Not a single trace of Tara remained.
Defeated, he sank onto the staircase, covering his face with his hands.
After a moment of stillness, he recalled that Tara might still be at her university.
Quickly pulling himself together, he took a rapid shower, changed clothes, and hurried downstairs to the garage to grab his car.
The red luxury car, still parked at the front, caught his eye. Its vibrant color gave him a glimmer of hope.
The car was worth over a million, and Tara loved it. Surely, she would come back for it. He would use it to pick her up.
Leo hesitated for a moment before opening the car door. On the passenger seat lay Nina’s black stockings and the matching silver high heel from the other night.
His throat tightened; and a pang of discomfort struck him. He closed the door and chose one of his own sports cars instead.
When he arrived at Tara’s university, he learned she had already withdrawn from school.
Panic set in, his chest tightening as though a gaping hole had opened, letting in a biting chill.
Sitting in his car, he lit a cigarette, his fingers trembling. He called a trusted private investigator.
They had connections and could dig up basic information quickly.
The report came back sooner than expected.
Tara had donated all the money he gave her, invalidated her identification documents, and deactivated every account–banking, social media, and more.
Leo’s mind reeled. “She invalidated her ID too?”
The investigator confirmed, “Yes. She’s emigrated to Haven State. She boarded a flight to Birkham this morning. Unfortunately, her trail ends there. We can’t track her beyond that.”
Leo felt the blood in his veins rush to his head. Everything around him seemed muted and his vision darkened as waves of dizziness hit him.
After taking a deep, steadying breath, he pulled out his phone and booked the next flight to Birkham.
He didn’t know how he would find her once he got there, but he would figure it out. First, he needed to be where she was.
Before leaving, he called his assistant. “Make sure Wesley and Nina are well ‘taken care of.‘ Also, keep the media’s focus on Nina. Dig up all her past scandals and keep the heat on her.”
2/3
Chapter 17
+25 BONUS
Meanwhile, Tara was still on her flight.
She loved sleeping on long trips, whether by car or plane. After admiring the sea of clouds outside the window, she dozed off.
A soft yawn escaped her lips as she slowly opened her eyes, front of her face, gently swaying.
still
groggy. Something dangled in
Blinking a few times, her vision focused on the object: her watch.
Startled, she snapped to full alertness.
Following the hand holding the watch, she locked eyes with a pair of deep, sapphire–blue
irises.
It was him–the man with mixed heritage!
She straightened in her–seat, wary as she faced the handsome stranger beside her.
“How is it you?!”
His chiseled face broke into a faint smile. “What a coincidence.”
Tara’s thoughts raced. “Coincidence? This is too much! What kind of cosmic joke is this?!”
Embarrassment washed over her.
The man extended the watch to her. “Here, it’s yours.”
She waved her hands in refusal. “No, no, no! That was for you… as payment. You certainly earned it.”
He replied, entirely serious, “I didn’t work hard at all. You did most of the work yourself.”
Tara was rendered speechless.
“This man seems to be quite fluent in English,” she thought.
