Chapter 110 Her Silent Farewell
Inside the jewelry box wasn't jewelry at all, but a yellowed paper airplane.
This was the paper airplane Nicholas had pulled from his pocket to cheer Emma up twelve years ago when he left her at the farmhouse to recover.
The paper had yellowed, bearing the marks of time.
He gently unfolded it and found it covered with dates.
He recognized them immediately—these were the days they'd met, but there weren't many.
Over a thousand days had passed, yet only about a hundred dates were recorded.
His heart felt like it was being cut with a knife. All those unrecorded dates were proof of how he'd missed her.
He noticed two familiar dates. 02090630 was the number for her password. 0209 was the New Year's Eve twelve years ago when he'd rescued her, and 0630 was the day Zoe saved him. But why was 0603 also in her records? Had she been there that day too?
Lost in thought, he continued looking through the other items in the box.
Inside were photos and newspaper clippings of him. The photos showed his journey from awkward teenager to mature adult, flashing through his mind one by one.
His triumphant look when receiving awards; his stern profile on financial news programs; even a photo she'd secretly taken of him sitting quietly in the garden when he was having problems with his eyes.
His heart felt squeezed, sour and bitter.
So her life had been filled with him, only him. And now she'd left all of this behind, taking nothing with her. This was her silent goodbye.
His eyes reddened.
He held the heavy box. Not heavy in weight, but heavy with twelve years of time, with her silent love.
His knuckles turned white from gripping so hard, the bones clearly visible. His eyes brimmed with moisture, the feeling like sand grinding against his eyeballs, or something tightening around them.
Finally, he left the apartment with the box.
"Get the door fixed," he ordered in a hoarse voice.
Charlie, seeing his devastated state, said carefully, "Mr. Harrison, could Mrs. Harrison have gone back to Novaria? That's where Bluebird Tech headquarters is."
Nicholas's eyes instantly sharpened.
"Prepare the private jet," he said immediately. "We're going to Novaria."
As night fell, the Bluebird Tech branch in Lumaria stood out particularly.
Matthew, his eyes bloodshot, barged straight into the building.
"Where's Emma?"
His voice was hoarse, carrying an undeniable pressure.
The branch manager trembled, "Mr. Moore, Ms. Rodriguez... Ms. Rodriguez hasn't come to the Lumaria branch."
Matthew grabbed him by the collar, his eyes dangerous, "You'd better not be lying."
The manager's face went pale with fear, "Really... really, she hasn't. We... we didn't receive any notice that Ms. Rodriguez was coming back."
Matthew panicked. He picked up his phone and made a call, "Use whatever means necessary to find Emma. Make sure she's safe. Hurry! Find out where Chris Mark is, and locate that lunatic too."
"Yes, sir!"
......
Meanwhile,
At 4 AM, Nicholas's private jet landed in Novaria. Before leaving Emerald City, he'd already arranged to send Zoe abroad for further studies, and handed over evidence of Steven's tax evasion and Karen's conspiracy to commit murder to the authorities!
Karen had killed his child. How could he not avenge that?
Nicholas didn't return to the hotel to rest. He rushed straight to Bluebird Tech headquarters, which was brightly lit. Charlie followed closely, not daring to even yawn.
Nicholas stood in the center of the lobby, radiating an unapproachable aura.
Susan Summer, with dark circles under her eyes, forced herself to look alert and approached him, "Mr. Harrison, welcome. I'm Susan, the person in charge at Bluebird Tech."
Nicholas's gaze swept over her like an ice blade, "Where's Emma?"
Susan put on a smile, "Ms. Rodriguez is busy with business matters and hasn't returned to headquarters."
"Where is she?" Nicholas's voice was low, with a barely noticeable tremor.
"I'm sorry, we have no authority to inquire about Ms. Rodriguez's whereabouts." Susan maintained her professional smile, giving nothing away. "However, the licensing documents for the formula for the Harrison Group and the foundation cooperation agreement are all ready."
Yes, she'd arranged everything, so she could leave without any concerns.
Nicholas's patience ran out. He grabbed Susan's arm with surprising force, "Tell me! Where is she!"
Charlie quickly stepped forward to stop him, "Mr. Harrison, calm down!"
Susan winced in pain, her expression changing, "Mr. Harrison, you're putting me in a difficult position. I really don't know Ms. Rodriguez's whereabouts."
Charlie received a message and his expression changed. He leaned close to Nicholas's ear and whispered, "Matthew went to Lumaria."
Nicholas's eyes flickered, "The Lumaria branch?"
He turned back to Susan, "Could she be at the Lumaria branch?"
Susan quickly shook her head, "Ms. Rodriguez isn't at the branch either!"
Nicholas's eyes flashed. Susan's certainty was enough to prove she knew where Emma was!
Nicholas released her, his tone icy, "Take me to her office."
The office had a minimalist style, as clean as Emma herself.
On the wall hung a white lily painting, proud and independent.
On the desk, a youthful photo instantly struck him.
It was her bachelor's degree graduation photo.
She was smiling brightly and boldly, standing in front of her school's bulletin board.
And on that bulletin board was a photo of him, with the words "Nicholas" written beside it.
This was their only photo together.
Nicholas's throat felt blocked, painfully tight.
In the photo, her eyes sparkled, full of hope for the future.
And he had let that hope down.
He picked up the photo, his fingertips gently tracing her smiling face.
"Emma, wait for me. Don't run too far!"
......
Dawn was breaking.
Emma opened the window. The salty sea breeze carried the unique coolness of early morning, brushing against her face. Before her stretched an endless expanse of blue, dotted with a few fishing boats heading out to sea, forming a beautiful seascape.
She was in a good mood.
This was a place in Novaria called "Rockford Town." She was currently staying in a villa facing the sea—basically a safe house.
The villa wasn't large, but it was elegant and cozy. The yard was filled with the area's distinctive colorful flowers—red, yellow, purple—blooming brilliantly in the morning light.
Rockford Town had simple folk customs and was far from the hustle and bustle. Surrounded by sea on three sides with treacherous terrain, it naturally formed a barrier that was easy to defend and hard to attack.
So this place was known as the safest spot in Novaria.
Since her identity was suddenly exposed, both Vesperia and Novaria's officials had shown unprecedented tension.
She was now the world's focus, and the shadows lurking in the darkness had already targeted her, eager to tear her apart.
At the same time, in a distant, dark forest, a rotting, twisted face stared at that beautiful face on a video screen, showing a deranged smile.
Four years—it was time for all this to end...
The glass in Emma's hand suddenly slipped and fell, shattering into pieces on the floor!