Chapter 16
Shawn’s POV
Shawn didn’t waste a second after Marcus left. He pushed back his chair and grabbed his jacket.
The Redmonds were his one chance to fix at least one piece of his life before everything collapsed completely.
He jabbed the intercom to call his assistant. “Ethan! Get in here.”
His assistant hurried in, holding a tablet clutched to his chest. “Yes, Mr. Carter?”
“Book me a ticket to London today,” Shawn ordered. “Fastest flight you can find.”
Ethan blinked. “Today? Sir, it’s nearly nine p.m. The only available tickets left are for the last
“Do it,” Shawn cut in.
Ethan hesitated. “But it’s eco-
“I said do it!” Shawn barked.
Ethan flinched but tapped quickly on his tablet. “Understood. Should I pack a bag for you?” “No. Just get the ticket. And listen carefully.” Shawn said, picking his phone and shoving it into his pocket. “Double the search for Aurora. Contact every private investigator we’ve used before. I want hourly updates. And check every hospital within a hundred–mile radius in case she was admitted into any.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get to it immediately.” Ethan looked up slowly. “Should I come with you? At least to help with-”
“No.” Shawn’s voice was sharp. “You stay here and keep looking for her. That’s your
priority.”
Ethan nodded quickly. “Of course.
Then he paused. “Sir, there’s something else.” He shifted uneasily. “Tiffany is here. She says you haven’t been answering her calls.”
Shawn froze. He hadn’t even looked at his phone in hours because he was avoiding calls from people. His phone showed ten missed calls from Tiffany. He winced.
For a split second he opened his mouth to tell him to send her in, but he stopped himself. He didn’t have the time to deal with her tonight. He needed to get to the Redmonds as soon
as he could.
“Tell her I’m busy,” he said flatly. “Tell her… I don’t know, just make something up.”
Ethan’s brows twitched but he only said, “Understood.”
Shawn grabbed his keys and rushed out through the back door, the one the staff used when they wanted to avoid visitors. He didn’t want to see Tiffany tonight.
Especially as he was trying to get Aurora back.
Chapter 16.
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Especially as he was trying to get Aurora back.
Shawn climbed into his black sedan, slammed the door, and drove off.
He sped through the city, barely paying attention to the world around him. Horns blared when he drove past slower cars. He didn’t care.
Every minute mattered to him.
At the airport, he parked roughly, gave his keys to a valet without any word and rushed inside.
He passed through security, lost in thought. He gave the officials his ID, grabbed his boarding pass and rushed straight to the gate.
He reached the boarding counter and handed over his pass.
The woman at the desk scanned it, then she paused. Her eyebrows furrowed when she looked up at him.
“Mr. Shawn Carter?” she said in surprise. “Good evening, sir. I–I almost didn’t believe it was you.”
Shawn gave a sharp nod. “Evening.” He waited for her to finish, but she kept staring at the screen with surprise on her face, like she wanted to say something.
“What is it?” He snapped.
Her eyes darted back to him. “I’m sorry, sir. I just… wasn’t expecting you to be in economy.”
Shawn’s stomach tightened. “What are you talking about?”
She lowered her voice. “Your ticket is regular economy. That’s what’s in the system.”
“That’s not possible,” he said sharply. “Check again.”
“I did,” she said, tapping the screen a second time. “It’s correct. All other seats sold out hours ago. This is the only seat available tonight.”
Shawn leaned in slightly. “There has to be an upgrade option. First class, business, something else.”
The woman gave him an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid not, sir. The flight is completely full.”
For a moment, he just stared at her. This couldn’t be happening. He was Shawn Carter. He couldn’t fly economy.
“You’re sure?” He asked desperately.
“Absolutely, sir. If you want anything higher, the next flight is tomorrow afternoon.”
Shawn exhaled sharply in frustration. Tomorrow was too late for him. He needed to start fixing his life now.
Chapter 16
