Chapter 9
The moment the thought crossed Enzo’s mind, he immediately dismissed it. He thought it was impossible, believing that Alyssa was obsessed with him–borderline crazy about
him.
The idea of her not loving him anymore? That would be harder for her than dying.
With that in mind, Enzo was sure Alyssa was definitely playing hard to get. A cold glint flashed through his eyes. No matter what tricks she pulled, it would not change anything- he would never love her.
The only woman he would ever love was Nadine.
Forcing his thoughts back to the present, he turned to Nadine and spoke each word with deliberate certainty. “Nadine Quill, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I vow to marry you and never leave your side. You will be my wife in this life and every life after.”
His declaration left Nadine teary–eyed, and she responded with heartfelt emotion, sealing their vows with a passionate kiss.
The wedding proceeded smoothly, without a hitch. Everything Enzo had feared never came to pass.
No one barged in to disrupt the ceremony, and Nadine felt perfectly fine throughout. His friends even praised him for looking more focused and serious today than ever before. But only Enzo knew the truth: his mind had never been fully present in this wedding. No matter how hard he tried, an image of Alyssa kept creeping into his thoughts, messing with his focus.
When Nadine retired to their room to rest, Enzo took the opportunity to retrieve his phone from Andrew. The moment he saw the bright red exclamation mark next to his message, his entire body tensed.
In all these years, no matter how many times Alyssa had fought with him, she had never blocked him. He grumbled, “So, she’s really playing hard to get now, huh?”
Enzo rubbed his temple, exhaling sharply before dialing her number. He already had his words prepared. “Alyssa, you—”
However, he was immediately greeted by an automated answer. “Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service. Please try again later.”
Enzo slammed his phone onto the table. He silently cursed, “This is just great! Alyssa, you’ve got some nerve!”
While he could not believe that Alyssa had actually dared to block him, he decided to let her be. She could play her little game all she wanted–when the time came, he would pick her up, and she would come crawling back, just like always.
After all, she loved him too much to truly leave, even if he was married.
With that thought, Enzo’s irritation eased slightly. Still, Philip had entrusted her to him, and if something really happened to her, he would not be able to justify it. Taking a deep breath, he called someone else and ordered, “Find out which city Alyssa flew to. Once you track her down, send some people to keep an eye on her.”
Later that night, after making sure Nadine was fast asleep, Enzo quietly slipped out of bed when he heard a knock on the door. However, just as he shut the bedroom door behind him, Nadine’s eyes fluttered open.
Inside the study, Enzo’s expression was grim as he demanded, “Say that again–where did she go?”
Calvin Baker, his assistant, swallowed hard. “We checked all departure records in Jarvedale but couldn’t find any trace of Ms. Camden. Also… All of her domestic documents have been officially canceled.”
He added, “We suspect Ms. Camden left the country, but as of now, we have no way of knowing where she went. “Mr. Slater, should we inform Mr. Camden? After all, she is his daughter…”
Enzo’s entire body stiffened, shocked speechless. He had thought Alyssa’s rebellion only went as far as blocking his number. But now, she had gone so far as to leave the country without telling him; she actually had the guts to disappear.
“Alyssa…” Enzo hissed.
Seeing him remain silent, Calvin cautiously called out again, “Mr. Slater…”
Enzo took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress the fury surging inside him. He said, “Not yet. Keep looking.”
He refused to believe that Alyssa, who had once loved him so desperately, would not come back.
