Chapter 113 After All: He Found Her
William's reach in this city was absolute. As long as she was alive, no matter how well hidden, he would find her.
He had once planted a tracking chip inside her body just to catch Lester. That kind of ruthlessness left no room for mercy. There was no way he would let this go.
These past two days, he must have been tearing the city apart looking for her. Isabella could almost picture his rage.
If he discovered Thomas had hidden her, he would destroy him without hesitation.
Thomas tried to reassure her. "Don't worry. He won't find this place. The doctor's a friend—he won't talk."
Isabella shook her head, the knot of dread in her stomach refused to loosen. It would never be that simple.
William was too sharp. As long as she was breathing, he would track her down.
She couldn't let Thomas stay here. Every second put him in danger. Her voice sharpened with urgency.
"Mr. Spencer, please listen to me. You need to leave. Now. If you don't go—"
A deafening crash cut her off. The front gate exploded inward as a vehicle smashed through it. The whole villa shook. Isabella's first thought was immediate and certain—William was here.
She forced herself upright, gasping through the pain. "Go! Hide somewhere—anywhere. Don't let William see you. He'll kill you."
"Isabella, don't be afraid. He won't kill me."
Isabella shook her head frantically. "But he'll make you wish he had. Please, just go! Don't let him find you. Please!"
Thomas saw the tears streaming down her face and realized no words would calm her. The only way to give her peace was to do exactly as she asked.
He drew a deep breath. "All right. There's a hidden basement. I'll go there now. You... take care of yourself."
He had planned to let her rest another day, then find a way to get her out of the city.
But he had already checked—every exit route was locked down. William had sealed them all. Anyone approaching would be spotted immediately. He had been searching for alternatives.
He had thought he could buy a few more days, let her regain some strength. He hadn't expected William to find them this fast.
William's methods were more terrifying than he had imagined.
Under Isabella's desperate gaze, Thomas reluctantly backed toward the basement entrance.
Isabella heard rapid footsteps in the hallway. She closed her eyes immediately, feigning unconsciousness.
The next second, the door slammed open. The moment William saw the figure on the bed, the vise around his chest finally released.
The past two days had been a blur of sleepless hell.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Isabella struggling in freezing water, reaching for him, calling for help.
When he woke, there was only emptiness.
He hated her—that was real. He was disgusted by her—that was real too. But he absolutely would not allow her to die.
Now, finally seeing her alive, his control snapped. He lunged forward, grabbed her arm, and hauled her upright.
Pain tore through her body as her eyes snapped open, meeting his bloodshot stare.
His eyes were swollen, like he hadn't slept in days. He reeked of cigarettes and alcohol, undercut by the sourness of unwashed skin. He clearly hadn't bathed in days.
"Isabella, either you're dead or you're not. Stop playing games with me!"
If she wasn't dead, why hadn't she contacted him? Why hadn't she come back? Why had she let him lose his mind?
Isabella's head spun violently. Her stomach lurched. She turned her head and vomited.
William finally let go.
What came up was only yellow bile. She clearly hadn't eaten in days.
"Who brought you here?"
Isabella gasped for air, lifting tear-filled eyes to him. Confusion clouded her face. "Where am I? Who brought me here?"
William's voice turned sharp with frustration. "I'm asking you! Do you know who brought you here or not?"
Isabella looked around the room, her expression genuinely blank. She knew nothing.
William's jaw tightened. He had exhausted every resource tracking her to this location, but he still hadn't confirmed who was responsible.
He had been terrified someone might smuggle her out of the city. He had already ordered every checkpoint to report her location the instant she was spotted.
No one dared cross William. If there was news of her, he would hear it immediately.
He knew Ambrose had lost his memory and been sent abroad by the Mellon Family. It couldn't be him. But he couldn't figure out who else would hide her here.
The only other person he could think of was Thomas, but he had already warned the branch families to keep Thomas under surveillance—to stop him before he did something reckless and forced William's hand.
"I don't know."
William's teeth ground together. "Then why didn't you contact me after you woke up?"
Isabella's voice came out weak. "I woke up once, but I was too exhausted. I fell back asleep almost immediately. I didn't see anyone. Not until you showed up just now."
She started looking around, her voice turning urgent. "Where's my phone?"
William's anger flared hotter. "Forget the damn phone! It's gone—at the bottom of the river with the car. Are you out of your mind? You maxed out the speedometer. Were you trying to kill yourself?"
Isabella looked at him without answering. She hadn't known how fast she was going. At the time, only one thought had consumed her—faster, go faster, or she'd never make his deadline.
William's fury intensified at her silence. "Listen to me. From now on, you don't drive. Ever. If I catch you behind the wheel again, I'll make sure you can't walk."
Isabella simply nodded. No argument.
William forced down the urgency clawing at his chest. The panic had faded, but the irritation felt even worse now.
What the hell was wrong with him? This woman had his thoughts in complete chaos.
"Get up. We're leaving."
Isabella braced her hands against the mattress and swung her legs to the floor. She had no strength to stand.
She clenched her jaw and tried anyway. The moment she put weight on her legs, pain exploded through her bones, as if they were splintering. She collapsed to the floor.
William's hand moved instinctively, then stopped. He wouldn't give her sympathy. All that mattered was that she was alive.
Isabella lay crumpled on the ground, trying again to rise. Her body wouldn't cooperate.
She didn't ask for help. She just kept trying, over and over, until William's patience snapped.
He grabbed her arm and yanked her up, then swept her into his arms.
Isabella's face remained blank as he carried her out.
She didn't look at the villa. Only one thought filled her mind—Thomas was safe.
William hadn't discovered the truth. He was just taking her away. The villa and Thomas were safe, at least for now.
Back in the car, William sat rigid and silent, the air around him thick with barely contained rage. No one dared speak. No one knew what he was thinking.
The car moved through the streets. Isabella's body, weak and battered, gave in to exhaustion. She fell asleep quickly. Her weight shifted with the motion of the vehicle, and she slumped unconsciously against William's shoulder.
He raised his hand to push her away, then slowly lowered it. He turned his gaze to the window instead.