Chapter 9
She knew her low spirits were caused by Ruben. Even though she had erased him from her life, his presence had been too deeply ingrained. He had become a habit she couldn’t easily break.
Cassie had invited her out for dinner. When she tasted something she liked, she instinctively turned to the empty seat beside her and said, “Honey, this is really good. Can you make it for me when we get home?”
The moment the words left her mouth, both she and Cassie froze in shock.
At night, she would reach out for the warmth beside her, only to grasp nothing but air, and then insomnia would take hold.
Mornings felt strange, too, as Ruben had always handled her clothes, each piece carrying the scent of the cologne he had carefully chosen.
Now, the garments sent back from the dry cleaners smelled like nothing at all.
For years, Ruben had woven himself into every corner of her life with gentle persistence. They were like two threads of different colors, intricately entwined into a single fabric.
Now, she needed time to learn how to live alone again and to unweave him from her life completely.
Three months later, Estelle had adjusted to her new routine. She took good care of herself and rarely thought about Ruben.
Back in university, she had earned dual degrees in software engineering and artificial intelligence.
Programming had always fascinated her because, in the binary world of is and os, everything was precise and governed by clear rules. Yet, within those rules, infinite possibilities could be created. Estelle loved that sense of control.
After graduation, she had worked in the field for years, accumulating extensive experience. Recently, she began developing her own tech brand.
Another three months passed, and her product was finally complete. She contacted manufacturers and personally financed the first production batch. Once the necessary paperwork was approved, the product hit the market.
Originally, she had just wanted to test the waters, but to her surprise, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
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Not only did she attract a loyal customer base, but several investors also approached her, eager to collaborate. Estelle had no desire to step into the spotlight; she feared being recognized and drawing unnecessary trouble. So, she entrusted everything to Cassie by giving her full authority to handle the business negotiations.
Cassie carefully selected the most generous and well–established company among the offers.
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After both parties finalized the contract terms online, they arranged to sign the agreement in person. Fortunately, the company’s CEO happened to be visiting the same town, which saved Cassie from traveling back and forth. She could simply meet him in person to finalize the deal.
At the scheduled time, Cassie walked into the meeting venue. The moment Asher saw her, he froze.
If he wasn’t mistaken, the woman standing before him was Cassie–Estelle’s closest friend.
According to Ruben’s investigation, the plane crash had been remotely controlled, and Cassie was an expert in that field.
That could only mean Estelle had never been on that plane. The aircraft that had crashed was empty.
More importantly, Cassie was the person Estelle had contacted twice before her disappearance.
So, if Cassie had helped her escape, then her presence here could only mean one thing… Estelle was here too.
Chapter 10
