Chapter 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 something 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 moment 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 times 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 someone might walk in at any time; 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 some 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 meetings 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 mention it, I'll make sure to follow up. Should I send someone to check on him?"

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

"No, not yet. Let me look into this myself," he finally said, his voice low but firm. "Thank you for letting me 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 me at this hour or ever." He seemed 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 moment, as if he had realized something. "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 meetings 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. "Something 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, someone'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 moment, then sighed. "I was going to bring it up. "He is been strange lately."

Gabriel frowned. "What do you mean?" He didn't like what he heard. Callahan's absence could be justified by an unplanned rut. Or some sick days, but if George was strage too, then something 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 apartment, he ignored me. 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 me 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 me 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 something serious. "Did you tell Damian?"

"I did," Maximilian admitted. "He is aware of it; he has dispatched one of his men 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 men in the empire."

"We need to figure out what's going on. If both Callahan and George are behaving strangely, something 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.