Chapter 10
Wilder stared down at the large package in front of him.
It was tightly sealed, the box brand new.
Grace’s face immediately soured from the interruption. She glanced at Ben with thinly veiled
irritation.
She hadn’t forgotten that on her birthday, it was this man who’d stubbornly insisted on protecting
Summer the whole time.
That alone was enough to make her dislike him.
Trying to brush the moment off, she turned to Wilder with a sweet smile.
“Probably something I ordered. Maybe they got the name wrong. Just leave it, baby–we’ll check it
later.”
She reached for his arm, trying to draw him back.
But Wilder remained distracted.
His gaze lingered on the box.
He shook her hand off and walked forward, tearing open the seal.
As the lid of the dress box lifted, both Wilder and Grace froze–Ben was the only one who didn’t
flinch.
Grace lit up with excitement and stepped around Wilder, eager to touch the delicate white wedding
gown inside.
“Oh my god! Are you planning a wedding for us?!”
They’d been legally married for some time, but he’d never given her a ceremony.
She’d dropped countless hints, but he always brushed them off-“Maybe later.”
She had long since given up asking.
Especially knowing Summer had no wedding either–hell, her marriage certificate wasn’t even
real.
But now, looking at this beautiful dress–her heart fluttered with hope.
Just as she opened her mouth to gush again, her fingers lifted the gown–and it fell apart in jagged, slashed pieces.
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It had been shredded into ribbons.
Wilder’s pupils contracted. His entire expression changed.
He recognized this dress.
It was the wedding gown Summer had designed herself.
She’d only ever sketched it out. He once promised he’d have it made by the best designer in the world–just for their wedding.
But as his feelings shifted toward Grace… that promise quietly faded.
“What… What the hell is this?” Grace looked up, confused.
Wilder didn’t respond.
He just kept staring at the destroyed dress on the floor, dread slowly tightening around his throat.
“Where’s Summer?” he asked, voice low and cold.
Ben held back a frown, but answered honestly.
“Boss, did you forget? You had her sent to the women’s correctional facility to ‘learn a lesson.‘
Wilder’s expression twitched.
Right… he’d been pissed she didn’t contact him after the party.
“I said she needed a lesson, not solitary confinement,” he snapped. “She still has her phone. What,
she couldn’t send a single text?!”
Anger surged up again.
But then he looked down at the shredded dress and something inside him cracked.
He yanked open the top button of his shirt. “Where is she now?”
Ben lowered his eyes. “I don’t know.”
That answer set him off.
“Useless!” Wilder barked, spinning on his heel and storming out.
Grace called after him, but he didn’t so much as glance back.
Fuming, she turned toward Ben, ready to lash out–but froze when she saw the look in his eyes.
Cold. Sharp. Unapologetic.
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She instinctively backed away.
Ben sneered.
Wilder wanted Summer to become gentle? Gentle women didn’t pull him out of gunfire.
Summer did.
–
Wilder climbed into the car and sat behind the wheel, only then realizing he had no idea where to
start looking.
He hesitated, debating whether to swallow his pride and call her.
After a long moment, he decided to drive home first.
Today marked the fourth day.
He’d only ordered her detained for three.
Summer’s life had always been simple. She barely went anywhere besides home.
The lock clicked open. Morning light poured in.
The kitchen was empty. No warm smells. No familiar sounds.
Even the dining table had a thin layer of dust.
Impossible.
Summer was obsessive about cleanliness. She cleaned the house several times a week.
He’d been tied up with Grace for the past few days, figuring Summer would be out soon anyway.
If she’d come home and seen this mess, she would’ve been furious and scrubbed everything
herself.
But now-
The silence was suffocating.
His chest tightened.
And without thinking, he rushed straight toward the bedroom.
