Yves gripped the divorce agreement so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He kept tracing Zoey’s clean, decisive signature, as if he couldn’t believe this was real.
The garage lights buzzed overhead as he abruptly spun around and grabbed his bodyguard by the collar. “What else did she say that day? Did she leave a message for me?”
“Mr. Pearce…” The bodyguard staggered under his grip. “Mrs. Pearce’s wrist was still bleeding when she handed me the gift. She only instructed me to give it to you.
“Also…” He pulled out a brown envelope from his coat. “This one’s for the Silvains.”
Yves snatched the envelope and tore it open. The yellowed letter inside contained Zoey’s neat handwriting.
“Mr. and Mrs. Silvain,
Please find enclosed the letter of disownment and bankbook. Looking back, I should never have been brought back in the first place. This letter marks the end of our relationship, and the bankbook is to repay you for raising me. From now on, I’m no longer part of the Silvain family.”
Yves’s hands trembled uncontrollably. He had a feeling Zoey was leaving for good.
“Send this to the Silvain residence,” he ordered.
“Understood, Mr. Pearce.‘
Half an hour after the bodyguard left, Bryant and Daphne called.
Yves took a deep breath before answering the phone.
“Yves!” Daphne’s voice was shrill with panic. “Has Zoey contacted you? She left a letter at home saying she’s cutting ties with us!”
Yves dug his nails into his palm. “How would I know?” he sneered. “You can’t even control your own daughter, so why are you asking me?”
“W–What’s with your attitude?” Her voice quivered. “If it weren’t for you and Wendy… Zoey wouldn’t have-”
“That’s enough! Do you think you were any better? You gave your family business to Wendy. What right do you have to lecture me?” Yves snapped before hanging up on her. Then, he slammed his phone down on the hood of the car.
Chapter 15
2/2
The dull thud echoed in his garage.
Just then, a gust of cold wind swept in and cut through the heavy air.
At that moment, Yves suddenly remembered how Zoey had always been so attentive and would always take care of the little things when she was around.
He sank into his seat and reached for his cigarette pack. However, it was empty, and this only exacerbated his frustration.
“Mr. Pearce, Mrs. Pearce was seriously injured that day.” Dale’s voice broke the silence. “She told me… there are some things that have to be done now, or she’d never get the chance to again.”
For the first time, Yves realized he might’ve pushed Zoey–the woman who’d used to quietly fasten his cufflinks and stay up all night making him oatmeal when his stomach ached–too far. This time around, she had closed the door on their relationship so completely that he couldn’t undo or fix things anymore.
Chapter 16
Chapter 16
1/2
Yves placed his phone face down on the passenger seat, his expression dark and unreadable.
Five minutes ago, he had just ended a call with his private investigator. The man said Zoey had last been spotted on airport surveillance footage, but after that, her trail had completely vanished. Due to the weather, most flights had been canceled, so it was impossible to determine where she had gone too.
Wendy called at 7:00 pm. Yves stared at her incoming call for a few seconds before answering
- it.
“Yves, what are you up to?” Her voice oozed with sweetness. “I discovered a–new restaurant. Let’s try it together!”
He turned the steering wheel and drove out of the underground garage. “Send me the address. I’ll come get you.”
In the rearview mirror, Yves noticed the heavy, dark circles under his eyes. Ever since Zoey had
disappeared, he hadn’t had a proper night’s sleep.
On the way to the restaurant, Wendy rambled on about her favorite dishes like she always did. However, unlike usual, Yves barely responded and simply let out a noncommittal hum here
and there.
Even after they pulled up to the restaurant, he was still constantly checking his phone, hoping
for an update from the investigator.
“Sir, this is our new dessert. It’s made with imported cream. Would you like to give it a try?” the waiter asked with a bright smile.
Yves nodded stiffly. “Sure.”
Wendy’s eyes lit up, and she absentmindedly traced the edge of the table with her fingers. She couldn’t help imagine that there’d be a surprise hidden inside the cake–like a ring.
However, when the cake arrived and she cut into it, her smile froze.
There was nothing inside.
“Yves, did you forget something?” she asked, displeased as she poked at the cream on the cake.
Yves was busy reading a message on his phone. “What did I forget?” he casually asked without looking up.
Wendy’s expression hardened in an instant, and she fell silent.
With that, dinner ended in awkward silence.
Chapter 16
2/2
On the way home, Wendy quietly sulked and stared out the window at the night view.
All of a sudden, Yves‘ phone vibrated violently in his pocket. Assuming it was the investigator with news about Zoey, he slammed on the brakes.
The tires screeched against the pavement, and a chorus of honking erupted from the cars behind them.
“Yves! Have you lost your mind?” Wendy’s face was ghastly white, and the seat belt had dug painfully into her chest.
However, Yves didn’t even comfort her. With shaking hands, he answered the phone and asked, “Have you found her? Where is she?”
An unfamiliar voice came through the line, “Hello, this is the fraud department at Norwind National Bank. We detected some unusual activity on your credit card…”
The veins on Yves‘ hand bulged as he tightened his grip on his phone.
Wendy stared at him in disbelief. “So, you nearly got us killed just so you could take a call from your bank?”
“I’m waiting on a very important call,” he icily said as he restarted the engine.
Tears welled up in Wendy’s eyes, but she bit her lip and simply fell silent.
The night wind slipped in through the half–open car window, sharp and chilly. Now, the atmosphere inside the car was heavier than ever.
Yves kept his eyes on the blurry traffic lights ahead. His mind, though, was consumed by a single thought–he had to find Zoey as soon as possible.
Chapter 17
