Outside the factory, Nathan gently set Annelise down, already turning to rush back in.
Annelise grabbed his arm, her face pale. "Nathan, have you lost your mind? Going back in there is suicide!"
Nathan shook her off, his eyes bloodshot. "That's my wife!"
Annelise froze where she stood, her fingers still curled in the air.
He had never spoken harshly to her before, never pushed her away like that.
After a long moment, resentment slowly filled her eyes.
Nathan charged into the factory like a madman. Thick smoke filled the air, stinging his lungs, but Evelyn was nowhere to be seen.
Where she had been tied up, there was only a dismantled explosive device left behind.
He reached down and squeezed it. It was nothing but a fake.
"Evelyn! Where are you?"
The factory stood empty, his voice echoing back at him.
The bodyguards arrived, forming two dense lines behind him.
Nathan took a deep breath, his grip tightening around his own fingers as he forced himself to calm down.
A fake bomb meant they hadn't intended to kill Evelyn.
His voice turned cold. "Everyone, search within a ten-mile radius of the factory. Any suspicious vehicles, any rival companies. Don't miss a single lead. Whatever it takes, find her!"
"Yes, Mr. Langford!"
The lead bodyguard hesitated before speaking. "Mr. Langford, Ms. Whitmore is still outside. Her hand is badly injured. Should we take her to the hospital first?"
Nathan froze for a moment, only then remembering Annelise was still outside.
"You keep searching for Evelyn. I'll take Annelise to the hospital."
He strode back and saw Annelise's injured hand hanging at her side, bloodied and torn. A flicker of concern crossed his eyes.
"Annelise, I'm sorry. I lost control just now…"
Annelise shook her head gently, her tone as composed as ever. "It's okay. You were just worried about Evelyn."
The car sped all the way to the hospital.
Nathan pulled every string he had, calling in the hospital's top surgeons to operate on Annelise's hand.
The operating room light turned red. He sat down on the bench in the hallway.
He should have been worried about Annelise in surgery, yet his mind kept circling back to Evelyn.
She was afraid of the dark, afraid of pain, soft as something that could be crushed too easily.
Would she be crying right now? Would that masked man hurt her?
She was so naive, so obedient. She'd probably be curled up in some corner, quietly waiting for him to save her…
A fear he had never felt before tightened around his chest.
He slammed his fist into the wall, his knuckles reddening instantly.
He didn't understand what was happening to him.
He had once thought it would be better if Evelyn had never come back.
Before long, the operating room light went out.
The doctor removed his mask, visibly relieved. "Mr. Langford, the surgery went well. She'll recover after a few days of rest."
Nathan stood and walked in.
Annelise had just woken up, her face ashen, a weak smile appearing when she saw him.
"Annelise, the doctor said you're fine. I'll—"
"I'll go find Evelyn." Before he could finish, Annelise cut him off.
She reached out and held onto his sleeve, her eyes glistening. "Nathan, stay with me… please?"
Nathan frowned. "But Evelyn is still with the kidnappers."
"She'll be fine," Annelise said softly.
Nathan paused, looking down at her. "You weren't like this before. You've always cared about your sister the most. But today…"
Annelise trembled, forcing herself upright as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Nathan… I regret it. I'll agree to it. You divorce her, and we can be together again. I'm really afraid of losing you."
This was what Nathan had been waiting to hear for three long years.
Yet now that he heard it, there was no joy in him, only an uneasy resistance.
He even found himself resenting her. Evelyn's life was still uncertain, and this was what she chose to talk about?
Tears rolled down Annelise's face.
"When he held that knife to my throat… the only person I thought of was you."
Nathan's expression softened slightly.
What happened today must have shaken her. That was why she wasn't thinking clearly.
Nathan raised his hand and gently brushed her hair, his tone softening. "Give it some time, okay? We'll talk about it after we find Evelyn."
Annelise pressed on, "You'll divorce her soon, right?"
Nathan gently pulled away, his tone turning stiff. "Annelise, I know Evelyn has wronged you before, and you're upset. But she's missing right now. Let's put this aside for now."
Before Annelise could say anything else, he picked up his coat and walked out of the room.
