Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

We all turned to him, the air thick with anticipation for what would come.

He scanned our faces, pausing for a few beats. "It's also possible that Camilla has another identity!"

The moment Logan dropped this bombshell, my head started to throb. It seemed Logan's theory had ventured into the realms of soap opera twists.

Shaking my head, I muttered, "That seems unlikely."

Yet, even as I said it, I couldn't help feeling that my dismissal was too hasty. I had to admit I hardly knew Camilla.

But from the Camilla that I'd met and interacted with at the Dawson family, it didn't add up to Logan's theory. How could she have another identity? What kind of person would have prepared such a bizarre scenario?

Hannah interrupted with a smirk, "The Dawson family is indeed full of surprises. You think you know a person and bam, they pull a rabbit out of a hat!"

Soon after, my phone rang. It was Catherine. I answered on speaker and blurted out, "Did you find it?"

"You bet!" she quipped, then got down to brass tacks. "I asked around. These boat models are meticulously handcrafted stitch by stitch, leading to their slow production and limited supply, especially the ones from Silverdale's, which are the only ones stamped with the 'Silverdale' mark. Not only does it represent the city of Silverdale, but the owner's surname, too. Their logo's pretty meaningful, you know.

"But all things considered, the price is on the steep side. They come in three sizes, and even the smallest will cost several hundred bucks. I'll say it's a bit expensive. But for an enthusiast, they're a collector's dream.

"They're not available for export yet, sold exclusively on Oldtown Avenue. It's a special tie-in with the avenue's promotional campaign. Quite a few have been sold already, mostly to tourists. And the owner mentioned he's earmarking this particular model, the wherry, as a gift for overseas promotion."

Catherine covered all bases, and then, as if an afterthought, she asked, "Why? Do you like them? I can snag one for you if you want!"

"No, it's not that," I said, distracted.

"And..." Catherine hurried on as if afraid I'd hang up, "Guess who I just saw?"

My attention snapped back. "Who?"

"I just saw Mason on the street!" she said earnestly. "I recognized him instantly. I called out his name, 'Mason,' and he pretended not to know me."

I was startled. "You saw Mason on Oldtown Avenue?"

"Yeah!"

"Alone?"

"Just him, strolling along near the Wood Manor," she reported with precision. "He glanced at me and claimed I had the wrong guy. As if I could mistake him, right?"

I exchanged a glance with Ronan.

Ronan asked into the phone, "Are you sure you didn't mix him up with someone else?"

"No way. I'd recognize him even by his bones." Catherine was adamant. "He's gotten chubbier, but that's about it. When I shouted his name, he hesitated and nearly turned around!" "It seems he was heading to Oldtown Avenue," Logan mused to Ronan.

"Should I tail him if I see him again?" Catherine piped up at the sound of Logan's voice.

"Will you cool it? Haven't you learned your lesson? Leave the sleuthingto us. We've got plenty of people on it and don't need you playing the heroine," Logan said, his voice tinged with irritation.

"Alright, alright! I know. I've gotta go if there's nothing else," Catherine relented and then called out to me, "Allie, you need to get back here you soon. We need you here for many

OQ

With that, she ended the call.

I gave a shrug as I looked at Logan, musing about how Catherine still behaved like a wild horse, needing to be tamed by a firm hand, Logan's hand. It reminded me of the old adage, 'There's a lid for every pot.'

Hannah looked at me and said, "See? Camilla did head back to Silverdale City."

We were all stunned to learn this revelation, struggling to find a logical explanation for Camilla's actions.

Finally, Logan concluded, "Looks like we need to dig into Camilla's supposed second identity!"