Chapter 12
Carol forced herself to stay calm, arranging her features into mask of gentle concern
a
“Wyatt, please calm down,” she said sweetly “We need to focus on what’s more important -getting the experts and doctors here fan’t she pregnant? if we have a team standing by they’ll be able to help her right away once she’s found”
Her words sent a ripple of unease through the crowd Suspicion darkened everyone’s eyes. After everything Carol had done, did she seriously think anyone believed her act of concern?
Carol smiled faintly. “I’m sure she’s fine–she knows how to swim. Let’s not give up hope” Wyatt’s panic sharpened into grim determination. He pulled out his phone and called for a
search team.
Hours passed.
The search turned up nothing. Not a single piece of fabric. No sign of Sloan at all. Finally, the search leader approached him. “Mr. Finley, we’ve covered the entire area. It’s been a day and a night. It’s likely that… Miss Tanner didn’t make it. I’m sorry.” Wyatt’s head snapped up. “No. That’s impossible! You’re just making excuses so you can slack off, right? Get back out there or I swear I’ll make you all regret it.”
The search leader shook his head. “Sir, we’ve done all we can. We can’t keep risking our
men.”
He didn’t even bother responding further. The search team wasn’t employed by Finley Corp -they couldn’t be ordered around like that.
After searching for an entire day and night, the crew was already exhausted. This was like searching for a needle in the ocean–a complete waste of time. If it weren’t for Wyatt’s influence as a Finley, they would’ve left long ago.
Now, they finally had enough. The team packed up and headed home.
Watching Wyatt’s devastated expression, Carol felt increasingly uneasy. She had been so sure of victory, but things were starting to slip out of her control.
To prevent that from happening, a new plan formed in her mind. Her gaze sharpened. If she could just get Wyatt back home and drug him, a passionate night together would surely make him forget all about that wretched woman.
Feeling confident, she quickly stepped forward to comfort him. “Wyatt, why don’t we go home for now? Remember, Sloan grew up near the ocean–she’s a strong swimmer. There’s a good chance she already got to safety and just went home.”
Wyatt’s frantic emotions began to settle. “You’re right. Sloan’s a strong swimmer–she can survive this. She wouldn’t leave me.”
Finley Estate
07:55 Sun, 30 Mar
As soon as Wyatt stepped into the house, he immediately shouted, “Sloan‘ Sloan! Where are you? Come out, please. Stop messing with me. Okay, I get it. I screwed up. You can punish me however you want, just don’t disappear”
The house was eerily quiet. Not a single sound answered him
His heart hammered in his chest as he sprinted from room to room. He tore through the living room, the bedroom–anywhere she might be
His eyes darted to the coffee table. The matching couple’s bracelets Sloan had made–they were gone. His gaze fell to the corner where they’d painted plaster figurines together Shattered fragments littered the floor.
“No no, no, no His voice was barely a whisper.
Wyatt stumbled toward the bed and pulled open the drawer of the nightstand. His hand reached for the small leather charm Sloan had given him years ago. It had always been his source of comfort–a reminder that she loved him.
It was gone.
A chilling memory surfaced–Sloan’s voice, sharp and clear:
Panic twisted his gut as his fingers instinctively reached for the charm necklace around his neck. That charm had always grounded him–it was his source of comfort whenever he
felt anxious.
But his fingers touched nothing.
The necklace was gone.
Suddenly, Wyatt remembered what Sloan had said when she gave him that charm:
“Wyatt, if you ever betray me or lie to me, I’ll take this back. That’ll be the end of
