I Refuse to Be Your Second Choice novel Chapter 337

Eugene Ramirez called Natalie Watson to let her know that none of the top hospitals in Cabinda had any records of Nicholas’s child being admitted.

“Maybe they didn’t come back to Cabinda. What if they went to another city?” Natalie wondered.

“That could be,” Eugene agreed.

Kaston was a huge region, packed with cities and first-rate hospitals. Or maybe Nicholas hadn’t even gone to a major hospital, just picked a regular local clinic. If that was the case, finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.

“Don’t stress about it. Leave it to me,” Eugene said, trying to reassure her. “I still have the Ramirez name, and when the Ramirez family wants to find someone, it usually gets done.”

The Ramirez Group carried some serious weight in Cabinda. Eugene’s connections could open just about any door.

“Mr. Ramirez, sorry for putting you through this,” Natalie said, sounding a little guilty.

Eugene laughed. “Hey, it’s not charity. You pay Veritas Legal a small fortune every year. I have to make myself worth it, right?”

His teasing made Natalie smile, easing some of her anxiety.

Around noon, Mike asked Natalie out to lunch, wanting to return the favor from when she’d treated him last time.

“So about the fake porcelain vase. Is Nicholas our only lead right now? Any other angles we can look into?” Mike asked, casually slicing his steak.

Natalie took a sip of her soup. “Not just Nicholas. There’s also the source of the replica. High-end fakes like that don’t just come from any backstreet workshop.”

Mike paused, thinking it over. “Yeah, that makes sense. Do you have any suspects in mind?”

“Those kinds of places don’t advertise, but I have some ways to dig. You just can’t do it on the surface. I’ve already asked around, and I’ve got a little something to go on.”

It was kind of like dealing with the black market. They had their hands in everything, and if you offered enough money, they’d sell you whatever information you wanted.

After lunch, as they left the restaurant, Mike turned to Natalie. “I’m not heading back to the office. I’ve got something I need to take care of.”

“Okay,” Natalie said, not thinking twice about it.

Once she was gone, Mike pulled out his phone.

“The usual place. Half an hour… and don’t forget to wear the lingerie I gave you…”

The sun was going down. Camila White stepped out of the bathroom, still a little unsteady on her feet. Mike was leaning against the wine cabinet in a robe, swirling a glass of red wine. He watched her with a satisfied look, then held out another glass for her.

Camila brushed his hand away, her face cold.

Mike just smiled. “This is how things have always been between us. What’s got you so mad now?”