Bound by the Mark of Lies (BL) Chapter 52 - 47: Uncomfortable (3)

The third ring echoed throughout the quiet room, but no one answered. Gabriel's fingers tightened around the phone as his frustration grew. It was unusual for Callahan to be this unreachable. Had sothing gone wrong? Or was it intentional?

Gabriel glanced out the window. Callahan was usually in his office at this hour. He placed the phone down and ran a hand through his wet hair, his mind swirling with thoughts of the many loose ends he had yet to tie.

"Where are you, Callahan?" he murmured under his breath, his voice barely audible against the silence of the room.

Gabriel took his phone and searched for Anabelle's number and hesitated; this was her personal number. Gabriel quickly selected the number for her position as a manager assistant, putting his thoughts aside for a mont as the phone began to ring. The steady sound echoed in his hand as he braced himself for whatever she would say.

It rang three tis before Anabelle picked up. Her tone was professional, but still warm, as if she had anticipated his call.

"Gabriel, how can I assist you today?" The sense of familiarity from her tone made him feel relieved. At least she was fine.

Gabriel sat on his desk chair and leaned back, looking at the door as if soone might walk in at any ti; he was expecting a server to deliver his dinner. "I'm looking for Callahan. Have you heard from him lately?"

There was a small pause on the other end. Anabelle's tone shifted slightly, becoming more reserved. "I haven't heard from him, no. But I will check his schedule for you. He has been erratic lately and has not responded to so of the updates I have sent him."

Gabriel's pulse quickened, the pieces of his unease starting to fit into a troubling puzzle. "Erratic? In what way?"

"Well," Anabelle said softly, "he is been avoiding etings and has not been in his office as often. I'd say it's not his usual behavior. I thought it might be personal matters, but now that you ntion it, I'll make sure to follow up. Should I send soone to check on him?"

Gabriel hesitated. Sending soone after missing days from the office was the right thing to do, but first he wanted to check with Maximilian.

"No, not yet. Let look into this myself," he finally said, his voice low but firm. "Thank you for letting know."

"Of course, Gabriel. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to reach out," she responded, though he could hear the undercurrent of concern in her words.

Gabriel ended the call, setting the phone down with a quiet sigh. Callahan's silence was no longer an inconvenience; it was a problem that he could not ignore.

He grumbled and dialed Maximilian's number.

The phone rang twice before Maximilian answered, his voice filled with curiosity. "Gabriel? You don't usually call at this hour or ever." He seed to be in a great mood.

Gabriel ignored the last remark, his focus elsewhere. "I'm looking for Callahan. Have you spoken to him recently?"

Maximilian paused for a mont, as if he had realized sothing. "Callahan? No, not in the last few days. Why?"

"He's not answering his phone. Gabriel explained, his voice sharp with frustration, that Anabelle claims he has been acting strangely, avoiding etings and ignoring updates."

Maximilian let out a thoughtful hum. "Odd. That doesn't sound like him. He wouldn't change his schedule without good reason."

"I thought about that," Gabriel muttered. "Sothing isn't right. I am not receiving anything from work, as if my contact was delisted."

Maximilian sighed. "That is impossible. Uncle George has the Blue Ether Project accepted. He would need you at least in the bidding phase. What is happening?"

"I don't know yet. But I need to find out before making any assumptions." Gabriel leaned back in his chair, running a hand over his face. "I don't want to send anyone after him unless absolutely necessary. But if he's in trouble—"

"I get it," Maximilian cut in. "I'll ask around. If he's hiding or missing, soone's bound to notice."

Gabriel exhaled slowly but didn't respond right away. His thoughts were still unsettling. "What about George?" he asked after a beat.

Maximilian was silent for a mont, then sighed. "I was going to bring it up. "He is been strange lately."

Gabriel frowned. "What do you an?" He didn't like what he heard. Callahan's absence could be justified by an unplanned rut. Or so sick days, but if George was strage too, then sothing was happening.

"His actions don't match him," Maximilian admitted. "He's calculated, always thinking ten steps ahead, but lately, he's been... unpredictable. After we spent the night in your apartnt, he ignored . He didn't care about us at all."

Gabriel stood up straighter, his unease deepening. "Did you talk to him?"

"I tried," Maximilian said, frustration slipping into his voice. "He brushed off. Said everything was fine, but I don't buy it. He barely answers my calls; before there wasn't a day he would ask to return to Claymore Estate. Now he doesn't care what I do."

Gabriel rubbed his temple. If George was acting strangely, it was not a minor issue; it was sothing serious. "Did you tell Damian?"

"I did," Maximilian admitted. "He is aware of it; he has dispatched one of his n to keep an eye on George, but I doubt he will act just yet."

Gabriel let out a quiet sigh. That sounded exactly like Damian. The emperor didn't make moves based on speculation.

"I'm worried about him," Maximilian continued. "He's my uncle, but he's also one of the most powerful n in the empire."

"We need to figure out what's going on. If both Callahan and George are behaving strangely, sothing is wrong. "Neither of them is the type to cause trouble." Said Gabriel while playing with a green fountain pen.

"I don't like it," Maximilian admitted. "And I don't think you will either."

Gabriel tightened his grip on the phone. He already didn't.