The computer department at headquarters fell into a tense hush. Everyone hurried back to their desks and began connecting to Blanche’s digital footprint, working at lightning speed.
One by one, traces of “Blanche vanished from Novandria’s vast digital web.
Her elementary school transcripts, graduation photos, marriage license–every record that could be found online was being erased, piece by piece.
She stared at the monitor, tears shimmering in her eyes. The man beside her noticed and silently offered her a tissue from his pocket. His deep, reassuring voice broke the silence. “I’ll be staying in Novandria for a few more days. If you’re having second thoughts, you don’t have to leave. Think about it.”
Blanche took the tissue, blinking back her tears. She managed a small smile and shook her head. “It’s not that I can’t let go. It’s just… saying goodbye to the past is always bittersweet.”
He nodded quietly. “I understand.”
Meanwhile, outside the city’s grand sports center, a steady stream of official cars pulled up. Eddy, accompanied by Novandria’s top officials, was busy greeting dignitaries from around the world.
Two hours slipped by. He wondered if his wife had made it to the banquet hall yet.
Eddy glanced at his phone–barely a single bar of signal, the crowd around him swallowing up any chance of a call.
No wonder he hadn’t heard from her bodyguard.
Worried, he turned to one of his security staff. “Go find out where my wife is.”
The bodyguard nodded and disappeared into the crowd.
Just then, a sleek black sedan, adorned with a small national flag, rolled to a stop at the entrance. Novandria’s officials hurried over, eager to greet the arriving guest. “Mr. Simmons, allow me to introduce you to one of the most distinguished foreign dignitaries we’ve had in ten years,” one of the officials announced, barely able to
contain his excitement.
Eddy stood behind them, distant and distracted.
21:48
Chapter 160
The car door opened, and a man’s unfamiliar voice drifted out. “Head to the government building and wait for me.”
A woman’s soft reply followed. “Alright.”
That gentle response caught Eddy’s ear, making his heart skip for reasons he couldn’t explain. He peered into the car, catching a glimpse of a woman in blue jeans.
Since their wedding, his wife had favored dresses–he couldn’t recall the last time she wore jeans. But something about that voice tugged insistently at his memory, drawing him a step closer to the car.
Just then, the man stepped out, blocking Eddy’s path.
“Mr. McCarthy, may I introduce Mr. Eddy Simmons, president of the Novandria Chamber of Commerce and the major sponsor of today’s event,” the official interjected, eager to make the introduction.
The Simmons Group funded over half of the city’s landscaping and paid the highest taxes in Novandria. Their prosperity was, quite literally, the city’s prosperity.
Inside the car, the woman stiffened at the mention of Eddy’s name, but the door closed quietly, concealing her from view.
“Mr. Simmons?” The man–Ablett McCarthy–extended his hand, his expression unreadable.
Eddy shook it, barely meeting his gaze, before moving on to greet the rest of the officials. He was ushered into the sports center with the others.
But his eyes lingered on the black sedan as it pulled away. Something gnawed at him, a sense of wrongness he couldn’t shake. As the car disappeared, he felt a strange ache, as though something vital was slipping away beyond his control.
Suddenly, Eddy strode with purpose toward the sedan, catching it before it could leave. He gripped the handle, halting its departure, and pulled out his phone to dial the number saved under “Wife.” Through the tinted glass, his intense gaze searched the shadowed interior.
Everyone present froze, tension crackling in the air.
That was General Ablett McCarthy’s official car–no one in their right mind would dare to stop it.
But no one dared to stop Eddy either. In Novandria, he was the power behind the throne, a constant presence in their lives. As for Ablett, no matter how influential
he was, he’d be gone in a few days.
All eyes flickered between the two men, breath held, waiting to see what would
happen next.
21:48
