Chapter 123 Retribution

Chapter 123 Retribution

He stared at the surging river and shouted, "Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

But no one answered.

In the end, Shawn was led away by some elderly ladies who brought people with them.

Meanwhile, the search and rescue team continued scouring the river for nearly two full days, but all they managed to recover were a few scattered vehicle fragments.

The police had already issued a complete investigation report. The conclusion: the vehicle lost control and plunged into the river, the driver's whereabouts unknown, but chances of survival were slim.

When Shawn received the report, his hands shook so badly he could barely hold the pages.

He crumpled the report into a ball and hurled it into the river, then whirled on his assistant and roared, "Keep searching! I need to see her alive or see her body! I don't care what it costs!"

But New York was vast, and the river current was fierce. When someone disappeared, they were just... gone.

The assistant didn't dare disobey and could only go carry out the orders.

The news spread like wildfire through New York's high society circles.

Ruth's plunge into the river, along with those scandalous photos from Vivian's birthday party, dominated every major media outlet's headlines.

#The Grey Family CEO Cheats with Sister-in-Law, Wife Missing After River Plunge#

#Vivian's Birthday Party Turns into Disaster, Shawn Loses Control and Flees Scene#

#Grey Group Stock Plummets, Emergency Shareholder Meeting Called#

What was supposed to be a glamorous birthday celebration had become the biggest humiliation of Vivian's life.

People in their circle avoided her like the plague. The society ladies who used to fawn over her now crossed the street when they saw her coming.

Even when Vivian went out, people would sneer at her, "Oh, isn't that Mr. Grey's 'sister-in-law'? How does she still have the nerve to show her face?"

Vivian bit her lip and hurried away. When she got back to her apartment, she smashed everything she could get her hands on.

She'd called Shawn countless times. Not one call answered.

The messages she sent didn't even show as 'read.'

Now that Ruth was gone, she was his only refuge left.

He wouldn't see her now—it had to be because he couldn't accept what happened to Ruth yet.

In a few days, once he'd processed everything, he'd definitely come back to her. After all, she was carrying his child.

Meanwhile, Shawn had locked himself inside Rosewood Estates, refusing food and drink, spending his days staring blankly at the things Ruth had left behind.

The meals the servants brought up sat untouched.

When the butler urged him to at least eat something, he just waved him off, his voice hoarse. "She hasn't been found yet. How can I eat?"

Grey Group was in chaos.

The stock price had dropped nearly thirty percent in just three days. The shareholders were frantic, but Shawn wouldn't even answer the phone.

Finally, Elsie had to step in to take control and barely managed to stabilize the situation.

Elsie had mixed feelings about Ruth's disappearance—she couldn't say she was heartbroken, but the damage to the Grey family's interests infuriated her.

She went to Rosewood Estates herself. When she saw how much weight Shawn had lost, she felt both heartache and fury. "Even if you work yourself to death, she's not coming back! If the company collapses, what are you going to use to fund the search?"

Shawn looked up and shouted, "She will come back! She has to!"

Seeing how stubborn Shawn was being, Elsie swallowed the harsher words she wanted to say.

At the same time, in a secluded estate on the outskirts of New York, Ruth's life was an entirely different story.

The place William had arranged was far from the city with excellent privacy. The estate even had a small garden, and he'd hired a nutritionist and nursing staff for her.

She was nearly five months pregnant now, her belly visibly rounded, her movements not as nimble as before. But here, she didn't have to guard against anyone or deal with people and situations that made her sick.

That day, Ruth was in the garden trimming flowers when she heard footsteps behind her.

Without turning around, she said, "You're here?"

"You knew it was me without even looking?" William teased.

Ruth set down her pruning shears and turned to face William. "At this time of day, no one else would come."

William glanced down at her. "The nutritionist says your appetite's been pretty good lately?"

Ruth rested her hand on her belly and nodded. "Maybe I've gotten past the worst of it."

Hearing this, William's gaze softened. "If that's the case, then good."

For a moment, neither spoke. They just stayed there together.

A few days later, Ruth was sunbathing in the garden. Thinking it was William, she turned around only to find someone else standing beside him.

Michael stood a few steps away. The moment he saw Ruth, his eyes instantly reddened.

Ruth gripped the armrest and stood up, her voice trembling slightly. "Dad..."

Michael rushed over and pulled her into his arms, his voice choked with emotion. "You scared me to death... When I heard the news, I almost thought..."

He couldn't finish, just held Ruth tightly, as if afraid that if he let go, she'd vanish.

Ruth leaned against his shoulder, her nose stinging as tears silently fell. "I'm sorry, Dad. I made you worry."

Michael released her and looked her up and down. Seeing her much thinner face and rounded belly, his eyes grew even redder. "You've lost so much weight... You've suffered a lot these past few months, haven't you?"

Ruth smiled. "It's okay. Those hard days are behind me now."

Michael hesitated before asking, "This child... is it 'that person's'?"

Ruth didn't deny it. "But after this child is born, it won't have anything to do with him. This is my child."

Michael was silent for a few seconds before seeming to accept this reality.

"Alright. As long as you're okay and the baby's okay, nothing else matters. Dad will take you home."

Hearing this, Ruth thought of all the loose ends she still needed to tie up. After a moment, she said, "Dad, I want to stay here to have the baby. And I also want to deal with that mess."

Even though she'd faked her death, she couldn't just ignore everything. Besides, she wanted to watch the Grey family's drama unfold.

And she wanted to find out who had been pulling the strings behind the scenes all this time...

Michael stayed at the estate for two days, personally confirming Ruth's living conditions and health status before finally feeling somewhat reassured.

But there were still matters in Los Angeles that needed handling, and he had to go back to deal with them before he could return to help Ruth.

"Ruth, I have to go back to Los Angeles to handle some business. Once I'm done, I'll come back..."

At this, Ruth said, "Dad, if you need to handle those things, go ahead. I'll be fine."