As they passed through an intersection, Wendy suddenly yanked off her seatbelt. “Yves! What’s wrong with you? You’ve been completely out of it all evening!”
Yves tightened his grip on the steering wheel. The Wendy in his memories had always been gentle and soft–spoken, but she seemed different at that moment.
He turned to meet her eyes. “Are you feeling alright, Wendy?” he asked, taken aback.
Wendy immediately realized she had lost her composure and hurriedly adjusted her expression. “I’m sorry… I got a little scared. I guess my nerves got the better of me.” She lowered her head, her long lashes casting shadows beneath her eyes. “Please don’t take it to heart.”
Yves stared at her profile. For a moment, she felt like someone he didn’t really know anymore.
Just then, a message from the investigator drew his attention back. He restarted the engine and said, “My bad. I’ll take you home first. You should get some rest.”
Wendy’s fingers dug into the hem of her dress until her knuckles turned white. After arriving in front of the Silvain residence, she forced a smile and said, “I’ll head up first. Drive safe, okay?”
As soon as she closed the car door, the smile vanished from her face, and the light in her eyes dimmed completely.
When Wendy pushed open the door, the tension in the living room was almost suffocating.
Bryant and Daphne sat on the couch, and on the coffee table lay a few crumpled sheets of paper
the disownment letter Zoey had left behind.
Daphne looked up with teary eyes. “Wendy, your older sister has gone missing! We can’t get through to her, and she’s nowhere to be found… It’s been several days now.”
Wendy’s heart skipped a beat, and she dug her nails into her palm to keep her lips from curling upward. Then, she rushed over and grabbed Daphne’s hand, “What happened? Is she in danger?” she asked, her voice trembling just enough to sound convincingly worried.
Bryant and Daphne shook their heads, helpless. After all, if even Yves couldn’t find Zoey, there wasn’t much they could do either.
After returning to her bedroom, Wendy locked the door and immediately dialed Yves‘ number.
He picked up after just one ring.
Her voice quivered as she said, “Yves, I heard that Zoey’s missing. What do we do? I’m so
Chapter 17
scared! Did she run away because you told her you wanted a divorce?”
2/2
“Calm down,” Yves said, his voice crackling through the static. There was a low rumble in the background, and it was possibly the sound of an engine. “I’m looking into it, so you should just stay at home.”
“But I can’t sleep…” Wendy bit her lip. The woman in the mirror had teary eyes, but there was also a glimmer of excitement hiding beneath them. “Do you want me to help with the investigation? I know a lot of people. Maybe I could ask around and find out where Zoey is…”
“That won’t be necessary.” Yves‘ tone turned cold. “You take care of Mr. and Mrs. Silvain.”
The line went dead before Wendy could say another word. Then, she simply stood rooted to the spot with her phone mid–air.
Deep down, she hoped Zoey was gone for good. Only then could she truly have Yves and the Silvain family all to herself.
Just then, Bryant and Daphne’s anxious voices came from downstairs. Pretending to be concerned, Wendy rushed downstairs and inquired, “Is there still no news about Zoey?”
Chapter 18
Chapter 18
