Chapter 156

I took my phone downstairs to find Briar. She was watching TV with Brett. I handed her the phone and said, "Briar, it's your dad."

Briar's face lit up as she eagerly took the phone. "Dad, why'd it take you so long to call? I missed you so much!"

She moved to a corner to talk privately. I watched her reaction closely. Since the call wasn't on speaker, Leo might say something about Renee that I wouldn't hear.

Unable to eavesdrop, I grew anxious. Suddenly, Briar glanced at me cautiously and said, "No."

I realized Leo might be about to share a secret. I looked at Brett and whispered for him to sit next to Briar and listen in, then tell me what Leo said.

Brett's eyes widened in confusion. I whispered, "Just listen and tell me later. I'll explain everything then."

"This is a secret mission. You have to keep it confidential, okay?"

Brett's eyes sparkled with excitement. He nodded and scooted over to Briar. Briar glanced at him but didn't say anything.

Whatever Leo said next made Briar look dejected. She mumbled, "Got it," and her mood didn't improve for the rest of the call.

When she handed the phone back to me, the call had already ended. I asked, "Why are you so upset? Do you want to talk about it?"

Briar shook her head, looking miserable. "Dad told me not to tell you."

I was taken aback. Clearly, there was a secret involved. Forcing a smile, I patted her head. "It's okay if you don't want to talk. Why don't you watch some TV? Dinner will be ready soon."

Briar nodded and sat on the couch. I quickly pulled Brett into another room. "Did you hear anything? What did her dad say?"

Brett looked puzzled. "It was a woman, not her dad. She asked a lot of questions about you, like if you were treating Briar well or if you ever hit her. I don't know who she was."

"A woman?" I immediately thought of Renee. Was she planning to take Briar?

If Renee was back, did that mean Earl was back too? Or was there another reason? And why did Leo lie to me about Renee not being home?

Was Leo helping Renee hide something? Did Renee know we were investigating her and Earl's disappearance?

I was baffled. I patted Brett's head and told him to go play with Briar.

Then I called Simon. He answered quickly, sounding tired. "Caroline? What's up?"

"I think Renee is back."

I explained what happened. Simon's tone turned serious. "That's odd. We've had people watching Leo's house, but he has such a routine life that we pulled them off. Now you say Renee's back? Could someone on our team be tipping her off?"

I nodded. "It's possible. Otherwise, the timing wouldn't be so perfect. According to Brett, Renee was definitely at home talking to Briar. Briar always looks upset when she talks to Renee. She seems scared of her."

"And I suspect Earl might be back too. His disappearance is connected to Renee. If she's back, he might be too."

Simon agreed. "I'll send someone to watch their house, but I'll choose people I trust. We can't risk being discovered again."

After hanging up, I took a deep breath. My mind was a mess, and my good mood was gone.

Just then, Savannah walked in with a video. "Ms. Sharp, I had someone follow Brandon after he arrived. We found something interesting."

"What did you find?"

She showed me the video. Brandon's car was parked outside a hotel, and he was walking in hand-in-hand with a woman. I recognized her as Maeve, someone we knew from before.

I frowned. "Why are they together again? And why did Brandon go straight to her after landing?"

"We're not sure yet. We're still following him. But instead of visiting his critically ill mother, he went to a hotel with this woman. It's despicable."

I chuckled. "Are you still surprised? I've gotten used to Brandon's behavior."

"The worse he acts, the better it is for us, right?"

Savannah thought for a moment and nodded. "True. The more he messes up, the quicker we can take him down. But it's tough on you, having to put up with him."

I smiled. "This marriage is just a formality now. I can endure it."

"In my eyes, Brandon is already a useless man."

Savannah nodded. Just then, Kathy walked in. "What are you two doing in here? Playing cards again?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't you have anything better to do? All you do is play, sleep, and play cards."

"Actually, I'm here to say goodbye. I'm flying out tomorrow morning. The studio got a big order to make a custom dress for a wealthy family's daughter. I wanted to enjoy my break, but the price was too tempting to pass up."