Chapter 9
At the banquet, Ezra’s hand trembled uncontrollably as he held his phone. He had never imagined that one day, Gianna would hang up on him.
But when he tried calling again, he never heard her voice–only the cold, mechanical prompt telling him that the phone had been turned off.
What the hell was going on?
Gianna hadn’t said anything. The only thing he caught was a faint announcement in the background, something that sounded like an airport broadcast. But… How was that possible? Where could Gianna possibly go alone by plane?
“Ezra, what’s wrong?”
Maya noticed his unease and walked over with concern. He told her about Gianna’s phone being unreachable.
“Don’t worry, Ezra,” Maya reassured him. “I went to check on her before we left. She was still in her room. There’s no way she could’ve gone anywhere in such a short time.”
Seeing that he was still distracted, Maya gently took his hand, her eyes brimming with grievance. “Gianna must still be upset that I took her patent. It’s all my fault.
“Ezra, I’ll apologize when we get back. Even if I have to kneel and beg, I’ll make sure you two reconcile.”
Ezra frowned slightly. Normally, hearing Maya say something like this would have moved him deeply. But now, something about it felt… off.
He had watched the surveillance footage and seen for himself that Gianna never pushed Maya–yet Maya had acted as if she had been beaten, leading even him to believe it and say things he now deeply regretted.
Afterward, when he confronted her about it, Maya had simply given him a pitiful look and murmured that she wasn’t sure whether she had lost her balance or if Gianna had actually pushed her.
It was a vague and half–hearted response, as if she were trying to brush the whole thing under the rug. But considering that she had just been discharged from the hospital at the time and was physically weak, it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Ezra wanted to convince himself that it had all been just an accident. But every time the night fell silent, a chilling thought crept into his mind–what if Maya had deliberately framed Gianna?
This wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. Whenever he went to check on Gianna, Maya would harm herself just to divert his attention.
If this was all orchestrated by Maya, if she had been playing this game from the start… The thought alone sent a cold shiver down his spine.
Of course, he didn’t want to believe it. Maya depended on him so much, and with her depression, it was natural for her to panic and lose control when she couldn’t see him.
Still, as Maya held onto his hand, he found himself instinctively pulling away. He said while forcing a smile, “I can’t shake this uneasy feeling. You guys can continue. I need to go back and check if she’s home. I’m worried something might have happened to her.”
Hearing that Ezra was leaving, Gabriel stepped in to stop him. “Can’t you wait until the banquet is over? What could possibly happen to her sitting at home alone? I think she’s just making a scene to get your attention, trying to ruin Maya’s big night.”
Christopher nodded in agreement, his voice laced with disdain. “That wretched girl is fully capable of pulling a stunt like this. Ignore her.”
Ezra was in disbelief seeing how cold and indifferent Christopher and Gabriel were, showing not the slightest concern for Gianna’s well–being.
Suddenly, memories from the past rushed back to him. From the time they were children, Gianna had never been loved in this house. She had never received warmth from her remaining family members.
From beginning to end, her world had only ever revolved around him. And yet, he had gradually forgotten that. In his anger, he had even told her to drop dead.
“What the hell have I done?”
Ezra staggered back a few steps, overwhelmed with regret. Ignoring the Ramsey family’s attempts to stop him, he turned and sprinted out of the hotel.
