CHAPTER 86

CHAPTER 86


Archer

I sat quietly as I waited for Elena to walk through the door at any time. But she didn't. The more I waited, the more anxious I became.

The house was too quiet. Isla had gone to sleep.

The kind of silence that made the walls feel like they were pressing in on me.

Savien was standing near the living room, phone in his hand. His face was tight with concern. He was trying to reach Elena's driver, but it wasn't going through.

Did Pius try anything stupid again? I swear to God I'll kill him if he did anything to her.

Savien’s phone rang, finally.

He picked up.

“Earl,” he answered sharply, his voice going cold the way it always did when something was off.

The voice on the other end was frantic. I could hear it clearly. The phone was still on speaker.

“Savien, something happened,” the man said, panting like he’d run a marathon. My heart began pounding violently in my chest as I listened to him.

Savien tensed. “Where is Elena?”

“That’s the thing, sir—I don’t know. She told me she was going to meet someone. A woman. I dropped her off at a restaurant two hours ago…and she never came out. I've searched everywhere but I can't find her.”

I stood frozen.

“What woman?” Savien barked.

“I didn’t see her clearly. She just waved Elena over to her table. She had this sad look on her face, though, and I don't know, but she resembled Elena a bit. That’s all I can say.”

“Which restaurant?”

“L’Arôme on West Avenue.”

Savien glanced at me and saw the expression on my face. “Go on,” he commanded, his voice tight.

“I waited outside, like always,” Earl continued. “I didn’t want to crowd her. But when an hour passed, I went in to check. The waiter said she left thirty minutes ago. They said she probably used the other gate in the restaurant.”

“What the hell do you mean left through a different gate?” I finally said, my voice like gravel. “Left where?”

“I…I don’t know, boss.”

His voice trailed off. I could almost hear his guilt choking him.

I ran a hand through my hair, trying to tamp down the fury swelling in my chest.

“How useless can you be Earl? You were supposed to protect her, instead you let her wander off with a stranger, fuck.”

“Boss, calm down,” Savien said with a worried expression.

I had just come out of a coma. Two damn weeks of darkness, nightmares, pain. And the one reason I fought to wake up was Elena…and now she was gone?

“I’ll have our team pull the restaurant’s security footage. If she was taken…”

“She wasn’t taken,” I growled. “She walked in there with that woman. Willingly. That’s what the bastard just said.”

Savien narrowed his eyes. “Then whoever that woman is, she convinced Elena to go with her. It could be psychological. Could be someone from her past.”

My stomach sank.

“What if it’s her mother?” I whispered before I could stop myself. “Earl mentioned that she kind of resembled her. But if it's really her mother, why is she showing up now of all times?”

Savien was already reaching for his phone. “I’ll look into that too.”

I sat down, trying to process it all. It didn’t make sense. Elena wouldn’t just vanish. Not unless someone made her. Not unless she believed she had no choice. What at all did that woman tell Elena? Making her wander off like that? I thought to myself.

“Boss, I just spoke to the owner of the restaurant, and he said we could come and take a look at the security cameras. We need to hurry, it looks like there's a storm coming.” I nodded and immediately went upstairs to change what I was wearing.

We hopped inside the car and Savien drove off. I tapped my forefinger on my thigh as we drove to the place. After almost fifteen minutes on the road, we got to the place.

Earl was there, his head down in shame. If it were the old Archer, I would've shot him by now. After checking the cameras, we saw where Elena passed.

Savien and I hit the road. “Boss, why don't you go sit in the car. The doctor said you shouldn't stress, I'll look for her.”

“You think I'll be calm sitting in the car, knowing fully well that my wife is missing?” Savien nodded and we continued walking.

It started to drizzle as we walked. We checked alleyways but we still didn't find Elena.

“Savien, let's split up. I don't think we'll find her like this.” He nodded and we split.

The rain became a bit heavy, and I grew even more scared. Elena is probably walking in this rain, she could catch a cold or something.

After searching for almost 30 minutes, I spotted something in the dark. Someone was sitting on a bench not so far from where I was standing.

I went closer and realised that it was a woman because of her long hair. She was sobbing in the dark. I went closer to her, and her face was covered with her hair.

“Excuse me, are you alright?” I asked as I went nearer, and the moment I stood near her, I knew this wasn't any ordinary woman. It was Elena.

She looked up at me slowly, her eyes were red from the crying and her face was wet from the rain. My beating heart suddenly calmed down when I saw her.

But the way she looked at me was different. Her eyes held so many emotions. I crouched to meet her height on the bench.

“Elena,” I called out her name again. She shook her head violently. “Fuck, I'm hallucinating now.” She doesn't know that I woke up, so she probably thinks that I'm not real.

“What's even the point?” Hee voice was hoarse.

“Might as well see you for the last time.” My face creased when she said that. What does she mean by last time? Is she planning on leaving me again?

My eyes didn't leave hers even for a second.

“I'm sorry Edward. I've been nothing but pain to you ever since I came into your life. You had given up a lot of things for me and I didn't even realise.

I…I was so broken and alone, I thought what I needed was to see my mother again, so I sold you out to your enemy.” She broke down again. I wanted to just wrap my hands around her and pull her in for a tight hug, but I need her to pour out her heart.

That would make her heart less heavy. “I was forced to be his puppet, and now that I saw my mother, I just hate her even more.

I…I wish I had never met her.” Her glossy eyes stared into mine as she sobbed her heart out.

“I'm sorry Edward, I…love you.” My stomach twisted when she said that. She loves me too? Elena loves me?