Chapter 15
It was hard to say whether Nestor felt relieved or disappointed; either way, he didn’t dare press Daphne too hard. All he could do was trail behind her, keeping a respectful distance.%
He followed her steps until she crossed into a private area, where a vigilant bodyguard promptly blocked his path.
“Sir, this is a restricted area. I’ll have to ask you to stop here.”?
Daphne didn’t look back.
Years ago, she’d retreated to this private island to escape the people from her past. As for Nestor–well, their relationship simply wasn’t close enough for her to make an exception.
Watching her walk away without so much as a glance over her shoulder, Nestor felt a pang of loss, a dull ache settling in his chest.
Those years without any news of Daphne had felt endless for him.
On many sleepless nights, lying awake and staring at the ceiling, he couldn’t help but wonder: during those three months after his “accident,” had she felt the same torment??.
If anything, he supposed it must’ve been even harder for her.”
After all, at least he’d known Daphne was still alive somewhere in the world, though he hadn’t known where. But Daphne… she’d had to face the certainty of her husband’s death, mourning for him day after day, drowning in grief.”
Nestor made no attempt to force his way through. He simply remained at the entrance, a silent, steadfast figure gazing after Daphne, like a patient sentinel waiting for a miracle.%
Seeing he posed no threat, the bodyguard didn’t bother him further.
Meanwhile, Daphne returned to her villa and switched on her laptop with practiced ease, scanning the latest news.
She hadn’t paid much attention to events back home during the past five years, but Nestor’s sudden appearance meant change was coming–possibly trouble. Just to be safe, she started searching for updates.
As headlines and pop–ups flooded the screen, Daphne felt a throbbing headache begin.”
She clicked on a random article and scrolled absentmindedly, her eyes widening as she read on.}
What shocked her most was news of Felton’s illness.?
A rush of complicated emotions welled up inside her. Feiton’s kind, gentle face appeared in her mind, and her throat tightened, eyes pricking with an unfamiliar sting. Maybe she should go back–even if only to see Felton one last time.
She skimmed through more headlines; most of them involved the Bridges family.
For instance, there were stories about Nestor orchestrating an “accident” that brought about Leonardo’s death. Then, just as the Bridges Group was thrown into turmoil, Nestor reappeared, claiming he’d been in a coma with amnesia and had only just recovered. Ironically, the first thing waiting for him upon his return was his brother’s funeral
There were also articles about the company’s president, Nestor, learning that his wife had mistakenly believed he was dead. At the funeral, she’d almost thrown herself into the grave, and after being pulled back at the last second, she’d spiraled into despair and vanished. Now, Nestor was running public appeals everywhere, desperate to find his missing wife.%
Some praised his devotion, while others took it upon themselves to join the cearch.
That was how Nestor had finally tracked her down on this remote island.
Daphne watched a video of Nestor, pouring his heart out to the world, his face full of earnest Jonging. She felt nothing but mockery.
Other people might buy into his act, but she knew better than anyone.%
The day she’d handed him the remains of their lost child, she’d spelled it out for him: whatever they’d had was over.
There would never be a future for them–never%
Daphne also stumbled across a video statement from the Sterlings, publicly announcing that they’d disowned her.2
In the video, the Sterlings listed all her so–called crimes, painting her as some irredeemable villain. At the same time, they wept over their youngest daughter’s disappearance, promising a generous reward for any information about her whereabouts.
Daphne swiped the video aside with barely a flick of her finger
She didn’t feel abandoned or afraid if anything, she felt free
Severing ties was for the best. There had never been any real love between her and her parents.!!
it was only because of that video that Daphne realized Josephine had been missing for five years.
Since her disappearance happened right after the attempted murder and the subsequent frame–up, rumors were flying. Some speculated she’d fled abroad to escape justice others thought maybe the mysterious avenger had killed her Only a handful seemed genuinely womed that something bad had happened
Orice Draphine finished scrolling through the news, she shut her laptop with a sigh. For a moment, she just sat there, lost for words
