Chapter 9
Alexander fired off a quick message to Emily, reminding her to arrive early, then dove back into work. It wasn’t until 7 pm, that he finally stood up and
left the office.
The banquet hall was breathtalding–fresh flowers flown in that morning, each petal dyed in ombré shades of blue to match Emily’s Lavorite color. In the center of the room stood a massive crystal slipper, filled with gifts he’d personally picked out just for her.
Tonight, he would make it official: he was coming back to her.
He could already see it–Emily standing there, eyes shining with tears, running into his arms like she used to. The image brought a faint smile to his lips.
But as the minutes ticked by, guests arrived one after another. Everyone–except her.
A hollow unease began to churn in his chest. He pulled out his phone and called her.
Once. Twice. Six times.
Nothing.
His texts went unread
In ten years, she had never once ignored his calls. Never left a message unanswered.
His mind spun back to the past few weeks. She hadn’t reached out to him like she used to. She barely smiled. Her e she wanted to leave.
had lost their light. She’d even said
A cold jolt ran through him..
His expression tumed stormy, the air around him tightening. The sudden shift made guests instinctively shrink away, like prey sensing danger. “Get the car and bring my wife here,” he said quietly, each word laced with steel
He walked over to the head table and sat down, jaw clenched, eyes trained on the entrance. The tension in the room spiked. No one dared to speak.
He opened their chat and scrolled–back to her last messages:
[Alex, please stop chasing that girl. I’m scared you’ll leave me.]
[Am I not enough for you?]
[You said you’d never abandon me. I don’t want to share you. Please come home.]
[I’m wearing the nightgown you like. I even learned some new things. Will you come try them with me?]
Each message was soaked in vulnerability. She’d tried so hard to hold onto him.
And he’d thrown it all away.
His hands curled into fists. His chest tightened with dread.
Just then, his assistant approached, pale–faced, whispering in his ear, “Mr. Harrington… Mrs. Harrington, she…she’s gone. She’s not at the penthouse. Her documents are missing.”
Alexander stood slowly, fury simmering beneath the surface. “Clear the room,” he said. “Send a team to the hospital. She wouldn’t leave her brother.”
He stormed out of the venue and drove straight to Skyloft Towers.
The penthouse was quiet. Too quiet.
The living room was still wrecked from his last night with Sophi
Sophia–clothes everywhere, the scent of pertume lingering in the air. His stomach twisted.
He ran upstairs, yanking open doors, searching–closets, drawers, bathroom counters. Everything was where it should be. Her clothes, her perfume, the gifts he’d given her. Still here.
Except for her
“Emily?” His voice broke as he hit record on a voice message. “Where are you? Come out, baby.”
Another message. “Don’t m
me mad.”
Another. “I told you no more tantrums.”
And one more. “Sophia’s out of the picture. Come hot
home.
Or your brother pays the price”
His screen stayed dark. His messages floated into the silence, unanswered.
