Chapter 12
The tension around Aiden was so thick it felt like the air itself could crack.
Worried that he hadn’t heard the radio clearly, Phillip nervously turned the volume up a notch.
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Sure enough, the next second, a bone–chilling voice drifted from the back seat. “You want to get out too?”
Phillip scrambled to turn the radio off and gripped the wheel tightly, focusing on keeping the car steady.
Still, guilt gnawed at him. After a while, he spoke up cautiously, “Sir… Mrs. Walker wasn’t wearing a coat. Her dress looked torn, too.”
Aiden shot him a frosty glare. “You seem awfully concerned about her.”
Phillip felt a chill run down his spine, but he pressed on, choosing his words carefully, “I just meant… for your reputation’s sake. She is your wife, after all.”
He glanced in the rearview mirror. Seeing that Aiden wasn’t immediately lashing out, he mustered a bit more courage. “If no one passes by, it’s one thing. But if someone does–and sees a beautiful woman stranded out there, barely dressed… what if it’s someone with bad intentions?”
Aiden’s expression turned even darker. He instinctively reached for his phone to call her–only to realize her purse was still in the car.
He flipped it open. Sure enough, her wallet and phone were both inside. She hadn’t taken a single thing with her.
His face hardened. He let out a sharp curse under his breath, then barked, “Turn around!”
Phillip had been expecting that. Without hesitation, he spun the car around and floored it.
Even though he’d driven slowly after leaving her there, it had still been over ten minutes. No matter how cautious he’d been, they’d already put quite a bit of distance behind them.
As they retraced their route, there was still no sign of Valerie—not even a glimpse. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air.
The farther they went, the worse Aiden’s expression became. There wasn’t a single person along the road–not one soul in sight.
Phillip could feel the tension thickening like a storm cloud. He spoke up quickly, trying to ease the atmosphere, “Don’t worry, sir. I’m sure Mrs. Walker’s fine.”
But Aiden’s jaw was clenched tight, his face unreadable. He stared out the window, lips pressed into a hard line. Without realizing it, his hand curled into a tight fist.
He thought, ‘She’s been to the Walker Manor only once–there’s no way she knew the way home. What if she wandered off in the wrong direction? What if she turned back… to find her old love?‘
Just the thought of that clingy, pathetic man made Aiden’s expression twist with anger.
Phillip had worked for him long enough to know what that kind of silence meant–tension, anxiety, impatience. He pressed harder on the gas.
Soon after, they received word from traffic control.
Surveillance footage showed Valerie had taken a shortcut. She hadn’t turned back to find her ex–she’d headed straight home, using the most direct
route.
But it was her first time at the Walker Manor. She had no money, no phone. And in the footage, she was clearly shivering in the cold.
Aiden thought, ‘How does she even know that shorcut?‘ Aiden’s brows furrowed. ‘How could she possibly know?‘
Now that they had her location, Phillip turned toward home.
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Chapter 12
The search had cost them quite a bit of time. By the time they pulled up to the gates of the neighborhood, they saw her at almost the exact same
moment.
From a distance, they spotted her slim, fragile figure stepping into a large pharmacy.
Phillip muttered under his breath, “It’s freezing… she’s probably caught a chill…”
Aiden clenched his jaw, said nothing, and stepped out of the car.
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Valerie was trembling from head to toe, frozen to the bone.
But when she walked into the pharmacy, it wasn’t cold medicine she asked for.
There was still some credit left on her membership card. She took the pills quickly, and just as quickly, walked out.
What she didn’t know was that Aiden had seen the entire scene unfold.
She came out empty–handed, moved quickly–everything about her screamed that she hadn’t come for cold medicine.
His gaze darkened even further, and he stepped into the pharmacy.
The clerk had just tossed the paper cup Valerie had used, and when she looked up again, a few bills had been silently laid on the counter.
Aiden standing there had a face like it had been carved from marble–cold, flawless, striking. His presence radiated control, elegance, and danger. He asked, flatly, “What did that woman buy?“.
The clerk quietly pocketed the cash, then subtly slid forward the box she hadn’t yet tossed. Emergency Contraceptive–48–Hour Pill.
Aiden’s eyes landed on the stark label. His already cold, inscrutable expression sank even deeper. The faint warmth that had just begun to return to his demeanor evaporated in an instant–replaced by a glacial chill.
The clerk instinctively recoiled from the shift in atmosphere.
But he didn’t say another word–just turned and walked out.
The clerk let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. Clutching the crumpled cash, she quickly tossed the box into the trash.
They were supposed to protect customer privacy–but she thought, ‘Hey, it’s not like I said anything.’
Valerie was still trembling when she got home, and the first thing she did was head straight to the bathroom.
She soaked in a hot bath, letting the warmth slowly ease the chill that had sunk into her bones.
In her previous life, after what happened that night, she’d grown to loathe Aiden even more. She wanted nothing but to rebel against him–but he broke her, shattered her spirit, clipped her wings.
The memories pierced her like glass. But this life… this life still had a chance. Nelson’s legs were still intact.
Her dreams weren’t ruined. Her future was still hers to shape. This time, everything was just beginning.
She stepped out of the bath and walked straight to her wardrobe, reaching for a pair of pajamas.
She’d just touched the fabric when suddenly, two strong arms wrapped tightly around her from behind. She gasped and let out a startled scream.
Aiden’s low, magnetic voice brushed against her ear, surrounding her like a shadow. “You’re that scared of me?”
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She had genuinely been terrified. She turned her head to speak–but before she could say a word, his hand gently but firmly covered her mouth.
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