Chapter 3

3.

Just like before, the message sank into an endless void without any response.

I handed full power of attorney over to my lawyer friend, telling him to notify me only when my signature was required.

Simone had already completed the relocation paperwork and drove me directly to the international airport.

Right before we reached the boarding gate, my phone rang with a call from Gavin, his voice laced with frantic excitement.

“Tessa! We found your grandmother! But her condition is critical, you have to get over here right now to see her one last time!”

My grandmother had wandered off years ago due to severe dementia, and despite my relentless searching, I had never found a single trace of her.

Hearing this sudden news, a wave of desperate hope and terror washed over me, and I asked frantically,

“Where is she? I’m coming right now!”

Simone grabbed my arm, her face grim with suspicion.

“You can’t trust a single word out of Gavin’s mouth. Have you forgotten how many times he’s lied to you?”

I hesitated for a few agonizing seconds, torn by the possibilities spinning through my head.

Finally, I pressed my lips together and spoke with firm resolve.

“He knows how much Grandma means to me. He wouldn’t use her life to pull a stunt.”

Simone let out a resigned sigh without blaming me, telling me to go while she stayed behind to reschedule our flights.

Gavin texted me the location of a suburban care center, and I immediately hailed a cab to rush over.

However, halfway there, the taxi ground to a dead halt on the elevated highway.

Looking at the endless sea of red taillights, the driver told me the gridlock would take at least three hours to clear.

The care facility was still over twelve miles away.

Without a second thought, I pushed the door open and began sprinting along the shoulder toward the facility.

For six grueling hours, I ran until my lungs felt like they were tearing apart inside my chest.

I didn't dare stop for even a single minute, terrified of missing my grandmother’s final breath.

I sent frantic voice notes to Gavin, begging him to hold on and telling him I was almost there.

My legs were trembling so violently they felt completely numb, and my throat was so dry I could barely make a sound when I finally collapsed outside the gates.

In a panic, I dialed Gavin’s number, but over a dozen calls went entirely unanswered.

Suddenly, the deafening roar of helicopter blades echoed overhead as a private chopper descended onto the nearby landing pad.

I watched in a daze as Gavin stepped out, gently holding Rhea by the arm.

My eyes bloodshot, I dragged myself forward and screamed, “Where is she?! Where is my grandmother?!”

Gavin glanced down at my disheveled, mud-stained appearance, brushing off his tailored suit with undisguised irritation before sneering.

“You really are an idiot. How do you fall for the exact same trick every single time?”

I stared at him in utter disbelief, collapsing onto the cold pavement.

Rhea’s silk blouse was halfway unbuttoned, revealing fresh, flushed marks across her collarbone, and she covered her mouth with a mocking giggle.

“I’m so sorry, Tessa. It was just another little game we played to keep things exciting.”

“We were watching you sprint the entire way from the helicopter. Seeing you look so desperate really added some serious thrill to our afternoon. Thanks a lot!”

I looked at Gavin in sheer agony, unable to fathom that he would use my missing grandmother as a sick tool for their amusement.

And all of it was just to serve as foreplay for them.

Staring fixedly at that familiar yet terrifyingly foreign face, tears spilled down my cheeks as I choked out a desperate demand.

“I’m only asking you this once. Did you actually find my grandmother?!”

A flicker of hesitation crossed Gavin’s face, his lips parting slightly without an answer.

Rhea stepped in and answered for him with a cruel smirk.

“Of course he found her! But the old lady died a long time ago. We were actually planning to have you visit her grave as our next little prank!”

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