A man like Dylan never acted impulsively. Every decision he made was calculated, considered, and weighed against consequences others could not see.

His injury undoubtedly hid a deeper truth. If he had chosen not to tell Elise, then there had to be a reason.

Perhaps a reason only he understood.

"Maddie." Elise looked at her friend quietly. "I consider you one of my closest friends. I also know you’re caught in the middle because you’re friends with both Dylan and me. You don’t want to see us end up hating each other so much that we become strangers for the rest of our lives."

She paused, her gaze distant. "But pain only truly belongs to the person carrying it. Nobody else can measure its weight. So don’t try to persuade me. And from now on, please don’t mention Dylan in front of me again."

Madeline bit her lip before nodding obediently.

"If you like it here, you’re welcome to visit anytime. As long as you come alone, I’ll always be happy to have you."

The moment those words left Elise’s mouth, Madeline’s eyes lit up again.

She threw herself forward and wrapped Elise in a dramatic hug.

"Who wants to talk about that jerk Dylan anyway? Forget him. I won’t even mention Aaron anymore. From now on, I’m done with all those useless men. It’s just us girls living our best lives! I’ll move in tomorrow and keep you company!"

Elise nearly stopped breathing.

Fortunately, she had the foresight to place a pillow protectively over her stomach beforehand.

Suppressing a helpless sigh, she gently pushed Madeline away.

"Maddie, you’re welcome to visit."

Madeline brightened.

"But you are absolutely not moving in."

The smile instantly vanished. Her face collapsed into wounded disbelief.

"Why? Why not? Are you discriminating against me?"

"Yes," Elise answered without hesitation. "With your personality, I’m worried you’ll interfere with my prenatal education."

Madeline stared at her, speechless. Then realization struck like a lightning bolt.

"Oh right!" She slapped her forehead dramatically. "I completely forgot there’s a precious little treasure in there!"

Her gaze instinctively dropped toward Elise’s stomach, or rather, toward the pillow covering it.

After a brief pause, embarrassment flooded her face.

"Sorry. I completely forgot you’re pregnant."

Elise raised an eyebrow.

"See? Doesn’t that prove I made the right decision?"

Madeline scratched her head awkwardly.

"Fine. Fine. You’re right. My personality probably isn’t ideal for living with a pregnant woman." Then she hesitated. "But your pregnancy won’t stay hidden forever. We’re still in the same city. Dylan is bound to find out sooner or later."

"By the time the divorce is finalized, I’ll already be overseas."

Elise’s tone remained calm, but her next words carried unmistakable seriousness.

"And you cannot tell anyone. Not a single person. That includes Aaron."

Madeline snorted.

"As if I’d tell him anything. Yesterday he didn’t even tell me—"

Her voice abruptly stopped. Realizing what she had almost revealed, she slapped a hand over her mouth and stared at Elise guiltily.

Elise narrowed her eyes.

"What happened yesterday?"

Madeline’s lawyer instincts immediately kicked into overdrive.

"Nothing important." She waved her hands. "I only found out yesterday that Aaron had returned to the country. I told him he clearly didn’t consider me a friend if he could come back without telling me something that important. Then he made fun of me and said I only insisted on calling him my brother because I was trying to take advantage of him."

Elise smirked. Some things never changed. After all these years, those two were still exactly the same.

Oddly enough, that was comforting.

. .

After breakfast, Madeline headed to her law firm.

Zoey arrived around noon.

The issue involving the raw materials had been resolved successfully, and deliveries would proceed on schedule.

Following lunch, Elise curled up on the sofa, sleepiness settling over her once again.

Not long afterward, Zoey ended a phone call and walked over.

She sat beside Elise with an unusually serious expression.

"Quinn has disappeared."

Elise’s eyes opened immediately.

"Actually disappeared?" she asked. "Or another performance she staged herself?"

"My people investigated," Zoey replied. "Dylan’s people are searching for her too. It doesn’t look staged."

A slight frown appeared between Elise’s brows.

"What about the Foster family?"

"We checked. Her father is hospitalized with liver cancer. Her mother accepted Dylan’s money after the last incident and hasn’t caused any further trouble. The only suspicious thing we’ve found is her younger brother, John. He’s been spending a lot of time with a group of local thugs recently. They seem like ordinary street punks, but I already have people watching them. So far, nothing significant has turned up."

Elise thought quietly for a moment.

"She’s been attracting a lot of attention lately. Maybe one of Dylan’s enemies decided to target her."

Zoey’s eyes brightened.

"If that’s true, then whoever kidnapped her is practically our guardian angel."

Elise said nothing.

Five years ago, she had lost her son and daughter because she became collateral damage in a conflict involving Dylan and Quinn.

If one of Dylan’s enemies had truly abducted her now, then perhaps this was simply fate collecting an old debt.

Perhaps it was retribution.

***

Days passed without any news.

Dylan continued expanding the search, mobilizing more and more people to find Quinn.

Unlike Elise’s kidnapping five years ago, however, nobody had contacted Dylan with demands.

Because of that, both Elise and Zoey still suspected Quinn might be orchestrating the entire disappearance herself.

The following morning, Elise woke in her own bed.

She glanced at the clock.

Since Zoey was handling the company, and because pregnancy had left her constantly exhausted and sleepy, she had decided to stay home and focus on resting.

A text message waited unread on her phone.

It was from Mrs. Lander.

"Madam, I’m at the hospital. The old madam’s surgery is scheduled for ten o’clock this morning. Please don’t misunderstand. I sent this message on my own. I know you still worry about her."

Elise stared at the screen, and for several moments, she did not move.

Then she typed a reply.

"Thank you. How is Grandma doing?"

The response arrived almost immediately.

"The doctors say all her indicators look very good. They’re preparing her now."

"Okay. Please let me know as soon as the surgery is over."

"I will."

After setting down her phone, Elise climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

The morning drifted by slowly. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

With nothing requiring her attention, she spent most of it resting.

After finishing the carefully prepared breakfast Melissa had made, she carried a prenatal storybook up to the rooftop garden.

A chaise lounge sat beneath the shade of a charming pavilion. Settling comfortably against the cushions, she began reading.

The words blurred after only a few pages.

Sleep crept over her once more. Before she knew it, she had drifted off.

Crash.

The book slipped from her fingers and struck the floor. The sudden sound jolted her awake.

Her chest tightened violently. A strange unease flooded her body. Her heartbeat accelerated without warning.

On the nearby table, her phone vibrated.

The caller ID displayed Mrs. Lander’s name.

A cold sensation swept through Elise’s veins. An inexplicable dread rose inside her.

She grabbed the phone immediately and answered.

"Mrs. Lander, has Grandma’s surgery finished?"

For several seconds, all she heard was ragged breathing.

Then Mrs. Lander’s voice came through the speaker, trembling with sobs.

"Madam..." she cried. "The surgery failed."

The world seemed to stop turning.

Mrs. Lander broke down completely.

"The old madam... she’s gone."