From His Ex-Wife to the World's Most Sought-After Restorer (Jade and Hudson) novel Chapter 242

"I want a timeline!" the woman barked, her voice shrill.

Jade considered the situation and offered a reasonable window. "Three days, at the most."

"Fine!" the woman snapped.

"I'll give you three days because you actually seem to have some sense. But if I don't have a satisfactory answer by then, I have plenty of ways to make sure this studio never opens its doors again."

"I appreciate the opportunity to make this right," Jade replied. "I will get to the bottom of this immediately."

The woman flicked a business card onto the counter.

"That's my private number. Call me when you have something."

Jade picked up the card. "I will."

It read, "Riva Sterling — International Trade Manager's Wife."

Riva gave her one last sharp look before turning on her heel and marching out. Her exit was as arrogant as her entrance; she was clearly a woman used to getting her way.

In the office.

Jade sat at her desk while the young receptionist sobbed out her explanation.

"Ms. Merchant... I swear, when I took it out of the workshop, it was in the box. I didn't even open it. I don't... I don't know how it happened."

Jade rubbed her temples. "Go to the security room and get me a copy of yesterday's footage."

"Okay." The girl hurried off and returned minutes later with a thumb drive.

Jade plugged it into her laptop and began to scan the footage.

Everything looked normal, until...

There it was. Yesterday afternoon. The janitor who claimed she'd forgotten her wallet and came back into the workshop.

Jade had felt a flicker of suspicion then, seeing Mrs. Gable coming out of the room.

She'd checked the manuscripts at the time, and seeing they were all there, she'd brushed it off.

But looking at it now, something was definitely wrong.

Jade paused the footage. "Go find Mrs. Gable and bring her in here."

"Mrs. Gable called in this morning," the girl said quickly. "She said someone in her family is sick and she needs a few days off."

So convenient.

Jade knit her brows and immediately pulled up the employee records.

She found the janitor's number and dialed.

No answer.

She tried a second time, then a third. Same result.

If her suspicion had been a theory before, now she was certain. The missing page was linked to this Gable.

Jade noted the woman's address from the files and headed for the door.

It was an old apartment complex in the South Suburbs.

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