Chapter 368 Book 5: Without Iris

Chapter 368 Book 5: Without Iris
Maddox alighted from his car and walked up to his house. He hadn’t expected to return alone. He had been sure to find Iris at Stanford. But she hadn’t gone there either. The twins were as worried as he was. He had cross-examined them, but they, too, were clueless about Iris’s whereabouts.
He visited the San Francisco Police Department for information on Iris. They promised to update him.
There was nothing he could do other than return home.
Where had Iris gone? It seemed the earth had swallowed her up. He had lodged a missing report at both San Francisco and LA. They would get back soon. Yet almost an hour had gone by. They hadn’t called him. Why couldn’t they find her?
He locked the main door and stood staring at the emptiness surrounding him. The house was eerily quiet, and he felt claustrophobic. It didn’t feel like home without Iris.
Maddox felt physically drained. Ever since Iris had disappeared from his life, he hadn’t slept. All his mental peace and happiness had disappeared with her. He felt like a corpse.
The bedroom made tears pool in his eyes. He could still feel her warm presence in the room. Everywhere he looked, he could hear her laughter, her sweet voice calling out to him.
How would he live here without Iris?
They had been so happy together. If only Lucille had left them alone. His body trembled with fury at the thought of Lucille. If he saw her again, he would surely kill her. Why hadn’t he done it before? Lucille Hartley deserved to die.
It had been twenty-four hours since she had been arrested. Why hadn’t Officer Stewart called him? Had they released them under pressure? Maybe Rebekah’s father, with his powerful connections, had intervened again. He had to call Officer Stewart to find out.
After the fourth time, Officer Stewart accepted his call. “The arraignment was scheduled today for Gary Laurier. He has caved in and admitted to his crimes. Mrs. Laurier had some secret videos of him and Lydia Hansley, which she used to blackmail him. He used to physically abuse Lydia against her will while she worked for him. Mrs. Laurier had evidence against him that she threatened to expose. Therefore, a scandal would have ended his legal career forever.”  
Maddox gasped at the news. “So, was his bail application approved?” He didn’t want his uncle to roam around freely. He was as dangerous as Evangeline Laurier.
 “No. He is now charged with rae, murder, and other charges. It’s non-bailable and punishable.”
“What about Lydia Hansley’s case, officer? She was convicted of a theft she hadn’t committed. Did my uncle throw light on the matter?” Maddox wanted to fulfill Iris’s dream of clearing her mother’s name. Would she return to him if he helped her?
“Yes. Gary Laurier has given his statement regarding the case. You can take it up with your lawyer and appeal to the court for a reinvestigation.”
Maddox nodded, feeling pleased. “What about Lucille’s case?”
“She hasn’t opened her mouth during the interrogation. Her lawyer has stalled the arraignment until tomorrow morning. I’ll update you, Mr. Laurier. Did you bring Ms. Hansley home with you?”
Maddox sighed and explained the situation to him. “There has been no update on her from the San Francisco Police Department as well.”
“I’ll coordinate with them and find out.”
The next morning, too, his situation was no different. They had no information about Iris. He sat at the police station all day, refusing to budge without an update on Iris. He had no interest in Lucille’s arraignment too when she was escorted to the court. She had tears in her eyes at the sight of him, but Maddox pointedly ignored her. She was the sole cause of his woes.
If she hadn’t kidnapped Iris, he would have married her by now. His efforts, his dreams wouldn’t have been crushed. He would have been happily married to the woman he loved. They would have waited for their baby’s birth like every other parent in this world. Anything would have been better than this.
“Maddox, please...,” Lucille whispered as she passed him.
Was she begging for mercy? He scoffed and turned his back on her.
One by one, all her friends were escorted to the police van waiting outside. The police hadn’t allowed her friends to see their parents. Even Rebekah’s dad, with all his powers, waited outside. This time, his reach couldn’t help them. Their crimes had outweighed his efforts.
Officer Stewart followed the women out. “Trust me, Mr. Laurier. Everything will be fine.”
Maddox was glad that the cops hadn’t caved in. Officer Stewart escorted them to court.
The entire day, Maddox waited there for Officer Shelby to update him. When they failed, he strode out to take things into his own hands. He wasn’t giving up.
In a matter of minutes, he drove over to the nearest private investigator, Ben Knight’s, office. “You’re my only hope, Mr. Knight. My girlfriend is going through a difficult pregnancy. We must rescue her immediately. I just hope nothing untoward has happened to her. She has no money or phone with her. I’m at my wits' end now.”
Maddox broke down as he spoke about Iris’s plight. He had been trying hard to be brave and hopeful all day. He had prayed as well, not for himself but for Iris. Yet God hadn’t heard his prayers.
“Don’t lose hope, Mr. Laurier. I’ll definitely search for her and bring her home to you.”
Maddox went home at last. His body trembled from exhaustion, and he could feel his temperature soar. At home, Deborah forced him to have his dinner and medicine. “You’re burning with fever, Mr. Laurier. How will you search for Iris if you fall sick?” She fussed over him, tending to him as his mother would have, had she been alive.
This time, he didn’t have the energy to stop her.
For the next five days, Maddox drifted in and out of consciousness. Deborah summoned a doctor and nursed him back to health. Despite his condition, all he asked for was Iris.
Deborah’s eyes filled up at his condition. No one deserved this.
Declan came over to check on him. He gasped in shock at his friend’s condition. “Why didn’t you call me, bro?”
Maddox sighed, struggling to get up. The pneumonia had left him weak. He had failed to take an update on Iris. “Can you please call Ben Knight, the private investigator I had hired? He hasn’t updated me yet. I wonder if he has found Iris yet.”
Declan sighed and called the man. After disconnecting the call, he gave Maddox a grave look. “She has covered her tracks well, Maddox. Maybe she doesn’t want you to find her. Maybe she’s hiding from you.” Declan grimaced at the obvious explanation. Why couldn’t his friend realize it?
Maddox sat with a blank look on his face. “Why would she do that? I love her so much. She’s my life.” His throat felt choked, and his eyes filled with tears. Declan’s words hurt him immensely. No, Iris knew he loved her. He had always loved her from the moment he had laid eyes on her.
Maybe he hadn’t confessed, but he had proved his love repeatedly through his actions.
Declan sighed and nodded. “Have you ever told her that?”
Maddox gaped at his friend. What was there to tell? Weren’t his actions enough? After all, his actions could speak louder than his words, right?
“I have shown her repeatedly through my actions. I have proven my love in everything I did for her. She knows that by now.” He felt his heart constrict with pain. No, Declan was wrong. Iris wasn’t hiding from him.
Declan shook his head. “That’s not enough, bro. Women want you to declare your love for them every single day!”
Maddox gave him a guilty look. “Oh, I wasn’t aware of that. I promise to do that once she returns. Why is she hiding from me?” Maddox couldn’t lie down any longer. He had to go to San Francisco and look for Iris. He wouldn’t return until he found her.
“Maybe Lucille and her friends have brainwashed her, bro. She might have thought you were actually marrying Lucille. It’s just a hunch. I might be wrong...” Declan shrugged, rising from the chair.
Maddox frowned at the possibility. “You’re right. Maybe she’s with her siblings at Stanford. I think she’s hiding from me. I’ll go there and find out. I swear I won’t return until I find her. Shut down Escapades and the house, bro. I’m leaving for San Francisco indefinitely....” He strode into his walk-in closet to dump his clothes into an enormous trolley case.
Declan followed him in a state of confusion. He had to stop his friend’s madness.
Just then, the doorbell rang, and they looked at one another with hope. Who could it be?