Chapter 269 He Didn't Want Anyone Else
Henry handed Taylor over to Clara and then climbed down the cliff to look for Grace.
For days, he barely slept. Besides the search and rescue team from Evergreen City, he spent a fortune to gather a team of over 800 people, determined to find Grace no matter what.
A day passed, then three days, then a week.
There was no sign of Grace; it was like she had vanished into thin air. Meanwhile, Riley was also missing. Experts suggested they might have landed in the sea, which meant...
No one could bear to finish that thought.
It was clear to everyone that Henry, the youngest billionaire in Evergreen City, was on the brink of collapse, unable to handle the loss of his wife.
The longer it took, the less hope there was. The search continued, but everyone knew Grace wasn't going to be found.
Despair was spreading, but Henry didn't give up. Everyone else had given up in their hearts, but he couldn't, because Grace was his wife and he loved her so much.
He insisted on continuing the search. He firmly believed that one day he would find Grace, and they would be reunited as a family.
He temporarily handed over the Montague Group to Neil. It was founded by Neil, and even though he hadn't managed it in recent years, with Celeste around, there wouldn't be any problems.
As for Taylor and Avery, he entrusted Clara to take care of them.
Aurora also often came by to help take care of the kids or bring them to the Montague Mansion. With Grace not at home, no one mentioned those unpleasant past events anymore.
That year, Henry lived in the mountains.
Every weekend, Clara would visit, bringing Henry some homemade food and asking about the search and rescue progress. After each conversation, Clara would remain silent for a long time.
At night, Clara would sit by the cliff, quietly watching the distant sea. The wind was strong at night, but Clara sat there all night.
That Christmas, Henry didn't go home. He led the search and rescue team to dredge the sea, but of course, they found nothing. At night, he returned to the simple mobile home, where cold food awaited him. He ate quietly, alone.
From the time Grace went missing until now, he had never shed a tear.
But that night, as he ate Grace's favorite food, tears uncontrollably streamed down his face. He didn't wipe them away; he numbly continued eating. He didn't think about the possibilities; not thinking was the only way he could keep going.
Many people advised him to give up, but Henry turned a deaf ear. He searched day and night in Icewind for almost a year. People said he was crazy, but he didn't care! He only knew that if he stopped searching for Grace, she would truly disappear from this world.
He searched for a whole year. Henry got tanned and lost a lot of weight.
In September of the second year, as autumn arrived, the mountains became cool.
That day, Henry had just returned from outside, and Clara was already waiting there. She brought Henry his favorite steak. While Henry ate, she helped serve the food, her expression gentle.
After dinner, Clara washed the dishes.
As usual, Henry opened his laptop to discuss the next day's plan with the search and rescue team.
Suddenly, Clara spoke, "Henry, just give up."
Henry thought he had misheard. He looked up at Clara.
Clara didn't turn around. Her voice choked with emotion as she uttered, "Henry, it's time to move on. Grace can't be found." Clara's visit and these words were well thought out.
Henry stared at her for a long time. Finally, he pulled a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and smoked half of it before saying in a low voice, "I don't want to give up. I can find Grace!"
Suddenly, Clara turned around, her eyes filled with tears. She trembled as she said, "Henry, don't be so stupid. You've been living here for years. You might not think about yourself or your parents, but you have to think about the kids. Taylor has nightmares every night, and Avery hasn't spoken a word all year. Henry, they not only need their mom, but also their dad. You haven't been home all year; they are worried and scared. Henry, come home and look at the kids!"
Henry remained silent. After a long time, he brought the remaining cigarette butt to his lips, but it had already gone out. He quietly looked at the extinguished cigarette butt for a long time before hoarsely saying, "Clara, thank you for taking care of the kids this past year."
Henry's eyes were a bit moist. He didn't say anything more. That night, he sat by the cliff, holding Grace's violin, and played a tune in the mountains.
In the night wind, he softly said, "I used to practice secretly to surprise you, but you never got the chance to hear it. Grace, did you hear it?"
The night wind wailed, and the sound of the violin was mournful.
Henry sat there all night. At dawn, he disbanded the search and rescue team, gave everyone a generous reward, and waited until everyone had left. He stood there for a long time.
Henry returned to the city and brought Taylor and Avery back. Clara also lived with them.
Life slowly returned to normal.
Henry took on the responsibility of being a father. He took Taylor and Avery to see a psychologist for treatment. Gradually, Taylor became much more cheerful and rarely had nightmares at night. But how could those wounds be easily erased?
Taylor rarely mentioned Grace. It wasn't that she didn't want to; Grace was never far from her thoughts.
Taylor was just afraid of making Henry sad because many nights, she saw Henry sitting alone in the study, quietly looking at old photos of Grace.
They lived a peaceful life.
Henry also returned to his normal work. One day, he had just finished his work and was pinching the bridge of his nose, wanting to take a break.
There was a knock at the door, and Henry invited the person in.
The office door opened gently, and in came Lydia Wright, the secretary from the executive office. She cheerfully said, "Mr. Montague, I'm starting my wedding leave tomorrow. If there's anything important, have Celeste contact me."
"You're getting married? Congratulations," Henry said calmly. He usually didn't inquire much about his female subordinates' personal lives. In his impression, Lydia had just graduated from college, and he hadn't expected her to be getting married.
Lydia blushed slightly and softly said, "Thank you, Mr. Montague! I wish you happiness too."
Then she left.
The office returned to silence. Henry gently unwrapped a piece of candy and put it in his mouth. He didn't like sweets, but now he wanted one because his heart was too bitter.
Just now, Lydia had wished him happiness. How could he be happy after losing Grace? The rest of his life was just about chasing fame and fortune and fulfilling his responsibilities to take care of his children.
Henry remembered that recently Clara had also hinted that he should find a girlfriend, but he refused. He didn't necessarily need marriage; he just wanted Grace. He just wanted to live a peaceful life with Grace. He didn't want anyone else.