Chapter 7
They couldn’t understand why I’d been at the hospital for so long, but then both men broke out in cold sweat as a terrible possibility crossed their minds.]
Nathan floored the gas pedal and raced to the hospital, covering what should’ve been a thirty–minute drive in fifteen minutes. When he got out, his legs nearly gave way and Hunter had to steady him to keep him from collapsing.
They ran through the hospital until a nurse stopped them, and Nathan finally managed to ask: “Where’s Jessica Valence?“}]
The nurse seemed confused for a moment, flipped through her notes, then said with recognition: “She left. She rested for half a day after her procedure and then left.”
A deafening buzz filled Nathan’s head as he repeated her words in a daze: “Procedure? What procedure?“]
Hunter lost it too, grabbing the nurse by the shoulders and shouting: “Tell us! What procedure?”
The nurse backed away in fear, her voice trembling: “An… abortion.“]
Nathan’s vision went completely black as all sound seemed to fade into the distance, and he collapsed to the floor.
When he woke up, Hunter was sitting beside him with bloodshot eyes and stubble covering his jaw from the past few hours. He was staring at a photo of Jessica, lost in thought.
Nathan threw off the covers and headed for the door while Hunter chased after him, trying to defend me: “Don’t blame her. She was just upset, and we were wrong too. After everything she went through–“[
“I don’t blame her,” Nathan cut him off, pausing as if the pain was unbearable. “I just want to find her and help her recover.”
With that, he strode out of the room.
Both men immediately used every connection they had to search
for
me, but after three days, they’d found nothing.]
Meanwhile, I was on a small island in the Maldives where Dad had given me a house that only he knew about.]]
Dad didn’t ask why or what had happened–just one question: “Is this really what you want?”
I nodded and said yes.[]
Before leaving, I’d also changed my last name–not Valence, not Castillo, but Parker. Jessica Parker.
The house was close to the beach, so every morning I woke to ocean breezes drifting through my windows. In my spare time, I’d walk along the shore collecting shells, and when I needed social interaction. I’d volunteer. I didn’t lack money or tine.
My only wish was to be left alone, with no one to disturb me.
On the other side of the world, Nathan and Hunter were consumed with desperation.
