If I couldn’t reach Alicia through phone calls or text messages, then maybe I could reach her through social media.

I had never cared much for platforms like this before. Jane usually handled anything related to online news and trends, so there had never been a reason for me to create an account.

Now there is.

I quickly entered my information and created a profile on Twitter.

The moment the account was activated, I searched for Alicia’s username.

Dozens of results appeared.

Thanks to the scandals that had surrounded us over the past few months, it didn’t take long to find her account.

My fingers tightened around the phone.

Without hesitation, I sent a message.

"Alicia, where are you?"

A few seconds later, I sent another.

"Are you alright? Just talk to me once."

And another.

"Please."

No reply.

The message status remained unchanged.

A hollow feeling settled in my chest.

I continued scrolling through her profile.

Most of the posts were old.

Photos of little things she liked.

Quotes she had reposted.

Small glimpses of a life I had never paid enough attention to.

The realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.

For two years, I had lived beside her.

Yet now, scrolling through her account, I was discovering parts of her I had never known.

My thumb paused over a picture of the ocean.

Then another.

And another.

Alicia really did love the water.

I remembered something Nana once told me shortly after our marriage.

"That girl loves the ocean. One day, take her to M city. She’s always wanted to go."

M city was a place full of oceans and different tourist attractions.

As a person who loved the ocean and nature,it was only natural that Alicia wanted to go there.

Back then, Nana had even suggested we spend our honeymoon there.

I had refused.

Work was too important.

At least, that was the excuse I had used.

A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

If I could go back in time, I would have taken her there myself.

Just as I was about to close the app, a repost caught my attention.

My eyes narrowed.

It was a photograph of a luxury resort surrounded by crystal-clear blue water.

The caption read:

"Wish I could take a break and enjoy the waters for a while".

My heartbeat quickened.

I immediately opened the image.

The scenery looked familiar.

Hope surged through me.

Without wasting another second, I scrolled through my contacts and dialed a number.

The call was answered almost instantly.

"Mr. Blackwood."

"I’m forwarding you a photo," I said. "Find out exactly where it was taken. I want the location immediately."

"Understood."

The line disconnected.

A few minutes later, my phone vibrated.

Henry had sent the results.

My eyes locked onto the screen.

The resort was located in M city.

A strange mixture of relief and anticipation washed over me.

I trusted Henry’s abilities completely. As the head of Aurelius Technology’s cyber security team, he had never been wrong.

Could Alicia really be there?

I immediately forwarded the information to Jane.

Prepare the private jet.

Book me a room at this resort.

As soon as possible.

Jane replied almost instantly.

Understood, sir.

I stared at the photograph again.

I could have contacted the resort directly and asked whether Alicia was staying there.

But after days of searching without results, I already knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

Alicia had gone out of her way to disappear.

She was likely using different identification, different payment methods, and different contact information.

She didn’t want to be found.

Which meant there was only one option left.

I would go there myself.

No matter what it took, I had to find her.

I stood up and headed back to the master bedroom, intending to pack a few personal belongings for the trip.

But the moment I stepped into the dark, silent room, a hollow feeling settled heavily in my chest.

My gaze drifted to Alicia’s side of the bed.

The same place where I had left her sleeping only a few days ago.

Back then, everything had seemed normal.

Now it was untouched.

Silent, Cold.

I slowly walked over, irrationally feeling as though she might suddenly appear if I got close enough.

Of course, nothing happened.

I sat down on her side of the bed.

The sheets were neatly arranged, exactly as Maria had left them, yet somehow the bed felt different.

Less welcoming.

Less warm.

I stared at the empty space beside me.

Maybe it had never been about the bed.

Maybe it had always been about the person sharing it with me.

The realization made my chest ache.

Perhaps that was why the villa no longer felt like home.

I had spent two years living here, yet now every room felt unfamiliar.

Empty.

Lifeless.

Maybe it was because Alicia had always been the one filling those spaces without me realizing it.

The one who waited for me to come home.

The one who made even the quietest days feel comfortable.

The one whose presence turned a house into a home.

I reached for her pillow and pulled it into my arms.

Burying my face against it, I inhaled deeply.

Vanilla.

Her shampoo.

The scent had already begun fading, but it was still there.

Just enough to make my chest tighten.

I closed my eyes.

Memories surfaced one after another.

Nights spent tangled together beneath these sheets.

Mornings waking up beside her.

Moments I had once taken for granted.

Moments I would give anything to experience again.

I lay down on the bed, still holding the pillow tightly against my chest.

For the first time in days, sleep came easily.

It claimed me before I even realized it.

But the peace didn’t last.

In the early hours of the morning, I jolted awake.

My heart hammered violently against my ribs.

My breathing came out uneven.

The nightmare still lingered vividly in my mind.

I had seen Alicia.

She was alone.

Pregnant.

Lost.

She sat in a dim room with no one beside her. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

No one taking care of her.

No one helping her.

She looked exhausted.

Weak.

Afraid.

And I was outside the door.

I could hear her.

See her.

Yet no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t reach her.

The door remained locked.

Because she was afraid of me.

Afraid I would hurt her again.

Afraid I would take our child away from her.

My chest tightened painfully.

I pressed a hand against my face and took several slow breaths.

I would never hurt Alicia.

Never.

And I would never take our baby away from her.

The fact that she might genuinely believe otherwise was enough to make me feel sick.

That was exactly why I needed to find her.

Not to force her to come back.

Not to make her forgive me.

I just needed to know she was safe.

That she and the baby were alright.

After sitting there for several minutes, I finally calmed down enough to move.

I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

A long shower helped clear some of the exhaustion from my mind.

When I returned, my phone was ringing....