Chapter 455
Chapter 455:
Helena’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be…? Had Alden returned?
She hurried through the apartment, checking every corner, but all she found was the dark, silent emptiness of the evening.
For a moment, hope flared up, only to be quickly extinguished, leaving her shaken and close to breaking down.
“Alden… Alden, is that you? Please, answer me!” she called out into the stillness, her voice shaky and full of panic.
Valeria and Dorian had followed her upstairs. Seeing Helena in such a state, they believed her grief over Alden was beginning to take a toll on her.
“Helena, staying here will only keep you stuck in a never-ending loop of longing and pain. If you stay like this, it’ll eventually drain you dry.” Valeria gently took Helena’s arm, her voice soft with concern. “If you don’t want to come with us to Dorian’s place, why not spend a few days with your parents p>
Helena clutched one of Alden’s jackets, which had been hanging on the rack since his departure, and sobbed quietly.
Dorian moved closer, his voice calm and steady as he tried to offer some comfort. “Helena, listen to Valeria. Go to your parents’ house.” After a brief pause, he added, “I heard your parents have launched a major search for Alden. If you’re with them, you’ll be the first to get any news p>
Helena had never breathed a word about Alden’s disappearance to her parents—she’d hoped to spare Natalie the worst of her anxiety. But now that they were already deep into their own search, keeping quiet felt pointless.
Dorian’s words broke through Helena’s reluctance, and she finally agreed to go to her parents’ villa.
Before setting out, she fired off a quick message to Liliana. Thinking there was no way to hide her visit, Liliana relayed the message to Natalie.
“Helena’s really coming back? That’s wonderful—truly wonderful!” Natalie’s happiness made her almost delirious with excitement. She turned to Martha in a flurry. “Please get Helena’s room ready p>
Truthfully, every room in the sprawling villa was kept spotless day and night—there was nothing to prepare. Still, Natalie fussed over the details. “Swap her sheets for the green set. She loves that color—it might help cheer her up p>
Martha nodded, but as she left, she caught Liliana’s eye, the two sharing a silent look of understanding. A glimmer of dissatisfaction flashed in both their eyes.
𝖁𝗂𝖾𝗐 𝖋𝗋𝗈𝗆 Ⳍ ꓹ𝚌𝓸𝓂
Once Martha had gone, Liliana drifted closer to Natalie, her voice cloying with fake sweetness. “I suppose Helena heard you were investigating Alden’s disappearance—that’s probably why she decided to come home after all. She really does care about Alden p>
Her words landed with the ring of praise, but the undercurrent was sharp—Helena’s return was only for Alden’s sake, never for Natalie or Kareem.
But Natalie was swept up in emotion, too ecstatic over Helena’s return and too shattered by Alden’s fate to sense any hidden barbs. With her heart already in chaos, she didn’t have the strength to parse Liliana’s intentions.
Natalie just let out a heavy sigh. “Helena’s always been tender-hearted and emotional. We’ll have to be patient while talking about Alden p>