10
Adrian’s unease intensified. He stood up and headed for the door.
“Adrian…” Rosalie clutched his sleeve, her eyes pleading.“Where are you going?”
‘Be good, sweetheart. I need to go home,” Adrian said, his gentle tone laced with barely perceptible irritation.
Rosalie reluctantly released his sleeve, resenting Jasmine in her heart, but speaking up for her.“Adrian, please don’t yell at Jasmine.”
“Silly girl, think about yourself. I’ll be back soon.”
Adrian rushed back to the villa, a growing sense of dread washing over him, as if something precious was slipping away.
At a red light, he called Jasmine. A mechanical voice responded.
“The number you have dialed is switched off.”
This time, the message felt far more alarming than usual. He unconsciously sped up, oblivious to the speeding and running of red lights.
Adrian just wanted to see Jasmine.
Finally arriving at the villa, his heart pounded faster.
Upon opening the door, Adrian was struck dumb, his feet rooted to the spot.
The villa was deathly quiet, lifeless. The living room was in ruins.
“Jasmine?” he croaked, his throat dry, his heart plummeting. Unease and panic intertwined, ensnaring him.
He moved through the debris, climbing the stairs, his eagerness to reach the bedroom palpable.
The bedroom was tidy. Everything was in place, except Jasmine herself.
Adrian rushed to the study, but it was untouched.
His heart sank. He called Jasmin
He called his assistant.“My wife’s
repeatedly; her phone remained off.
missing. Find her. I want an update within the hour.”
Adrian seemed to remember something. He quickly opened the safe. Jasmine’s documents were gone, including the fake marriage certificate. Could it be…?
Adrian dared not consider the worst. He stumbled downstairs, stopping on the last step.
On the wall where photographs once hung, two lines of words were written.
[Adrian, you once said those who betray true love should swallow ten thousand needles. Do you remember?]
[“The biggest regret of my life is falling in love with you!“]
Adrian swayed, his vision blurring, his heart squeezed painfully, threatening to suffocate him.
He clenched his fists, Jasmine’s face flashing before his eyes.
Since his return from Andorra, she hadn’t smiled, hadn’t called him “honey,” she’d even shredded all their photos…
Each time he’d lied about Rosalie, her reaction was oddly calm.
Had she known all along?
She knew about him and Rosalie…
བ
Adrian couldn’t bear the thought. He collapsed to the floor, his hand landing on a pile of broken glass, cutting him deeply. He felt no pain, his mind consumed by Jasmine.
1:|:ཀུན :|:ཀ ཀ ཀ ན ད ས 1:|:
“Mr. Thorne, Mrs. Thorne changed her identity information. We can’t trace her,” his assistant stammered.“She also sold Pinecrest Manor for ten percent below market value.”
