15%
My movements grew faster, more frenzied, my breathing rasping like a bellows.
I searched the villa three times over, overturning every corner in desperation. Only when I finally collapsed to the floor in exhaustion did I accept the truth–Freya wasn’t dead.
The realization brought an uncontrollable rush of relief. I had never truly believed she would die here, but that one–in–a–million possibility had gnawed at me relentlessly.
Only after seeing it with my own eyes could I finally let go of the fear. My body went slack, and I sank to the floor, utterly spent.
It wasn’t until the following day that I saw the butler and the household staff returning.
1 lunged forward, seizing the butler by the collar. My voice erupted in a roar.
“Why is the villa like this? Where’s my wife? I told you to watch over her at home! How could you let this happen? Why didn anyone tell me the villa caught fire?”
The thought of a fire had never even crossed my mind. But right now, the only thing that mattered was confirming Freya’s safety.
I waved my hand impatiently. “Forget it, forget it. Just tell me where is she?““>
The butler’s face turned ghostly pale. His voice trembled as he stammered, “S–Sir, we don’t know where Ma’am Freya went. Yesterday, she gave us all the day off. When we came back this morning… the villa was already like this.“”
I had been bracing myself to hear her whereabouts from the butler, even if it meant she was injured. As long as she was alive, it was enough.”
But I hadn’t expected–even the butler had no idea where she’d gone!!!
And worse still–according to his account, there was a good chance it had been Freya herself who set the fire that destroyed our home.[
The thought made me shake my head in disbelief.”
“No… how could that be? There’s no way it turned out like this. It’s impossible. This fire must have been set by someone else! It couldn’t have been her!”
Without another word, I pulled out my phone and called my assistant.”
On the other end, Saige’s voice cracked with emotion, almost on the verge of tears.”
“Sir! Yesterday’s incident has completely blown up. The PR department can’t contain it anymore!!
“They even caught Ma’am Harper on video ordering the reporters to delete the footage. Now the internet is saying the Laurents are involved in organized crime…
“Even the higher authorities have stepped in to investigate us. Sir, we-“”
Saige rattled off the situation in a flurry, but I didn’t care in the slightest.
I cut him off sharply. “Forget that for now. Find out where my wife is.“\
There was a pause on the line before he finally replied, “S–Sir, she’s at the company. She said she’ll only go home after you’ve dealt with this matter.“\
A surge of joy lit my eyes. I sprang to my feet, heading straight for my car.
But the butler and several servants stepped in front of me.X
“Sir, what about the villa? It’s ruined… W–What should we do?”
I glanced back at the blackened shell of the villa. A sharp, needling pain stabbed at my chest. My brows knitted tightly.
“Take a few days off. Once the villa is rebuilt, you can all return,” I said flatly.
Without another word, I brushed past them, got into the car, and sped away.
