Chapter 12
Desmond had even reserved every advertising screen in the city, a grand gesture to publicly declare his love for Daisy on their wedding day. A spectacular fireworks display over the sea was planned, set to light up the night sky the moment they exchanged their rings. It was the magnificent wedding he had promised Daisy.
But the day before the wedding, when Desmond finally made his way to the sanatorium to bring Daisy home, he was utterly disappointed.
“She ran?” Desmond’s face darkened, his mood so heavy that it felt like the air itself could freeze.
Heather’s voice was calm as she explained, “Sister had been cooperating with her treatment recently, so her door wasn’t locked. Last night, when everything was still, she slipped away quietly.”
Heather showed him a surveillance video, expertly altered with technology. “I’ve already sent people to track her overnight.”
Desmond’s eyes grew colder, and the room fell into a tense silence. But by nightfall, Daisy was still nowhere to be found.
The next day should have been Desmond and Daisy’s wedding, but with the bride missing, everyone urged Desmond to cancel the ceremony. But he refused to listen. Instead, he ordered the search to continue, his eyes fixed on his phone screen. The messages he had sent Daisy were desperate: [Where are you?] [Talk to me.] [Daisy, I’m giving you one last chance. Come to Moonlight Manor at 10 AM tomorrow for our wedding, or we will never be together again.]
Heather saw the messages and noticed something shift in her expression. Then, casually, she took out Daisy’s phone and spoke softly, “Desmond, Sister left her phone at the hospital. She didn’t take it with her.”
Desmond’s face turned dark. The room went completely still. After a long pause, his cold voice broke the silence. “What about her ID card and other belongings?”
“They weren’t taken either,” Heather answered. “The hospital kept her things during her treatment. She didn’t take them when she left. So she’s out there with nothing.”
Desmond’s gaze was like ice. He didn’t fully understand the weight of her words, but he nodded after a moment. “Then stop searching. If she loves the outside so much, let her face it head-on. Let her learn the lesson she hasn’t learned yet.”
Desmond slowly took off his glasses and wiped them with a deliberate motion. His eyes were as dark and cold as a winter night. Daisy had always been a pampered young lady from the Johnson Family, never knowing real hardship. Now, Desmond was eager to see just how long she would survive on her own in the real world.
He turned to Heather with a final, chilling command. “Spread the word. Anyone trying to help Daisy will be going against the Thomas Family. And indefinitely postpone the wedding between me and Daisy.”
His subordinates immediately set his orders in motion, leaving Desmond with the mess to clean up. The wedding invitations had already been sent, but with the bride gone, the Thomases were facing ridicule. If word got out, they would become the laughingstock of the city.
Seizing the opportunity, Heather stepped forward. “It’s better to switch the bride than lose her altogether. We’ll get through tomorrow, and when Sister comes back, I’ll return the position of Mrs. Thomas to her.”
Desmond shook his head, his voice firm. “No need.” He gently patted Heather’s head. “This wouldn’t be fair to you.”
But Heather looked up at him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “You know I like you. It would fulfill my dream if I could become your bride this time.”
Desmond’s heart flickered with guilt, but he still couldn’t bring himself to agree. “Don’t worry,” she continued, trying to steady her voice. “Once this is over, we’ll part ways. I’ll never trouble you again.”
Despite the flicker of guilt in his heart, Desmond couldn’t bring himself to say yes. The tension between them lingered, unspoken, as the chaos of the wedding day loomed closer.
