Chapter 4

The Mediterranean sun beat down on the private terrace of the luxury resort. Bradley lay on a lounge chair behind dark sunglasses, swirling a glass of champagne.

Kristal stepped out of the infinity pool in a tiny bikini. She walked over, dripping water, and leaned her wet body against his shoulder.

Bradley instinctively shifted his weight, pulling away from her touch.

A flash of pure annoyance crossed Kristal's eyes, but she quickly hid it. She picked up a piece of sliced fruit and offered it to him with a sweet smile.

Before Bradley could decline, his private cell phone vibrated violently on the glass table.

He glanced at the screen. It was his mother, Priscilla Allsworthy.

He answered the call, his brow furrowing instantly as his mother's shrill voice pierced his ear.

"Bradley! Your wife has not shown her face at the family estate for three days! How dare she disrespect the elders like this?"

Bradley sat up so fast his champagne spilled onto his white robe.

Three days? He thought Herminia was just throwing a tantrum in the Manhattan apartment. He never imagined she would dare to skip the mandatory family gathering.

He muttered a quick excuse to his mother and hung up. A strange, suffocating tightness gripped his chest.

"Is sister making mother angry again?" Kristal asked softly, trying to sound innocent.

Bradley ignored her completely. He opened his contacts and dialed the number he hadn't called in three days.

There was no ringing sound. Instead, a cold, robotic female voice spoke: "The number you have dialed is no longer in service."

Bradley thought the signal was bad. He stood up, walked to the edge of the terrace, and dialed again.

The exact same robotic voice played. She hadn't just blocked him. She had completely canceled her number.

A wave of cold panic mixed with boiling anger rushed to his head. His fingers gripped the phone so hard the casing creaked.

He immediately dialed his executive assistant, Connor Hayes.

"Go to the penthouse right now," Bradley barked into the phone. "Find out what she is doing."

Five minutes later, Connor called back. His voice was shaking.

"Sir... the apartment is completely empty. There is dust everywhere."

Connor swallowed hard. "Madam took all her personal clothes. It looks like... she really moved out."

A loud ringing sound echoed in Bradley's ears. That woman actually dared to leave him.

He turned around and marched back into the suite. He ripped off his robe and started throwing on a dress shirt.

Kristal ran into the room after him. "Bradley, what's wrong? We have the yacht party tonight!"

Bradley's face was as dark as a thundercloud. "The trip is canceled. We are going back to New York right now."

Kristal bit her bottom lip, reaching out to grab his sleeve. "But you promised-"

Bradley slapped her hand away without a second of hesitation. His eyes were completely dead.

"Get the jet ready," he ordered his assistant over the phone, ignoring Kristal entirely. He couldn't breathe in this room for another second.

Kristal watched his back as he rushed out, her fingernails digging into her palms until they bled.

Two hours later, a private jet bearing the Elliott Capital logo tore through the European night sky, heading straight for New York.