Chapter 122 Disappearance

Chapter 122 Disappearance

Time flew by, and soon it was the evening of Vivian's birthday party.

Shawn left Rosewood Estates early that afternoon, saying he needed to handle the final paperwork for the island transfer.

Ruth didn't ask questions. She watched his car pull through the gates, silently mouthed goodbye, then turned and went back to her room.

On the table lay the deep blue gown Shawn had sent over.

She reached out and touched it. If she didn't wear it, Shawn would probably get suspicious. In the end, she put it on.

Vivian's birthday party tonight was set at the top-floor ballroom of the SU hotel, where the city's elite would gather.

Seeing it was almost time, Ruth drove to the hotel alone.

As her car climbed the bridge spanning the river toward Manhattan, she deliberately slowed down.

Traffic on the bridge wasn't heavy. River wind blew through the half-open window. Through the rearview mirror, Ruth spotted a black sedan following behind—William's people.

Just before reaching the other side, Ruth looked away from the mirror and jerked the steering wheel hard to the right.

The tires shrieked against the pavement. The car slammed into the guardrail, the impact sharp and clear in the night air.

The guardrail broke open.

The car shot through the gap, arcing through the air before plunging into the churning river below.

Water sprayed up, then was quickly swallowed by the current.

The black sedan stopped on the bridge.

Two doors opened. Two figures hurried to the gap, glanced down at the roiling water below, then returned to their car and drove off quickly.

Meanwhile, in the shadows beneath the bridge supports, another car had been waiting.

Ruth emerged from a side maintenance passage onto the bridge surface, the deep blue gown now replaced by ordinary outerwear and pants.

She ducked into the car. The moment the door closed, the vehicle slipped silently into the night.

William sat in the back seat. He glanced at her, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment. "You okay?"

Ruth nodded, her voice calm. "I'm fine."

The car had no visible driver. It simply rolled down the slope heading south, disappearing into the New York night.

At the same time, inside the SU hotel ballroom.

Vivian wore a red evening gown, her pregnant belly cleverly concealed by the empire waist design. She looked like a swan.

She moved through the guests with a juice glass in hand, her face radiant with smiles as she accepted congratulations and compliments.

Mrs. Crompton stood at her side, occasionally introducing her to important guests.

Everything was going smoothly.

Until halfway through the party, when the massive display screen at the front of the ballroom suddenly flickered.

Every eye turned toward it.

First came clear surveillance footage.

In a dim bar booth, Shawn and Vivian leaned close together.

Vivian's hand rested on his collar. They were practically pressed against each other.

Then the image switched to a series of bank transfer screenshots, hotel check-in records—times, locations, amounts, all clearly displayed.

Next came an audio recording. Shawn's voice echoed through the speakers: "She's just a game to me, all an act..."

The ballroom fell deathly silent, then erupted in gasps and urgent whispers.

The color drained from Vivian's face. The juice glass slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor.

She instinctively turned to look toward the side of the stage.

Shawn had arrived, standing near the entrance with documents in hand—clearly the final paperwork for the island transfer.

The moment he saw what was on screen, the papers slipped from his grip.

Guests turned to stare, their gazes bouncing between the two, their whispers growing louder.

Shawn was about to say something when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He glanced at the caller ID. The repair crew number.

He answered. An urgent voice came through: "Mr. Grey, Mrs. Grey's car broke through the guardrail on the river bridge and plunged into the water. The rescue team is doing everything they can to recover..."

Shawn's mind went blank, as if something inside him had snapped in that instant.

He spun around, shoving through the crowd toward the exit. He didn't even pick up the island transfer documents from the floor.

Vivian stood center stage, watching Shawn leave without hesitation, panic rising in her chest.

She wanted to chase after him, but the crowd had already swallowed her up.

Why was this happening? Had Ruth done this?

The guests continued their murmuring. Mrs. Crompton just frowned at the images on screen, said nothing, and left the ballroom.

Vivian wanted to call after Mrs. Crompton, but couldn't think of what to say.

In the end, she stood there alone, darkness closing in on her vision, swaying on her feet with no one to catch her.

"I always thought something was off between Vivian and that Shawn. Never expected it was actually..."

"Poor Mrs. Grey, completely in the dark."

"Those two are absolute scum."

...

Vivian was falling apart. When she finally pulled herself together, she grabbed her skirt and rushed toward the lounge.

Meanwhile, on the river bridge.

Police lights flashed red and blue in the darkness. Several rescue boats crisscrossed the river surface, searchlights sweeping back and forth over the water.

When Shawn arrived, his legs nearly gave out.

He stumbled toward the broken guardrail, looked down at the black water below, his voice hoarse. "Where is she? Did you find her?"

The rescue captain approached, his expression grave. "Mr. Grey, the current is strong. We haven't located anyone yet. We're expanding the search area. You should—"

Shawn didn't let him finish. He shoved him aside, nearly climbing over the guardrail himself. "I need to go down there! I need to find her!"

Several people pulled him back, gripping his shoulders firmly.

"Mr. Grey, please calm down! It's too dangerous down there!"

Shawn was pinned to the bridge surface, his whole body trembling, low sobs catching in his throat.

He remembered Ruth's face, her smile, her voice. His mouth twisted involuntarily. "How is this possible?"

Then he remembered all the lies he'd told. Was this his punishment?

But even if it was punishment, why should heaven punish Ruth instead of him?

The rescue team continued searching until dawn. In the end, they only recovered the mangled car. Ruth was nowhere to be found.

Shawn sat slumped against the bridge railing, like a dog abandoned by its owner.