I sold my latest collection at the auction. I respect you coming to ask me, however, I don't have anything for you. I sold the Marmalade diamond to Brent. Try that one.”

“If Jefferies wanted the Marmalade diamond, Brent would have made the deal already. There has to be a diamond we can use.”

“I am sorry to disappoint you.”

“We'll go,” Luke said, finishing his drink and getting to his feet.

“That's it? You're leaving?” Jessie protested.

“You heard Mr. Alvarez, he's not able to help.”

“I think he's lying.”

“Jessie.” Luke said her name like a warning.

Jessie ignored his tone. Salvador had jerked her around and she wouldn't accept it. “What about the note Melanie left you? Earlier I came to you for help, to see the Elizabeth diamond. You told me my sister had left you something in writing.”

“I do apologize Miss Cahill, you are right. I did lie to you. I was anxious to have you tell me about the Abbott Tiara and to hear more about Jefferies. I am sorry.”

They left empty-handed. No diamonds, gemstones, or invaluable pieces to assist them. Defeat hung in each one of Jessie's steps. She made her way from Salvador's house. The wind nipped at the bruises and cuts on Jessie's face. She bowed her head to offset the sensitive impact. She'd come as far as she could go.

A pink-orange tint brushed the sky. A dull, flattened color compared to the one they'd arrived to before, like even the sky gave up on the situation. Luke moved alongside her with the same sad silence. They said no words. Nor did they make eye contact. Each of them knew the inherent truth. They had come to the end of the road.

The last thing Jessie wanted was free time, and yet, it seemed to be all she had. She read the flood of emails from her inbox. She called her mother and got her voicemail. Jessie put her phone on the nightstand and lay back on the bed. There was nothing for her to do except wait. Wait and try to fight off the emptiness in her soul.

With every blink her eyes hurt. They watered and stung. Her entire face felt puffy and raw. She closed her eyes and tried to ignore the pain.

She ended up passing out.

Sometime later, a knock on the door startled her. She awoke to a dark room lit only by the lights of city buildings outside her window.

With a groggy head and a heavy hand, she got off the bed slowly. She made her way to the pounding sound of someone impatient for her to answer. She turned on a light and then grasped the latch to open the door.

She stood confused by the man standing in her doorway, dressed in a tuxedo.

“Good evening, Miss Cahill,” Salvador Alvarez said. His eyes honed in on her face. “You've been crying.”

“Sleeping,” she clarified.

“May I come inside?”

“Sure,” she said, shrugging. She closed the door behind him. “You didn't have to get dressed up to see me.”

“I'm on my way to a gala.”

“Did you get lost?”

Salvador chuckled. “You still don't see that I am here to see you.”

“How did you find me?”

“Does it really matter?”

“No, I guess not.”

“The truth is, I couldn't stop thinking about your visits to my house.”

Jessie listened to him while she quickly gauged the state of the room. At least none of her underwear showed up in plain sight. But it did smell a bit funky, like takeout.

Salvador gestured to the two chairs. “I'll have a sit. Please, join me.”

Without trying he made her comfortable. He moved with such ease and grace, like someone royal. He made her feel like she'd come to his personal room.

“You did the right thing to come and see me,” he said.

She sat down and said, “I think all I did was waste your time and mine.”

He held up his hand. “It showed guts.”

“Or desperation, depending on your point of view.”

He smiled sheepishly. “I wasn't entirely honest with you.”

Jessie's eyebrow arched. “No?”

“You didn't give me a chance to talk to you alone, which is why I am here. I wanted you to see this without Brent or Luke. You deserved to know that your sister did in fact leave me a note, as I had told you.”

Jessie watched him take something out of his jacket pocket—a folded piece of white paper. He handed it to her. She unfolded the note and read silently:

If my sister comes to you, help her—Melanie

She looked up fast. The handwriting matched her sister's. “How did you get this?”

“It arrived in the mail the day after the attack.”

“You didn't go to the police?”

“Let's not pick away precious time with irrelevant questions.”

“How did my sister even know you?”

“We attended the same functions, usually auctions. I spoke to her on many occasions and I respected her.”

She let the words wrap around her heart. She held the note and wished for her sister to come back to her and explain in person.

“There's something more important I must tell you. I was most interested in the story surrounding Brent and Victoria's child. Any grandchild of Jefferies Abbott is of immense interest to me.”

“Why?”

“Do you know what I hate more than anything in this world?”

“What?”

“A man I can't trust. It makes me wonder what else he lies about. Gemstones? Diamonds? I spend an effusive amount of money in investments in his diamond mines in South Africa.”

The control of his voice waned, much like earlier when Jessie had felt his mood change. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. “I didn't know the two of you were involved as business acquaintances.”

“We have been for some time. I also was very close to his daughter, Victoria. Not long ago, she and I used to be engaged.”

Jessie's eyes widened. “I had no idea.”

“I loved her.”

“I'm sorry.”

“She left me for Brent Harrison.”

Oh no.

“You didn't know.”

“No.”

“Victoria was the most beautiful, confusing, and complicated woman I have ever met. I won't pretend to have understood her completely. I heard about her death through Jefferies. I only recently found out about Gabriel—when you showed up on my doorstep and confirmed what I had feared. I'd only heard rumors that Victoria had a son. It is why it is in both our interests to be in this room together. I am certain Gabriel is my child.”

Jessie bit the inside of her mouth. “How can you be certain?”

“The timing makes sense. She was most likely pregnant when she started seeing Brent for the last time. Victoria and I had a falling out. She left for good and I knew she wouldn't come back to me. Imagine my surprise to find out she's still in town and seeing her ex-boyfriend or her lover, whatever she and Brent really were I don't know. I found out she was expecting, but I kept my distance. I have my suspicions though. In order to get the proof I need to verify that Gabriel is my son, I need to get a DNA test.”

“Why should I trust you? I don't know you. You might be lying.”

“Why would I do that?” He nodded at the note in her hand. “I could have kept that to myself. I could have chosen to ignore you; you would never know she reached out to me.”

The honesty in his voice gave her pause. “Even if that is the case, I don't see how I can help. You've come to the wrong person.”

“I have to get to Gabriel and prove he's my son.”

“Jefferies could be anywhere. The same goes for Gabriel.”

“No one stays hidden forever. Not even Jefferies.”

“So how will you find him?”

“I'm told through a mutual acquaintance that Daniel Scott is in police custody.”

“Is he really Jefferies' son?”

“Yes, but Victoria never knew she had a brother. She had her doubts about her father's fidelity and the last time we were together, she talked about looking for any siblings she might have. Jefferies loved his wife, but he was known for his ability to charm women. Daniel is the product of one of his mistresses, I'm certain. Jefferies acquired full custody of Daniel secretly, before he could even crawl. He hired someone to raise him, and at the right time, gave him a job at D & F and kept him close. Daniel was loyal to his father and the company, unlike Victoria. I paid someone to find all of this out for me.”

“Why?”

“Victoria wanted to look to see if she had a brother or a sister. I wanted to know what she would find before she ever started that search. I didn't want her to get hurt by the answers she might find.”

Jessie touched her face and winced. “You won't have to worry about Daniel anymore. I saw the police take him away with my own eyes.”

“Did Daniel do that to your face?”

“Daniel and Andrew.”

Salvador's eyes flickered with cold darkness. He leaned forward. “I don't like men who hurt women. I have no use for them. I hold no respect for such actions. They make me want to beat them lifeless.”

“Brent took care of that part.”

“Yes, he did. I would expect nothing less. Brent protects what is his.”

Her heart fluttered.

“I apologize for the secrecy around my actions. Since I own Whitaker's, I knew everything that had gone on there today. I wasn't expecting another visit from you, and therefore, I pretended not to know. I'm sorry for what happened to you on my property.”