Chapter 18: There is no trace of her

Before either could say more, Ethan's laughter interrupted them.

—That was so much fun! —the boy exclaimed, running toward them with a wide smile—. Dad, you have to play too!

The seriousness of the moment dissolved as Ethan took Alexander's hand and began to pull him toward the center of the garden.

—Come on, Dad. Let's all play together. Bella is really good at catching the ball.

Alexander, still somewhat bewildered, agreed with a small smile. He didn't usually engage in such activities, but something about Ethan's joy and Isabella's energy made him yield. Soon, the three of them were running around the garden, tossing the ball back and forth as Ethan's laughter echoed throughout the place.

—Watch out, Bella! —Ethan yelled, throwing the ball at her with all his might.

Isabella, pretending she couldn't catch it, let the ball pass over her, causing Ethan to burst into laughter.

— I beat you, Bella! — Ethan said proudly, jumping with joy.

— You're so fast, Ethan. I can't keep up with you — she replied, laughing.

Alexander watched the game with a mix of emotions. Seeing his son so happy, interacting with Isabella in that way, warmed him, but at the same time, it felt unsettling. That image of the three of them together seemed more natural than it should have, as if something inside him recognized Isabella in some inexplicable way.

At one moment, while Isabella picked up the ball, Alexander moved closer to her, his eyes still lost in that strange sensation he had felt when he had held her.

— That perfume you’re wearing... — he said softly, as if talking to himself — It seems familiar, but I can’t remember where from.

Isabella looked at him with curiosity, but before she could respond, Ethan ran between them, grabbing the ball and distracting both of them.

— Another round! Another round! — the boy insisted, giving them no time for further reflections.

Isabella smiled and nodded, trying to shake off the tension she had felt. However, something in the way Alexander had looked at her left her uneasy. She couldn’t allow him to start putting the pieces together, not yet.

The afternoon continued with laughter and games, but Alexander’s question hung in the air, unanswered.

After a fun-filled afternoon, night began to slowly fall over the mansion. Ethan, exhausted from so much activity, fell asleep early, leaving Isabella and Alexander alone in the garden, enveloped in the soft murmur of the wind.

Isabella picked up the toys from the grass, while Alexander stood by, watching the lights begin to turn on inside the house. There was something on his mind, a thought he couldn’t shake since he had sensed that familiar perfume from Isabella.

— I wonder how you do it — Alexander said suddenly, breaking the silence.

— How do I do what? — Isabella replied, looking up, surprised by Alexander's suddenly reflective tone.

— Make Ethan feel so safe and comfortable with you. It’s as if... as if you’ve always been around him — he said, his eyes fixed on her, searching for answers he didn’t even know he needed.

Isabella felt a lump in her throat. She knew that the connection with Ethan went beyond her role as a nanny, but she couldn't afford to reveal what she truly felt. Not yet. So, she opted to smile softly.

— Kids just need love and patience — she replied humbly — Ethan is a special boy. He just needed a bit of attention.

Alexander watched her in silence for a few more moments, as if he wanted to say something else, but held it back. Finally, with a slight nod, he turned around and headed toward the mansion.

— Good night, Isabella — he said in an expressionless tone, but with thoughts clearly tangled in his mind.

— Good night — Isabella whispered.

Once inside the house, Alexander walked straight to his office. He closed the door behind him and collapsed into the armchair in front of his desk. He turned on the lamp on his table and rubbed his eyes. The memories of that perfume continued to linger in his mind. It was not just the feeling of familiarity. It was something deeper, something he couldn’t explain.

He took his phone and dialed a number he hadn’t used in a long time. After a few seconds, a male voice answered on the other end.

— Sir? — his assistant responded, sounding a bit confused by the hour.

— I want to know if you’ve made any progress on the investigation I asked for — Alexander said with a firm voice.

There was a brief silence on the other end, as if the assistant wasn’t sure what investigation he was referring to. Then, as if suddenly remembering, his tone turned more serious.

— You mean the woman from six years ago... the one who helped you at that party — he asked, more as a confirmation than a real question.

— Exactly. What have you found out? — Alexander insisted.

There was a brief sigh on the other end of the line, followed by a response that Alexander had already feared.

— I’m sorry, sir. We haven’t found anything concrete. The description you provided was too vague, and there are no records of that woman. It’s as if she disappeared.

Alexander clenched his jaw. He had spent years trying to locate the woman who had saved him that night when he had been drugged at a party and almost ended up in a catastrophic situation. That woman, whose face he could not remember clearly, had taken care of him until he was safe. But then she had vanished without a trace.

— Keep searching — Alexander ordered, his tone cold and sharp.

— Of course, sir. We won’t rest until we find her — the assistant replied.

Alexander hung up without saying anything more and stared at the phone in his hand. Who was that woman? And, above all, why did every time he was near Isabella, something inside him told him that the two were somehow connected?

The thought tormented him, but he kept it to himself. He couldn’t afford distractions, not now.

Outside, in the garden, Isabella paused for a moment, looking toward the illuminated windows of the mansion. She felt that something had changed in the way Alexander looked at her. Had he begun to suspect? She shook her head. She couldn’t allow everything to fall apart now. Not after everything that had happened.

The wind blew gently, carrying with it a whisper of memories that faded as soon as they arrived. The mystery of her past and Alexander’s remained hidden, but not for long. Everythi

ng was about to come to light, and when it did, nothing would be the same again.