Rick's POV
Two days after
I sat on the couch, my arms firmly holding onto the glass cup. The thought of my previous encounter with Catherine's family pulled me off balance, in addition to the countless torture I had received from the police officers.
Being locked up for three days for a crime I never committed was just too unsettling. My heart surged with countless torturous thoughts.
The Moores were ruthless people, and I knew I had crossed the line. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Catherine.
I felt drawn to her even more by the day. It felt like a love that had harbored for such a long time, even though in reality, it had only been a few weeks since I met her.
But then, the thought of Emelia crept into my heart, causing dread to spring forth again.
She had played smarter than ever. But I would let her know I was better at the game.
Emelia and her accomplice, Lily, would pay for what they had done. But first, I needed to focus on my mission. I stared at the brown envelope beside me, letting out a frustrated sigh.
The sound of heels clicking on the staircase caught my attention, but I stayed still, gripping the glass. My mind was made up.
Coming back this early was not something I usually did.
"Look who we have here?" Her voice rang from the staircase.
I took a sip of the wine in my hands, holding the glass firmly and staring instead at the remaining red liquor inside.
"Darling, you never told me you would return this early," she snapped, but I ignored her.
I sensed her steps approaching, but my thoughts were glued to the glass cup and its contents. I held onto it firmly.
"Honey, I'm talk…." She stopped mid-sentence as I pulled her hands off my shoulders.
My gaze lifted, and I stood upright, retrieving the envelope from the side seat and handing it to her.
"Sign these before I return," I said firmly, taking a gulf of my drink and heading to the bar stand to put the glass away.
"What?" she gasped in shock, but I didn't turn around. Instead, I climbed the stairs to grab a file from my room.
When I came back down, I caught her glaring at me.
I said nothing. I only moved toward the living room, about to walk past her when her words fell heavily on my heart.
"You think divorcing me would do any good? You lie! There is no way I'm signing these shreds," she blurted, tossing the papers in my direction.
My hands clenched into fists. My heart seethed.
I had tried to hold on, to avoid unleashing it all, but she wouldn't read the handwriting on the wall.
I ignored her, stepping past the papers, but stopped in my tracks.
"You wouldn't like what will come next if I return and you are still in my…"
"What will happen?" she cut in mid-sentence, followed by a loud, mocking smirk. "Or have you forgotten so soon who my parents are? They will make sure your transition is peaceful."
Her words sank deep into my heart, but I held back the urge to strangle the life out of her.
That would only bring more damage to our already tainted family reputation.
I took a deep breath and continued toward the door.
"I will make life a living hell for you! You think you can use me for six years and discard me because of one silly lady who just surfaced out of nowhere? I will…"
Her words faded as I slammed the door behind me, moving over to my car and driving off immediately.
Once at the hospital compound, I tried pulling over when a black, tinted-glass luxury car sped out of the parking lot.
For a moment, I wondered who it could be, but in my desperation, I shrugged off the thought and parked in the empty space the car had left behind.
The weight in my heart pressed on me afresh. I slammed my hands hard on the steering wheel, letting out a loud groan.
My teeth gritted, my palms trembled in rage.
I buried my head on the car's headrest, my eyes slowly shutting. Her hurtful words kept echoing in my thoughts.
She mentioned her family.
The deadliest of them all.
The Joneses were another family I wouldn't want to cross, second only to the Moores; Catherine's family, who were at the top of the ladder.
But then, how do I navigate through this crisis?
My heart felt heavy with a flood of conflicting, haunting thoughts.
I could feel my heartbeat racing in my eardrums.
Dad would be sad wherever he was right now. But I couldn't navigate through this situation.
I love Catherine. She is the one I want to be with, not Emelia, who had been nothing but a thorn in my flesh for the past six years.
Memories of the past, ones I never wanted to recall, kept resurfacing.
"I'm sorry, Emma. I'm sorry, Dad," I whispered in my bleeding heart.
If only I could turn back time.
But Emma was long dead and forgotten, as was Dad.
What I felt for Catherine was far beyond anything I had ever felt for Emma or Emelia, and I wouldn't let it slip through my fingers, even though her family kept torturing me over and over again.
The knock on the car window jolted me from my reverie, and I exhaled deeply, rolling it down.
"Sir, there is an emergency, and Lily isn't available at the moment to handle it," the nurse standing next to the car announced.
"Alright, give me a minute. I'll be in the lab shortly," I replied, and she turned to leave.
My gaze remained fixed on the car screen for a while, my mind lost in deep reflection. The morning sun shone through, casting a bright reflection on my face.
I blinked, then reached for my phone, sliding out of the car and heading toward my office.
As I approached the narrow hallway leading to my office near the reception stand, I heard voices; loud and clear.
I chose to ignore them, but then I couldn't when whoever it was, mentioned her name.
"That Catherine isn't as bad as I thought," a nurse's voice spoke.
"Such a kind soul," another chimed in.
"I thought she was stubborn and mean when she confronted the boss's wife, but you can't judge a book by its cover. She's kind-hearted."
"I'm telling you! Didn't you see how she stopped by to gift us all, including the nurses?"
"That's what I'm saying. I will miss her. I don't know how long she plans to stay abroad, but…"
"I doubt she'll return anytime soon. Didn't you hear about the ambush?"
A loud gasp followed.
"What ambush are you…"
That was it! I couldn't take the murmurs and gossip anymore. As I moved toward them, they immediately fell silent.
"Good day, sir," one nurse greeted, her tone wavering, her body slightly fidgeting.
I ignored her and made my way to my office, my footsteps hitting heavily against the tiled floor.
Those words echoed in my head.
She was here? I whimpered.
But then, my heart grew even heavier as the words replayed.
Abroad.
I tried dialing Catherine's number, but none of the calls connected.
I quickly turned back to the receptionist stand, but before I got there, the nurse I had met earlier was nowhere in sight.
My heart skipped a beat.
Turning to the receptionist, I ordered, "Call Nurse Mia now."
She turned immediately to the telecom while my palms trembled in my pant pockets.
Each passing minute felt like a countdown to the unknown.
Moments later, Nurse Mia stood next to me.
"Did Catherine visit the hospital? And did she mention the airline?"
"Yes, sir. She just left a few minutes before you arrived. But she never mentioned the airline," she replied.
"A few minutes before I arrived?"
"Yes, sir."
My heart sank drastically.
Then, the thought of the black tinted car I had seen earlier struck me.
Could that have been Catherine?
Frustration surged through me, but I couldn't waste time.
I rushed back to my car, started the engine,
and sped off.
How do I find her now?
The thought burned in my heart as I raced forward…