Night fell, and the lights of Middleton sparkled brightly.
After a long day at work, Esther drove back to the villa from Middleton’s branch office. Stepping into the empty house, her eyes began to brim with tears.
During the days Chris had been gone, Esther buried herself in work to distract from the ache in her heart. Yet each time she returned home, the longing for Chris overwhelmed her.
“Darling, where have you gone? Why haven’t I heard from you after all this time?”
Tears streamed down her face, her helplessness painfully evident. Chris had been missing for over half a month.
Despite Tiger and his team’s relentless search, there was still no news-no trace of Chris at all.
“Darling, I refuse to believe you’re dead! How could someone as strong as you be gone? If you’re truly gone, what will Hope and I do? What am I supposed to do?”
Her voice broke into sobs as she cried uncontrollably. Esther couldn’t accept that Chris, someone so formidable, could meet such a fate.
Suddenly, she felt something-a presence.
She spun around quickly, but the darkness behind her revealed nothing.
“Darling, is it you?” Esther called out, her voice trembling. “I know you’re not dead! Please come out!”
The sound of footsteps echoed in the night.
“Darling, is that you?” she shouted, running out the door.
But it wasn’t Chris who appeared. It was Seraphina.
“Esther, are you thinking about Mr. Shelby again?” Seraphina asked as she approached.
Seeing her, Esther’s face fell, disappointment clear in her expression.
“Seraphina, you’re here,” Esther said, fighting back the tears threatening to spill.
“I heard your voice and came to check on you,” Seraphina replied with a sigh.
Living next door, Seraphina often came by to keep Esther company during Chris’s absence.
“Esther, is there any news about Mr. Shelby?” Seraphina asked softly.
Esther shook her head. “None. It’s been nearly half a month, and still nothing. I don’t even know if he’s still alive.”
Seeing Esther’s despair, Seraphina tried to comfort her. “Don’t lose hope, Esther. I believe Mr. Shelby is still alive. As long as we don’t find his body, we can’t give up. Maybe… maybe he’s already back but isn’t ready to reveal himself yet. Perhaps he’s watching over you from the shadows.”
Esther’s eyes widened, her disbelief showing. “Seraphina, do you really think that’s true? Chris isn’t dead? He’s back? But if he’s here, why won’t he come see me? Doesn’t he know how worried I’ve been?”
As she spoke, tears began to fall again.
Seraphina gently wiped them away. “Don’t cry, Esther. You need to be strong while Mr. Shelby isn’t here. Come, I brought you some food. Let’s eat.”
Esther nodded firmly and followed Seraphina into the villa.
As the two women disappeared inside, a figure emerged from the shadows.
It was Chris.
Watching Esther and Seraphina together, guilt consumed him.
“Darling, I’m so sorry. It’s not that I don’t want to see you. The timing just isn’t right. When the time comes, I promise I’ll make it up to you. Please… wait for me.”
Conflicting emotions churned within Chris. Seeing Esther’s tears earlier had nearly broken his resolve. He had been so close to stepping forward.
But he couldn’t. Not yet.
His enemies were still watching, waiting for any sign of him. If he revealed himself now, it would invite disaster.
For now, the best strategy was to remain hidden, waiting for the right moment to strike back.
After leaving the Vance family, Chris had come here immediately to check on Esther. Seeing that she was safe and unharmed gave him some relief.
Then, Seraphina’s earlier words flitted through his mind.
“Does Seraphina know I’m back?” he murmured, furrowing his brow.
But he quickly shook the thought away.
Since his return, only one person had seen him-Caspian. And Chris trusted Caspian to keep his whereabouts a secret.
Still, Seraphina’s remarks unsettled him.
Chris cast a final, lingering glance at the villa before disappearing into the night.
He couldn’t risk exposing himself to Esther yet. Doing so would only put her in danger. As long as everyone believed he was dead, Esther would be safe. Without him, she held no value to his enemies.
For now, Chris had more pressing matters-he needed to grow stronger.
—
Meanwhile, at the Nance family estate in Middleton, Candace sat alone in the courtyard. Her face was pale, her features weary.
“Chris, where are you? Why haven’t you returned?”
Her voice trembled as she recalled his words to her at the hospital.
“You promised you’d take care of me for the rest of my life. How could you leave first? Who will look after me now? Chris… how could you be so cruel?”
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke.
Just then, James approached her, sighing. “Cousin, are you thinking about Chris again? Don’t worry. Grandfather has already sent Team Wolf to search for him. I’m sure Chris will be fine.”
Candace nodded faintly. “I know Chris will be okay. But I can’t stop myself from thinking about him.”
James sighed again. “Cousin, why put yourself through this? Chris is a married man. You know there’s no future for you two.”
“You don’t understand,” Candace said firmly. “You don’t understand the bond Chris and I share. You’ll never understand.”
Suddenly, she stood up, her eyes wide with hope.
“Chris! Is that you? I know it’s you! You’re back, aren’t you?”
“Why won’t you come see me? Why are you doing this to me?”
James looked around, confused. The courtyard was empty-there wasn’t even a shadow in sight.
“Cousin, calm down,” James said, trying to soothe her. “Chris isn’t here.”
“No! He’s here!” Candace shouted, her voice breaking. “I can feel it. Even if I can’t see him, I know he’s here!”
She clutched her chest, overwhelmed by emotion.
“Chris… you’re really back…”
Her cries echoed into the night.