The Contract Bride of Mr. Reid-Chapter 249: The accident

As the car sped along the winding road, Bella’s unease deepened. Her mother’s worried tone lingered in her mind. She thought she would talk to her and check what was happening there. Fishing her phone out of her bag, she dialed her mother.

The call connected after a few rings.

Bella heaved a sigh when she heard her mother’s voice. "Mamma..." She wanted to ask if she was okay, but she changed the question. "I’m on my way. Do you need me to grab anything from the supermarket?"

"There is no need. Just come home."

The abruptness of it all sent Bella’s anxiety into overdrive. "Mamma, you’re scaring me," she pressed, her tone almost pleading. "What’s happening? Please tell me."

"I’ll explain everything when you’re here," Selena responded.

"Mamma—" Bella tried again, but her words were cut short as the car jolted violently. A screech of tires pierced the air as the vehicle swerved uncontrollably, jerking left and right with alarming force. Bella’s head slammed against the window, a sharp pain shooting through her skull. Her phone slipped from her grasp.

"Ah!" she cried out, clutching her throbbing head. But the ordeal was far from over.

The car careened off the road, plummeting into chaos. It flipped violently, the sound of shattering glass and crunching metal drowning out her gasps. The world spun in a blur of colors and noise as the car rolled over and over before crashing against a tree with a deafening impact.

The backseat door swung open. Bella was thrown from the vehicle. She tumbled down a steep, rocky incline. Finally, her fall was halted as her head struck a jagged rock with a sickening thud.

Everything went black. Silence engulfed her, the chaos fading into an eerie stillness.

"Hello? Bella..." On the other end of the line, Selena panicked when Bella’s voice stopped coming all of a sudden. She pulled the phone out of her ear and looked down, only to find the call was already disconnected.

Observing her troubled face, Alan was worried too. "What is going on? Is everything alright?" he asked, his tone betraying his underlying fear.

Selena glanced at him with her tear-filled eyes and crocked, "I don’t know what is happening. The call disconnected all of a sudden." She pressed her lips into a thin line before adding, "I heard crashing sounds before the call ended." Her voice shook as dread coiled her guts. "I am afraid something bad has happened to Bell. Please find her and bring her back to me."

Her gaze was full of helplessness and fear.

"Relax, everything will be fine," Alan comforted her, but his own heart was sinking. He had already lost his one daughter in an accident. He couldn’t lose his second daughter. "I’ll tell Philip to look for her."

He dialed Philip’s number instantly. "Uh, Philip, listen to me carefully," he said urgently as soon as the call connected.

Philip, who was still busy at work, stiffened when he heard his father’s worried voice. He thought Alan’s meeting with Selena didn’t go well. "What is the matter, Dad? Are you okay?"

"I am fine, I’m fine. This is about Isabella." Alan’s tone grew serious. "She was speaking with her mother on her way back home, but the call got disconnected abruptly. Can you go and check for her?"

"Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll go and check," Philip assured him.

"Bring her home safely," Alan said, his tone pleading.

"I will. She will be home in no time."

Philip ended the call and walked out. "Mason," he called out.

Mason hurriedly came over to him. "Yes, sir."

"Check Bella’s phone location," Philip commanded. "It’s urgent. Call me once you locate her." He jumped into his car and drove straight to Selena’s place.

On the way, he saw people gathering around, and paramedical staff taking someone into the ambulance. The police seized the location.

Philip slowed the speed of the car as he took in the scene, his eyes catching the sight of a crumpled car. It immediately reminded him of Rose’s accident.

’It’s a terrible accident,’ he thought. His heart trembled as he wondered if the people inside the car had survived. In the meantime, his phone buzzed. He checked the message Mason had just sent. It was Bella’s phone location.

When he realized Bella’s last location was just where the accident occurred, all the colors in his face drained away. Philip parked the car by the road and jumped out.

The policemen stopped him from approaching. "You can’t go there."

"This is Bella’s car." Philip instantly recognized the license plate, his stomach dropping. "My sister – where is she? How is she?"

"Your sister? Mister, you might be mistaken. We didn’t find any woman’s body in the car. But the driver was dead."

Philip felt like he had been struck by lightning. "What are you talking about?" This is Bella’s car. She was on her way back home, and her last place was here." He held up the phone to show the officer. "Where could she disappear?"

The policeman frowned as he checked the phone location, his expression growing thoughtful. "Maybe someone has taken her to the hospital already," he said thoughtfully.

"Shit!" Philip muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He hoped Bella was fine and that someone had rescued her on time. He dialed Mason instantly.

"Yes, Mason, there is a problem," he said urgently when the call logged in. "Bella met an accident. The driver is already dead, but Bella is missing."

"Missing?" Mason echoed with disbelief. "Where could she vanish?"

"I don’t know." Philip sighed, throwing his arm in the air. "Maybe someone has already taken her to the hospital before the paramedics arrived. I need you to find her. I want her safe."

"I’ll find her, sir."

Philip ended the call, his gaze moving to the wracked car. Dread gripped his heart as he wondered if Bella was okay. "I hope you are fine, Bella," he mumbled.

His chest clenched as he considered sharing this information with his father and Selena. "I don’t know how they will react." He shook his head in dismay. "But I have to inform them. I have to."

Taking a deep breath, he hopped into his car and sped off.