Tristin stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance.

‎A moment later, the door opened.

‎Maria stood there.

‎Her eyes widened slightly.

‎"Mr. Tristin."

‎"Maria."

‎He glanced behind her.

‎"Is Alexander home?"

‎The smile on Maria’s face disappeared.

‎"No, sir."

‎Tristin frowned.

‎"When will he be back?"

‎Maria hesitated.

‎Then she lowered her gaze.

‎"I’m not sure."

‎Tristin immediately sensed something was wrong.

‎"What do you mean you’re not sure?"

‎Maria looked conflicted.

‎Finally, she stepped aside and allowed him inside.

‎The villa felt strangely empty.

‎As if someone had taken all the warmth out of it.

‎Tristin sat down while Maria brought him tea.

‎Only after setting the tray down did she speak.

‎"Sir has been away for almost a week now."

‎Tristin froze.

‎"A week?"

‎Maria nodded.

‎"Yes."

‎His brows furrowed deeply.

‎"A week where?"

‎Maria looked uncomfortable.

‎For a moment, she debated whether she should say anything.

‎Then she sighed.

‎"He’s searching for Mrs. Alicia."

‎Tristin stared at her.

‎

‎"What?"

‎"Mrs. Alicia left."

‎The words hit him like a brick.

‎Maria lowered her head.

‎"She left the villa over a week ago."

‎"And sir has been searching for her ever since."

‎The room fell silent.

Tristin slowly leaned back against the couch.

He had been following everything that happened between Alexander and Alicia, but he had no idea she had actually left.

Though he wasn’t exactly surprised.

Everyone in the Blackwood family knew the marriage had been arranged by Rosaline.

Alicia might have endured everything because of the old matriarch, but now that Rosaline was gone, it was only natural that she would finally choose herself.

What didn’t make sense was Alexander.

Judging from everything that had happened, Alexander had never seemed particularly attached to Alicia.

If anything, most people believed he had only stayed in the marriage out of obligation.

Then why was he suddenly so desperate to find her?

If there was one thing Tristin knew about Alexander, it was that he never allowed his personal life to interfere with business.

Yet now he had disappeared for nearly a week.

Ignored the company he had spent years building.

For the first time, it all made sense to Tristin.

Alexander wasn’t avoiding responsibility.

He was chasing after his wife.

A wife Tristin had once believed meant very little to him.

Yet now he had abandoned an entire empire just to find her.

Maria looked worried.

‎"Mr. Tristin..."

‎He looked up.

‎"Have you spoken to him recently?"

‎Maria nodded.

‎"yes, we made phone calls."

‎"And?"

‎Maria’s expression darkened.

‎"He doesn’t sound like himself anymore."

‎Tristin fell silent.

‎Outside, the evening sun slowly dipped below the horizon.

‎

‎For the first time, he realized the situation was far more serious than what he thought.

Tristin asked Maria to inform Alexander of his visit whenever he returned and eventually left the villa, a sense of helplessness weighing heavily on him.

As he stepped outside, he paused for a moment and glanced back at the house.

The villa stood quietly beneath the fading evening light, looking far too empty for a place that was once filled with life.

Tristin quietly thought about how serious the situation have become.

This was no longer just about a missing chairman.

Alexander Blackwood might actually be falling apart.

And for the first time in his life, there seemed to be nothing anyone could do about it.

Alexander’s POV

After another unsuccessful search, I returned to my room feeling completely helpless.

The past week had been exhausting, but it still wasn’t as overwhelming as the ache sitting in my chest.

Just as I freshened up and returned to the bedroom, my phone rang.

Uncle Steve.

I sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.

To be honest, I had been expecting his calls ever since I arrived in M City.

When I first joined the company, whenever I made a decision the older shareholders disagreed with, they would immediately report me to Nana. At first, she would call and discuss it with me, but over time she realized it wasn’t helping the company grow and stopped interfering.

Now that she was gone, Uncle Steve had naturally become the person the shareholders turned to whenever they had complaints, even though he wasn’t actively involved in the company’s operations.

The call ended.

A few seconds later, it rang again.

I hesitated before finally answering.

"Alexander, where are you?"

That was the first thing Uncle Steve asked.

"Uncle," I replied quietly. "I’m in M City."

There was a brief pause.

"Are you still searching for her?"

I didn’t answer.

Uncle Steve let out a sigh.

"Alexander, the company needs you."

"Alicia is still missing."

The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

Another silence followed.

Then he spoke again.

"Don’t you think Alicia left for a reason?"

I frowned.

"Are you trying to tell me to let her go?"

My voice rose slightly.

"She’s pregnant, Uncle. She has no one else to rely on. What if something happens to her?"

"Do you really think Alicia is the type of person who acts recklessly?" he asked calmly.

"She may not have relatives she can depend on, but she’s an adult. She’s capable of taking care of herself."

"You don’t have to worry so much."

I clenched my jaw.

"She’s my wife."

My voice came out lower this time.

"And I love her."

The words felt strange and painful as they left my lips.

"How am I supposed to just let her go like this?"

For a moment, Uncle Steve said nothing.

Then he sighed.

"But Alexander, you can’t force someone to stay in a life that makes them unhappy."

"You know Alicia can’t be blamed for this."

I immediately shook my head.

"She should’ve talked to me."

My grip tightened around the phone.

"She should’ve given me a chance to explain everything."

"Alexander."

His voice became firmer.

"You still think Alicia left because of a misunderstanding?"

I frowned.

"What are you trying to say?"

"You know exactly what Alicia has been through."

His tone softened again.

"If a misunderstanding was enough to make her leave, she would’ve walked away a long time ago."

I fell silent.

The room suddenly felt suffocating. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"What are you trying to say, Uncle?" I asked quietly.

"Alicia still thinks I was hiding Lilian from her."

"And that thought keeps haunting me."

"Alexander," Uncle Steve said gently.

"Alicia didn’t leave because of Lilian."

The words made me freeze.

"If that was the only problem, she would’ve left long ago."

"She’s exhausted."

"Emotionally exhausted."

"Sometimes people reach a point where they simply can’t carry the weight anymore."

I closed my eyes.

My chest felt tight.

"I’ve spent two years of my life with Alicia."

My voice sounded hoarse.

"She’s become a part of my life."

"A part so important that I don’t think I can survive without her."

For the first time, I admitted it out loud.

To my surprise, Uncle Steve laughed quietly on the other end of the call...