Chapter
Calvin hesitated for a long moment before finally nodding and turning to leave–only to nearly collide with Nadine standing in the doorway. He quickly greeted her respectfully.”
Mrs. Slater.”
Hearing the address caught Enzo’s attention, and his expression shifted slightly. Then, he grabbed a blanket from the chair behind him and strode over to her.
“Why are you awake? Are you cold? Is the baby bothering you?” He asked as he draped the blanket over Nadine’s shoulders. After that, he gently took her hands in his, warming them with his own.
Nadine smiled softly, but her voice carried concern. “I couldn’t sleep without you, so I came to check on you. Then I overheard you talking to Calvin about Liss. Did she leave the country because of me?”
Her voice trembled slightly as she lowered her head, her eyes turning red with guilt. Enzo immediately pulled her into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
He comforted her, saying, “Of course not. She’s just a kid throwing a tantrum. You don’t need to worry about her.”
However, Nadine still looked uneasy as she clutched his shirt, gazing up at him with concern. “But she was entrusted to you by the Camden family. What if something happens to her?”
Enzo brushed a thumb across the corner of her eye, his voice growing colder. “Then so be it. Maybe it’ll teach her a lesson. At least it’ll stop her from running around causing trouble.”
Hearing how dismissive Enzo was about Alyssa, Nadine’s lips curled into a pleased smile. However, she quickly lowered her head to hide it. She leaned against his chest, her expression soft and vulnerable, but a cold glint flashed in her eyes.
She thought, “Alyssa, you’d better never come back!”
Even though Enzo claimed he did not care, he continued to have people searching for Alyssa. Yet, every time he asked for an update, the answer remained the same.
In the first week, there was no sign of her. Even after a month, there was still no sign of her. Sitting behind his desk, Enzo’s body tensed when Calvin carefully reported the same answer yet again.
After a long silence, he waved him off. “Keep looking.”
Once the door shut, Enzo leaned back in his chair, exhaustion creeping over him. He rubbed his temples, letting out a slow breath.
He had foolishly assumed Alyssa had left just to punish him for marrying Nadine, but it had been too long. If this were just a tantrum, she would have shown up by now.
For the first time, memories came rushing back of when Alyssa had told him, over and over again, that she did not love him anymore. Even the time she had told Marie that she wanted to stay far away from him, he had brushed it all off.
After all, Enzo believed Alyssa had loved him deeply, and there was no way she would ever actually move abroad to escape him. Hence, he treated it as just another one of her games. Suddenly, he realized something terrifying–she was telling the truth all along.
Enzo’s gaze flickered to the corner of his desk, where a framed wedding photo of him and Nadine sat. Once, that same spot had held a photo of him and Alyssa. However, he had thrown it in the trash the day she confessed her feelings to him.
Now, as he looked around his office, he found that every trace of Alyssa had been erased, just like she had vanished from his life. For the first time in a long while, he felt a hollow ache in his chest.
After pondering it over, Enzo reached for his phone and dialed Philip’s number. After all, he had been entrusted to watch over Alyssa. If something had truly happened to her, he had to take responsibility.
Before he could even say a word, an automated voice cut through the line. “Sorry, the number you are trying to reach is no longer in service.”
Enzo’s mind went completely blank, and an ominous feeling spread rapidly through his chest, tightening like a vice. His fingers clenched around his phone, unmoving.
He and Philip had always been close, despite their age difference. So, why had Philip blocked him?
He racked his brain, searching for an answer, but came up empty. Just then, Calvin hurried back into the room, carrying a large package.
He said, “Mr. Slater, this was just delivered. The sender said you have to open it yourself.”
Enzo froze, staring at the box for a long time before finally nodding. “Put it on the desk.”
The moment his fingers brushed against the twine securing the package, his heartbeat lurched. A strange, heavy feeling settled in his chest–like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, about to plummet into something he could not escape.
For the first time in years, he hesitated. But then, with a slow breath, he steeled himself and pulled the string loose.
The moment Enzo saw what was inside, his eyes widened in shock.
