Chapter 112 The Person Who Saved Her
By the time William reached the downstream site, the crane was already hauling the mangled black sedan from the river bottom. Shattered glass littered the ground. Muddy water poured from the wreckage in thick streams.
He rushed forward and wrenched open the twisted driver's door. The seat was empty. His chest constricted, as if a fist had closed around his heart.
"Where is she?" His voice cracked with tension, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the rescue team. "Where the hell is she?"
The car wasn't what he was looking for.
The rescue captain steeled himself. "Mr. Spencer, we've checked the entire vehicle. There's no one inside. The current here is strong, and the impact from the fall was massive. She may have been swept away by the water."
William's jaw clenched. "Swept away?"
He couldn't accept that.
The captain saw his expression harden and tried a different approach. "It's also possible she regained consciousness after hitting the water and managed to get out on her own. But..." He hesitated. "The odds of that are slim. It's freezing out here, and it's the middle of the night. Even if she made it out, surviving afterward would be nearly impossible."
Besides, the force of an impact like that would leave most people unable to move, let alone swim to shore.
He was only saying this to offer William some small comfort.
Without a body, they couldn't confirm Isabella was dead. There had to be some hope.
William's voice came out in a growl. "No." He kicked the crumpled car door. "Keep searching. Drain the whole river if you have to—just find her."
He refused to live with uncertainty. Dead or alive, she had to be found.
Two hundred rescue personnel split into more than twenty teams, conducting a grid search along both sides of the riverbank.
Searchlights blazed across the water's surface, cutting through the darkness. Everyone moved with urgent purpose.
William stood in the bitter wind, chain-smoking. The ember between his fingers glowed and faded, glowed and faded. He didn't stop all night.
When dawn broke over the horizon, the teams began returning one by one. Every report brought the same crushing disappointment.
Even the scouts sent to gather information came back empty-handed.
In a single night, Isabella had vanished as if she'd never existed.
"Mr. Spencer, we've covered ten miles downstream. Nothing. We checked the woods along the shore, the abandoned docks—everything. We questioned every fishing boat in the area. No one saw anything unusual."
William's face had gone pale as bone. Cigarette butts lay scattered at his feet in a small mountain.
He dragged a hand down his face. His fingers were ice-cold. Only then did he realize he was drenched in sweat.
How could there be nothing? It was impossible.
"Dylan." His voice was hoarse but razor-sharp. "Check every hospital in the city. Every clinic. Every private urgent care facility. If anyone matching Isabella's description came in last night with any kind of injury—even minor—I want to know about it. Don't miss a single one."
Isabella had been in a similar situation before. Someone downstream had pulled her out that time.
If someone had rescued her, they would have taken her to a medical facility. They had to find a record.
Dylan immediately relayed the orders, mobilizing the secretarial staff to help.
More people meant faster results.
Phone calls went out one after another. The minutes crawled by.
By noon, the sun blazed overhead, but it couldn't touch the cold spreading through William's chest.
Dylan approached, his expression grim. He shook his head. "Mr. Spencer, we've checked everywhere. Not a single medical facility in the city admitted anyone matching Ms. Tudor's description last night."
William stood frozen. A ringing filled his ears.
She couldn't have been swept away. She hadn't been taken to a hospital.
Then where was she? Could she really have... left no trace at all?
William's fists clenched. Panic surged through his chest like nothing he'd ever felt before.
He hadn't settled things with Isabella yet. She didn't get to die.
Who gave her permission to die?
Even if she was dead, he needed her body found.
In a manor on the outskirts of the city, Isabella's eyes fluttered open. Every inch of her body screamed in agony, like she'd been run over by a truck.
She stared at the unfamiliar room, disoriented. Fragments of last night's crash flickered through her mind. She looked toward the window. Daylight.
Where was she? How long had she been unconscious?
Isabella tried to sit up, but her bones felt shattered. She couldn't move.
She fumbled around for her phone. Nothing.
Right. Her phone would still be in the car. So how did she get here? Who had saved her?
"Hello?" Her voice came out weak as she called toward the door. She needed to know who had pulled her out.
Footsteps sounded outside. Isabella's pulse quickened.
In an unfamiliar place, her instincts screamed caution.
The door opened. When she saw who entered, the anxiety drained away instantly, replaced by a sense of safety.
"Mr. Spencer?" Isabella stared at him in surprise. "You saved me."
Thomas had grown used to her calling him that. He didn't bother correcting her anymore.
He carried a glass of water as he approached, gently helping her sit up.
"Drink first. Then I'll explain everything."
Isabella's throat felt like sandpaper. The water was exactly what she needed.
Her body was so weak, even swallowing was painful.
"Take it slow. Don't rush."
Thomas patted her back gently, his face etched with concern. His eyes still held traces of fear. If he hadn't been following Isabella last night, if he hadn't pulled her out in time, the outcome would have been unthinkable.
Isabella drank half the glass and felt herself come back to life. She looked at him curiously.
"Can you tell me now? What happened?"
Thomas sighed. "Ever since I found out you were taken to Rosewood Estate, I've been keeping watch nearby. I wanted to know how you were doing. I was afraid he'd hurt you."
Isabella shook her head. "I told you not to get involved in this. You could get yourself killed."
Thomas gave her a rueful smile. "I made a promise to Ambrose. Even if he's not here, I have to protect you for him. He may have lost his memory, but I haven't lost mine. I intend to keep my word."
Isabella looked at the determination in his expression, momentarily speechless.
Thomas continued. "I've been nearby for the past two weeks, but I never saw you. I had no idea what was happening to you. Then the night before last, you drove out. I followed you."
Isabella seized on the detail, her eyes widening. "The night before last? I've been unconscious for two days?"
Thomas nodded. "The impact was severe. You were out for two full days. I didn't take you to a hospital—I didn't want William to find you. I brought in a private doctor to examine you instead."
Isabella's expression shifted suddenly, urgency flooding her voice. "Mr. Spencer, thank you for saving me. But you need to leave. Now. William will find me eventually. If he discovers you're the one hiding me here, he won't let you live."