Page 38 of Crystal Veil

“Always. Talk to me.”

Her voice is steady, grounding. Amelia has always been my anchor when the world tilts sideways. Even when we were kids and I'd show up at her house with scraped knees and tear-stained cheeks, she'd wrap me in her arms and make everything feel manageable again.

I close my eyes, letting her voice anchor me. “Something's off. That night at the gallery. The heist. Do you remember I told you how calm Celine was?”

“Celine? Bennato's girlfriend?”

“Yes, her. I keep thinking about her face when the alarms went off. People panicked and scattered. She didn't flinch. She actually smiled.”

The memory plays in my mind like a film reel stuck on repeat. While everyone else stumbled over each other, while security guards shouted orders and guests shrieked, Celine stood perfectly still. Her red lips curved upward in what I'd mistaken for amusement. But it wasn't amusement. It was satisfaction.

Amelia exhales sharply. “That's weird.”

“I thought it was arrogance,” I murmur, pacing the edge of the veranda. The stone is warm beneath my toes, heated from hours of Miami sun. “But what if it was more than that? What if she knew it was coming?”

Silence stretches between us. I can practically hear Amelia's mind working, connecting the dots I've been too afraid to connect myself. Then, “You think she was involved?”

“I think she orchestrated it.”

The words hover in the air like a confession. Once I've spoken them, I can't take them back. Can't pretend I haven't seen what I've seen.

It clicks now like a puzzle that's been quietly taunting me. That whole night was too calculated. The timing, the precision, the way certain people seemed to know exactly where to be and when. And Celine was the only one who didn't break a sweat.

“Elena, that's...” Amelia's voice trails off. “That's huge. Are you sure?”

“As sure as I can be without proof. But I'm going to find proof.”

“How?”

I lean against the stone railing, feeling the rough texture against my palms. “I'm going to dig. Into her past, her connections, her entire life. There has to be something.”

“Elena, be careful. If you're right about this, if she really is involved with Bennato's operations and not just his lover, then she's dangerous. More dangerous than you know.”

Amelia's voice carries a note of worry that makes my chest tighten. She's always been protective of me, sometimes to the point of being overbearing. But this time, her concern feels justified.

“I know. But I can't just ignore this. I can't pretend I didn't see what I saw.”

“What does Renat think?”

I pause, realizing I haven't told him yet. Haven't even fully processed what I'm thinking myself. “I haven't told him.”

“Elena,” Amelia hisses.

“I know, I know. I will. But first, I need to be sure. I need information.”

Amelia sighs, and I can picture her running her fingers through her blonde hair the way she always does when she's worried. “What can I do to help?”

“Nothing. This is my story to chase. But thank you for listening.”

“Always. Just... promise me you'll be careful. Promise me you won't go rushing into anything without backup.”

“I promise.”

Amelia's voice tightens. “What are you going to do?”

“I'm going to expose her. Expose all of them. It's long overdue.”

“Elena, wait?—”