Chapter 199
Chapter 199:
Helena’s planned departure was set for tomorrow, but due to the swirling media frenzy, the Nine O’clock News anchor had already been replaced, giving her an unexpected day off.
With her farewell to Valeria still echoing in her thoughts, Helena found herself roaming the city’s streets aimlessly. Hours passed as she wandered, eventually leading her back to her apartment.
The place felt strangely alien—a stark emptiness lingering, amplified by Frida’s recent departure.
The rooms, stripped of warmth, mirrored the void in Helena’s chest. She was surrounded by the cold, unadorned walls, a profound loneliness settling over her, a constant reminder of Alden’s absence.
A sarcastic chuckle escaped her as she attempted to push aside her growing anxieties. With a resigned sigh, Helena retreated to her bedroom to pack for her trip abroad.
With everything packed, Helena knew there was one thing left to do—say goodbye to her father. She chose to leave now, stay the night with him, and head to the airport from the nursing home in the morning.
Descending the stairs, she climbed into the taxi. Her fingers hovered over her phone, uncertainty flickering in her eyes as she considered messaging Alden. Yet, after she typed it all out, the screen flashed “Sending…” but stubbornly refused to deliver her words.
Helena’s brow furrowed as the realization dawned—her phone had lost its signal.
By the time the car started moving, she was about to question the driver when a peculiar, unsettling scent caught her attention.
“Wait…” Helena attempted to speak, but the strange fragrance in the car intensified.
Her head spun, her vision blurred, and before she could articulate her thoughts, darkness engulfed her.
At noon, inside the CEO’s office at Star Wish Investments, Alden’s desk was cluttered with documents awaiting his signature, yet his mind was elsewhere. The night before, Helena had initiated a tender moment between them—a brief encounter that had unexpectedly filled him with joy.
However, as the initial excitement faded, Alden was consumed with regret over his rashness.
More content now at gⱯlησvℯ𝓁s․com
It was a relief to see Helena no longer flinching from his touch or building walls between them. Yet, her emotional scars were still fresh, and he reproached himself for allowing his desires to surface given her vulnerable state.
Alden exhaled a soft sigh and retrieved his phone, intent on calling Helena. He attempted to reach her multiple times, but to no avail; the calls went unanswered each time.
Convinced that Helena might be upset with him, he asked Xavier to make inquiries at Nexus TV.
“Helena? She didn’t show up for work today.” A straightforward response came from the HR department at Nexus TV.
Xavier, having received the information, was just about to relay it when he noticed Alden springing from his seat. Without a moment’s hesitation and disregarding his suit jacket, Alden marched out with urgency in his stride.
“Mr. Wilson, you forgot your jacket!” Xavier called out, snapping back to reality. He seized the jacket and dashed after Alden, but it was too late; Alden had already sped off in his car.
Alden reached home in less than ten minutes, driving rapidly. As he stepped into the quiet of the small two-bedroom apartment, the silence felt more profound than ever.
Alden scoured every nook and corner for Helena, even rummaging through her wardrobe, where he discovered several of her daily outfits were missing. His heart hammered against his ribs, a wild drumbeat of panic and confusion. Just then, Xavier arrived and stormed in—the door was wide open. One look at Alden, with his eyes red and swollen, and Xavier’s pulse spiked.
“Mr. Wilson…” he began, his voice laced with alarm, yet barely a whisper.
Alden cut him off, his voice raw and commanding, a sharp edge of desperation clipping his words. “Find her, Xavier! Check Valeria’s, scour Nexus TV, comb through every hospital in the city. Look in every corner, every shadow—don’t stop until you find Helena p>
“Understood, sir!” Xavier’s reply was swift and determined. He turned on his heel and dashed out, his resolve as firm as the order he’d received.
Left alone, Alden paced the room, his movements erratic. He stopped only to rub the tension from his forehead before hastening to review the security footage. His eyes darted over each frame, searching for any sign of Helena. But the screens showed nothing—she had vanished without a trace, leaving him gripped by growing dread.
The only trace of her was on the entrance security camera, where she was caught slipping into a taxi just past ten in the morning. The car, bearing an out-of-town plate, was not listed in Cheson’s official registry, as confirmed by local authorities.
As the taxi drove off, it swiftly disappeared from the security cameras. Clearly, the driver had opted for a more concealed route. This crafty disappearance immediately triggered Alden’s suspicions about Dario.
Alden knew Dario’s residence in Cheson and, driven by a mix of desperation and determination, he sped to the location. The moment Dario opened the door, Alden, without hesitation, landed a solid punch on him, forcefully pushed him aside, and stormed into the apartment.
“Helena! Helena!” Alden’s voice echoed through the empty rooms, but no reply came.
“No need for the theatrics, Mr. Wilson. Helena isn’t here,” Dario responded calmly, dabbing the blood from his lip and leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe.
Seething with frantic concern, Alden whirled around, seized Dario by the collar, and growled through clenched teeth, “Where is she? Tell me—now p>