Chapter 66 Missing
The moment Derek realized the phone truly belonged to Rebecca, his heart dropped so hard it felt like it had slammed into the pit of his stomach, as he picked it up.
He stood there for several seconds without moving, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. His mind refused to accept what his eyes were seeing.
The phone felt unnaturally cold in his hand, heavier than it should have been. The screen cracked as if it had been dropped in a struggle or stepped on in a rush. His heart pounded so violently he could hear it in his ears.
"No… this doesn’t make sense," he muttered.
The wind howled softly through the palm trees, the leaves rustling in a way that suddenly felt threatening instead of peaceful. The night air felt colder, and heavier. Derek slowly turned around, his eyes scanning every inch of the area.
"Rebecca?" he called out, his voice echoing slightly.
Nothing.
He moved quickly, then faster, checking behind the trees, near the benches, along the darker edges of the path. His mind raced through horrifying possibilities.
Rebecca was careful. Always careful. Especially now. She wouldn’t just drop her phone and walk away. She wouldn’t forget it. And she definitely wouldn’t throw it away.
His grip tightened around the phone.
"What happened to you?" he whispered.
His mind jumped to the worst possibilities almost immediately. Had someone approached her? Had she argued with someone? Had she tried to defend herself?
The image of her being scared, alone, and pregnant made his chest ache painfully.
"No," he muttered firmly, shaking his head. "I won’t stand here guessing." The more time he waste standing there, the less time he had to find her.
He turned sharply and began walking fast toward the main resort building, his steps quick and determined. Every second wasted felt dangerous.
The reception area was still lit, though quieter than before. The cheerful atmosphere from earlier was gone, replaced by soft background music and the faint hum of electricity. Derek walked straight to the desk, not bothering to slow down.
The receptionist looked up, startled by the urgency on his face.
"Sir"
"I need help," Derek said firmly. "Right now."
The receptionist straightened immediately. "Of course, sir. What’s the problem?"
"My wife is missing," he said. "And I just found her phone on the ground outside."
Her eyes widened. "Missing?"
"Yes," Derek replied, his voice tight. "I need to see your CCTV footage. All of it."
She hesitated unsure. "I, I’m sorry, sir, I don’t have access to the CCTV system. That’s handled by management."
"Then call whoever is in charge, now." He snapped, his patience thinned.
The receptionist swallowed nervously and picked up the phone. "One moment, sir."
She dialed quickly, speaking in a low voice. "Hello, sir… yes… Mr. Hemsworth needs to see. He says it’s urgent."
Derek stood there, fists clenched, as he forced himself not to pace, every second felt like a lifetime. He needed answers to the whereabouts of his wife, and he needed them urgently.
"Yes, sir," the receptionist continued. "I’ll send him to your office."
She hung up and looked at Derek. "The manager will see you now, sir. Please follow me." She stood up and started walking while he followed behind her.
The walk to the manager’s office felt endless. Derek barely noticed the surroundings as they passed through clean hallways and softly lit corridors. His thoughts were entirely focused on Rebecca.
When they reached the office, the manager stood up immediately upon seeing him.
"Mr. Hemsworth," he said. "I was told there’s a problem?"
"Yes," Derek said without sitting. "My wife is missing, and I need to see your CCTV footage immediately."
The manager frowned slightly. "Missing?"
"I found her phone on the ground near the outer palm path," Derek continued, his voice tight. "She wouldn’t leave without it. Ever."
"But Sir, was there an argument between you two before she left?" The manager asked.
"Just a minor argument. Can we go now? I need to look for my wife." He replied, his voice tight.
The manager nodded slowly. “Alright. Let’s go to the ICT room." He added, when he realized Derek was not interested in entertaining anymore questions.
The ICT room was filled with screens, wires, and low humming sounds. A technician quickly pulled up the CCTV system as Derek stood behind him, arms crossed tightly.
"Show me the area near the palm trees on the east side," Derek said immediately. "Near the less-used walking path."
The staff member hesitated. "Sir… there’s no CCTV coverage in that specific area."
Derek froze. "What do you mean, no coverage?"
The manager cleared his throat. "That section is considered a low-traffic zone. We haven’t installed cameras there yet."
Derek turned sharply. "You’re telling me there’s a blind spot in your resort?"
"It’s temporary," the manager replied carefully. "We were planning to...."
Derek exhaled sharply through his nose, anger and fear mixing dangerously in his chest.
"Then show me the cameras outside our room," he said. "Now."
He watched as they pulled up the feed for that area.
There she was.
Rebecca.
He watched silently as the footage followed her as she walked through the resort paths. Derek recognized the route instantly. It was the same path they had taken earlier. The same place where everything had gone wrong.
Then Rebecca moved closer to the darker area.
And suddenly—
The camera feed ended.
"That’s it?" Derek asked sharply.
"Yes, sir," the technician said. "That’s where coverage stops."
Derek straightened slowly, his heart sinking.
"She disappears right where there are no cameras," he said quietly.
The manager folded his arms. "Mr. Hemsworth, it’s possible she continued walking beyond the camera’s range."
"She didn’t, Rebecca would never intentionally put herself in danger," Derek replied firmly.
The room fell silent.
The manager hesitated before speaking. "Sir… are you suggesting something happened to her?"
"I think my wife was kidnapped," Derek said.
The manager stared at him. "Kidnapped? Mr. Hemsworth, she’s a grown woman. How could someone kidnap her here without anyone noticing?"
Derek’s jaw tightened. "Because there’s no camera coverage how would anyone know about her being kidnapped when everywhere was dark. And she was alone."
The manager crossed his arms. "You mentioned earlier that you two had an argument."
"Yes," Derek admitted. "She stormed out."
"Then isn’t it possible she left on her own?" the manager pressed. "Out of anger?"
Derek turned on him sharply. "Even if she left, why would she throw her phone away?"
The manager hesitated.
"She wouldn’t," Derek continued, his voice shaking with restrained panic. "Not while pregnant, and endangering our child's life." He said.
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Derek spoke again. "I want your security team alerted immediately."
The manager exhaled slowly. "Mr. Hemsworth..."
"I’m also an investor in this resort," Derek said coldly. "And I am telling you my wife is missing." He hated using connection, but when it comes to Rebecca's safety, he was willing to go to any length to make sure she is safe.
That changed everything.
The manager nodded. "I’ll call security."
Derek watched as calls were made and orders given, and for the first time since everything began, fear completely overtook him.
Not anger or suspicion but genuine Fear.