Chapter 6
Jack slammed the gas and sped to the old villa, but found it brightly lit.
A stranger was watering the garden.
“Who are you, and who let you into my property?”
The man looked at him like he was crazy. “I’ve lived here for 10 years. Since when was this your house?
“Are you crazy?”
Jack instinctively reached for his gun, but out of the corner of his noticed the swing in the yard was gone.
eye,
he
Selly had it installed right after they got married.
She rarely went out and spent most of her time reading on this swing.
But now, even the marks where it had been installed were gone.
“How dare you take down my swing!”
Jack ordered his men to smash the place.
But when he walked in, face grim, he saw the furniture had all changed.
Even the instant food bowl that used to sit half–finished on the dining table was gone; the spot was empty.
One of his men approached him. “Jack, what did these people do to piss you off this bad?
“But the neighborhood is nice. Once you retire and marry Ms. Ashby, you
can settle down here.”
Jack looked back impatiently.
“Didn’t this used to be-”
Then something clicked. He grabbed his subordinate by the collar and asked through gritted teeth, “Where’s Selly?”
“Jack, who’s Selly? Is she one of our enemies?”
“Drop the act! Did she tell you to say that? Is this her way of getting back at me?”
“No… Jack, calm down. Maybe you’re just worn out from all the wedding prep. How about you take a break?”
The confused look on his man’s face didn’t seem like an act.
Jack’s fingers trembled, his voice shaky. “What wedding? I’m married to Selly, aren’t I?”
“Uh, no. You’ve been devoted to Ms. Ashby all this time. You just proposed to her this year.”
“Then, who took the bullet for Tina?”
“What do you mean? Jack, are you looking for someone to be a human shield for Ms. Ashby?”
Jack felt his strength drain away. He let go of his man, still mumbling, “No… No way… Impossible…”
His eyes darted frantically. Then he bolted out the door.
All information about Selly was gone from his phone, and her number was out of service.
The marriage certificate was gone, and the pregnancy test result seemed to have vanished, too.
He checked surveillance on the road where he last saw Selly, but they
weren’t on camera.
He tracked down the enemies who once kidnapped her, but everyone claimed they’d never heard of that name.
Jack was losing his mind. He searched everywhere, even places he’d never set foot in, like police stations, only to get the same answer.
“Selly Tallis? Never heard of her.”
“Sorry, Mr. Caldor, there’s no record of that name in the registry.”
After searching all day and night, Jack sat outside the university where he first met her.
The academic affairs office said there was no record of a student named Selly Tallis.
She seemed to have vanished into thin air, erased from everyone’s minds.
Only he still remembered everything about her, but all he had left were memories of the pain he’d caused her.
“What’s really going on? Am I losing my mind? Did she never even exist…”
Lost and confused, Jack got home, only to find a stranger sitting in his living room.
His phone rang. It was one of his men.
“Jack, I found a suitable one at a university right after your order yesterday.
“Don’t worry, she’s obedient. You can stop worrying about Ms. Ashby’s safety from now on.”
The woman smiled faintly at him, just like Selly did three years ago at the café outside the university.
Back then, she said, “Mr. Caldor, thank you for paying my grandma’s medical bills. In return, I’ll take the bullet for Ms. Ashby.”
But now, three years later, the old woman he paid a million to save had vanished without a trace.
Jack said nothing, exhausted in body and mind, and headed upstairs.
Passing the bedroom, he suddenly heard Tip
voice.
Through the closed doo
her voice
Was no
longer innocent and sweet, it
was sharp, cold, and ruthless.
“Find the most vengeful enemy. Send them her address.
ம்.
“Tell me before Jack goes to rescue her; I’ll lead him away. You can show up two or three hours after that.
“Idiot. Don’t say more than he asks! Just tell him you’ve sent her back!”
Jack’s fingers froze on the doorknob, suddenly ice cold.
“If she’s dead, she’s dead! Dead is good. Who told her to set her sights on Jack-”
Bang!
Tina’s ranting stopped abruptly.
She turned in disbelief to find a gun pointed at her forehead.
